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anrobe's review against another edition
2.0
I had such big hopes for this book and ultimately felt a bit disappointed. It's a okay book but it is not a great one. The concept behind the book was really interesting and gave the author a huge amount of content to work with.
What I liked most about this novel is the characters - although not particularly likeable - they were well written, complex and felt real to me. They transformed into people for me rather than just characters on a page. They are honestly what kept me reading.
Much of the actual plot was just okay for me. There were times when I had to force myself to keep reading when I would have rather read something else I had been reading. There were also times when I couldn't put the book down (most of that was in the later sections of the book). It was just uneven for me. That is part of the reason that I'm so conflicted about the novel in its entirety. There were moments that were great, but as a whole, it fell short of great.
I am not sure that I can adequately describe the overall feeling that this novel brought up in me. As someone who worked with in human services for years as a counselor and social worker, I had hoped that this story (given its very nature) would come alive for me. But, it just didn't. It felt, at times, to be over dramatized and over blown. There were aspects of the story that felt contrived in some way. As a result of all of this, I just didn't connect with the story as I'd hoped.
However, it is a good book in terms of helping you understand what it must be like to have one of your parents kill your other parent. To be "The Murderer's Daughters" for the rest of your life. To try and grow up 'normal' when your life is so abnormal as a result of something outside of yourself. The author did a good job of showing the reader what it might feel like to be in that situation.
All in all, this was a okay read, albeit a slow one. It wasn't one of those exciting, can't put it down kind of books. But, it does create compelling characters and situations. I wouldn't generally recommend this one unless the subject matter is particularly interesting to you. Given how many other great books there are out there, I'm not sure I can honestly recommend this one otherwise.
What I liked most about this novel is the characters - although not particularly likeable - they were well written, complex and felt real to me. They transformed into people for me rather than just characters on a page. They are honestly what kept me reading.
Much of the actual plot was just okay for me. There were times when I had to force myself to keep reading when I would have rather read something else I had been reading. There were also times when I couldn't put the book down (most of that was in the later sections of the book). It was just uneven for me. That is part of the reason that I'm so conflicted about the novel in its entirety. There were moments that were great, but as a whole, it fell short of great.
I am not sure that I can adequately describe the overall feeling that this novel brought up in me. As someone who worked with in human services for years as a counselor and social worker, I had hoped that this story (given its very nature) would come alive for me. But, it just didn't. It felt, at times, to be over dramatized and over blown. There were aspects of the story that felt contrived in some way. As a result of all of this, I just didn't connect with the story as I'd hoped.
However, it is a good book in terms of helping you understand what it must be like to have one of your parents kill your other parent. To be "The Murderer's Daughters" for the rest of your life. To try and grow up 'normal' when your life is so abnormal as a result of something outside of yourself. The author did a good job of showing the reader what it might feel like to be in that situation.
All in all, this was a okay read, albeit a slow one. It wasn't one of those exciting, can't put it down kind of books. But, it does create compelling characters and situations. I wouldn't generally recommend this one unless the subject matter is particularly interesting to you. Given how many other great books there are out there, I'm not sure I can honestly recommend this one otherwise.
tiffanyrbrewer's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. It didn't end the way that I expected it to, which I guess is okay, but I was really waiting for something to happen that didn't. And the drama of the "hostage" situation was the wrong type of drama to add to the book. Also did not appreciate the seemingly constant politics thrown in for no reason.
grab_life_by_the_book's review against another edition
4.0
This story was very captivating. I quickly became invested in Merry and Lulu. I felt myself inserting myself in their places throughout the book. With 60 pgs to go, I thought I had it all figured out.....but I didn't and I was glad that I didn't.
This great story of Lulu and Merry and how the tragedy of one event can shape entire lives, was well written and heartfelt.
This great story of Lulu and Merry and how the tragedy of one event can shape entire lives, was well written and heartfelt.
bookhoarder76's review against another edition
3.0
This story was just an ok read for me it wasn't gripping and I found myself confused quite often as to which daughter's pov I was reading and had to flip back to the beginning of the chapter. Same way with the dates. I also found the ending to just be meh. I didn't hate it though so I give it 3 stars.
mountainreader's review
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
tealrose81's review against another edition
3.0
I am still figuring out how I felt about this one. It grabbed me pretty quickly, the murder of the mother happened in the first few pages. I was horrified by the girls and invested enough to keep going. Overall, though, I didn't feel a great connection. I wanted to be more invested with their journey.
tina_feaster's review against another edition
4.0
This book has been sitting on my TBR pile for quite some time, and I'm happy I finally got around to reading it! I thought this book did a really great job of portraying how a family can be affected by such a tragic act of one person. Merry and Lulu's father killed their mother and attempted to kill Merry. He completely tore their family apart. Not only did the girls no longer have a mother, they didn't have a father, or much of any extended family that were willing to care for them.
