Reviews

Every Last One by Anna Quindlen

lastpaige111's review against another edition

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4.0

Depressing. Great characterization. Too much foreshadowing.

book_concierge's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5***

Mary Beth Latham is a wonderful mother. She juggles the demands of her landscaping business with the demands of her family – three teenagers and her ophthalmologist husband – with apparent ease. She remains available to her friends and in tune with her children’s growing independence. When one of her sons shows signs of depression, she focuses on him, but this blinds her to what else is happening in their circle of acquaintances. One horrible unforeseen event will change everything, and force Mary Beth to reassess the dreams she has always had – for herself and for her family.

Quindlen’s novel is about hope and healing, about the power of love and determination, and about facing the worst thing we can imagine, and finding a way not just to survive but to thrive.

I enjoyed the novel. I was drawn into the Latham family’s life. But I saw the crisis coming and didn’t understand how Mary Beth (not to mention her husband) could be so oblivious. Maybe it’s because I do not have children, that I cannot understand how she could be so focused on one problem that she failed to see the bigger picture. I did like the way Quindlen handled the aftermath; there are no easy answers in this situation and she didn’t try to tie everything up with a nice neat bow. There is hope for the future, though it is still uncertain. That is realistic, and I appreciate how the novel ends.

lisaar91's review against another edition

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4.0

This book dragged and dragged and then omg it all changed and thennnnn it dragged a bit.

It was an emotional roller coaster though. I say it dragged but I couldn't put it down. I can't quite figure it out.

timna_wyckoff's review against another edition

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4.0

This book felt very real when dealing with raising teenagers, marriage, friendship, and loss, but the loss itself was SO tragic and unusual as to feel sensationalized to me.

shareen17's review against another edition

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4.0

Because I read a review of this book so long before I actually checked it out, I had no idea what to expect from the plot. I so identified with the narrator's experience of motherhood, marriage and middle-aged life. In many ways her life seemed so much like mine, that it was quite shocking and emotional when her life goes dramatically wrong. It's kind of a sad reminder that despite all our efforts, we can't predict and protect ourselves from everything that can go wrong in life. The experience and characters felt very realistic. I'll be thinking about this one for a while.

suedd's review against another edition

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4.0

Quindlen leisurely describes her family in the first half of the book so that you can truly grasp the tragedy in the second half. Emotinally tough read.

vegprincess's review against another edition

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4.0

To me it's more like 4.5 stars. I became really engrossed in the book, especially at around the half way point. I want to say more about it but I don't want to give anything away. It's definitely a book that will get you thinking and stay with you.

emc24me's review against another edition

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3.0

There should have been a warning on this book. Had I known the depths of tragedy contained within its chapters, it would have stayed on the shelf at the library.

lachimolala981's review against another edition

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3.0

Book hangover still in effect, so I'll try to gather my thoughts.
I almost gave up on this. The writing style wasn't my jam and I began skimming a lot until the major event in the storyline happened. And BAM, it punched me in the face, hooked in, and didn't let go until the end.
This author has written about the "after" of losing a loved on so well that I was jarringly transported back to it. Heart wrenching and profound and exhausting and....all of it.
This book was tedious, shocking, horrible, sad, and absolutely beautiful. I'm mostly glad I read it and also wish a bit that I hadn't. It was much more intense than I anticipated.

jprat327's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad medium-paced

4.5