I identified much more with Lulu than I did Merry, and it was simply because of how she handled her father killing her mother. If that had happened to me, I know I would have likely handled it the same way; I wouldn't want anything to do with my father. However, even though the girls handled this incident in completely different ways, their father still controlled so much of their lives. Merry felt she needed to be a support system for her father because he guilted her into it... it was always: "you're the only one I have... I don't have anyone else...I need you so much..." On the other hand, although Lulu pretended he was dead, he still affected her daily choices. It determined what she told her friends and classmates about her life, what she tells her future family, how she deals with the internal struggle of every day living, etc. Both of these girls were affected in such a terrible way by what their father did. Their mother wasn't the only victim; the children were as well. I think society often forgets about how family members are affected by heinous crimes such as this, and we often think so much about the victim that was physically harmed, whether killed or injured.
Now I know why my future mother-in-law read this in just a couple days when we were on a road trip to Florida! It was a very fast paced read and takes you through 30-odd years of Merry and Lulu's lives. I would definitely recommend this book to others (:
Pagesofcomfort.blogspot.com
I identified much more with Lulu than I did Merry, and it was simply because of how she handled her father killing her mother. If that had happened to me, I know I would have likely handled it the same way; I wouldn't want anything to do with my father. However, even though the girls handled this incident in completely different ways, their father still controlled so much of their lives. Merry felt she needed to be a support system for her father because he guilted her into it... it was always: "you're the only one I have... I don't have anyone else...I need you so much..." On the other hand, although Lulu pretended he was dead, he still affected her daily choices. It determined what she told her friends and classmates about her life, what she tells her future family, how she deals with the internal struggle of every day living, etc. Both of these girls were affected in such a terrible way by what their father did. Their mother wasn't the only victim; the children were as well. I think society often forgets about how family members are affected by heinous crimes such as this, and we often think so much about the victim that was physically harmed, whether killed or injured.
Now I know why my future mother-in-law read this in just a couple days when we were on a road trip to Florida! It was a very fast paced read and takes you through 30-odd years of Merry and Lulu's lives. I would definitely recommend this book to others (:
Pagesofcomfort.blogspot.com
whatsheread's review against another edition
4.0
One could categorize The Murderer's Daughters as a drama, but that seems to ignore the nuances behind the story. Rather, The Murderer's Daughters crosses from a drama into a psychological study on the impact of tragedy and its ripple effect. Sharply written and emotionally evocative, Ms. Meyers is not afraid to discuss a situation that occurs far too often and is ignored by society just as much. It is a great reminder that suffering does not end when the physical wounds heal.
At its heart, The Murderer's Daughters discusses the age-old debate of nature versus nurture and child-rearing. In fact, it raises many questions about Merry's and Lulu's fates and the journeys through childhood and beyond. Were the girls ultimately better off without both parents or were they doomed to a life filled with drama and pain from the start? Would they have each recovered from the trauma better if they had been allowed to go their separate ways? Is it fair to put the burden of familial responsibility on children?
Not only does Ms. Meyers present discussion points about child-rearing, she raises questions about what it means to be a parent. Is it a title that is earned or granted upon birth? What right does a father or mother have to demand affection and attention when said parent has done something so despicable that it changes his or her child's life forever?
Tragic and intense, The Murderer's Daughters will leave readers questioning everything they know about parenting and what it means to be a family. Its portrayal of the murder and the emotional aftermath is haunting yet lyrical, demanding the reader to continue with the story. In Merry and Lulu, Ms. Meyers created two characters about whom it is easy to empathize, involving the reader emotionally. The entire Zachariah family is one that lingers well after the last page is read. Not an easy read at times, The Murderer's Daughters is well worth the time and effort.
At its heart, The Murderer's Daughters discusses the age-old debate of nature versus nurture and child-rearing. In fact, it raises many questions about Merry's and Lulu's fates and the journeys through childhood and beyond. Were the girls ultimately better off without both parents or were they doomed to a life filled with drama and pain from the start? Would they have each recovered from the trauma better if they had been allowed to go their separate ways? Is it fair to put the burden of familial responsibility on children?
Not only does Ms. Meyers present discussion points about child-rearing, she raises questions about what it means to be a parent. Is it a title that is earned or granted upon birth? What right does a father or mother have to demand affection and attention when said parent has done something so despicable that it changes his or her child's life forever?
Tragic and intense, The Murderer's Daughters will leave readers questioning everything they know about parenting and what it means to be a family. Its portrayal of the murder and the emotional aftermath is haunting yet lyrical, demanding the reader to continue with the story. In Merry and Lulu, Ms. Meyers created two characters about whom it is easy to empathize, involving the reader emotionally. The entire Zachariah family is one that lingers well after the last page is read. Not an easy read at times, The Murderer's Daughters is well worth the time and effort.
kellyherself's review against another edition
3.0
This book was just OK for me. The premise of the novel sounded very interesting, and I would say the first half of the novel was very good. The first half of the novel dealt with the details of Lulu and Merry’s abusive childhood and the terrible conditions they lived in. This led up to the murder of their mother and what happened to the two girls after her death and their father’s imprisonment. The girls are bounced from family member to family member until they finally end up in an orphanage.
As Lulu and Merry become adults, the novel became much less interesting and very predictable. One of the sisters is super straight-laced, living out the perfect life she never had as a child. The other sister is a slutty, emotional wreck, choosing relationships with men who are bad for her, and being generally directionless in life.
The latter half of the novel was very predictable and lackluster. The amount of enjoyment that I derived from the first half of the novel was shattered by the latter half.
I don’t think I would recommend this book. There are many more better and enjoyable novels out there and I wouldn’t advise wasting your time on this one.
As Lulu and Merry become adults, the novel became much less interesting and very predictable. One of the sisters is super straight-laced, living out the perfect life she never had as a child. The other sister is a slutty, emotional wreck, choosing relationships with men who are bad for her, and being generally directionless in life.
The latter half of the novel was very predictable and lackluster. The amount of enjoyment that I derived from the first half of the novel was shattered by the latter half.
I don’t think I would recommend this book. There are many more better and enjoyable novels out there and I wouldn’t advise wasting your time on this one.
rissyoung's review
3.0
I hate starred ratings. I just don't do well with the system. I would say this was a solid 3.5 star book, though.
I loved Part 1 & 2. Seeing Lulu and Merry throughout their childhoods and into early adulthood was great. The author did an amazing job writing their pain, their fears, the effects of all their trauma, and even their interactions with their dad. It was all done really well.
Things got dicey in Part 3. The two main characters are now well into adulthood. Both have careers, one has a family and a great husband. That's where my problems start. Drew was boringly perfect. I see this a lot with traumatized characters and their significant others. I feel like authors want to give their characters something good, but then that's all their spouse is: Good. Drew lacked a personality, he lacked character development, he lacked... everything, but was a huge part of Part 3, so that was disappointing. Merry's only steady men lacked all personality, too, but it was at least something she acknowledged herself.
I also didn't like that the women were such opposites. I know that there are stereotypes surrounding victims of trauma and I feel like that's what they were. Uptight/Carefree. Organized/Messy. Healthy/Unhealthy. Their opposing personalities made them really one dimensional, something I didn't think when they were both younger.
A lot of the book was still great. The characters had distinct voices. They had their own motivations, their own fears, their own hopes and dreams. All of that was very well fleshed out. I loved that this book centered more around the victims/witnesses to the crimes than it did the perpetrator. I also liked how it showed all the sides to their father. The generous, loving, caring side and also the macho, simple, abusive side. Not enough stories do that. Abusive people are not abusive ALL the time and Merry's confusion in her feelings towards him were very relatable to me.
I loved Part 1 & 2. Seeing Lulu and Merry throughout their childhoods and into early adulthood was great. The author did an amazing job writing their pain, their fears, the effects of all their trauma, and even their interactions with their dad. It was all done really well.
Things got dicey in Part 3. The two main characters are now well into adulthood. Both have careers, one has a family and a great husband. That's where my problems start. Drew was boringly perfect. I see this a lot with traumatized characters and their significant others. I feel like authors want to give their characters something good, but then that's all their spouse is: Good. Drew lacked a personality, he lacked character development, he lacked... everything, but was a huge part of Part 3, so that was disappointing. Merry's only steady men lacked all personality, too, but it was at least something she acknowledged herself.
I also didn't like that the women were such opposites. I know that there are stereotypes surrounding victims of trauma and I feel like that's what they were. Uptight/Carefree. Organized/Messy. Healthy/Unhealthy. Their opposing personalities made them really one dimensional, something I didn't think when they were both younger.
A lot of the book was still great. The characters had distinct voices. They had their own motivations, their own fears, their own hopes and dreams. All of that was very well fleshed out. I loved that this book centered more around the victims/witnesses to the crimes than it did the perpetrator. I also liked how it showed all the sides to their father. The generous, loving, caring side and also the macho, simple, abusive side. Not enough stories do that. Abusive people are not abusive ALL the time and Merry's confusion in her feelings towards him were very relatable to me.