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keishlavz's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
jdf_reader's review against another edition
4.0
I found parts of the book a bit frustrating as the story teller makes up his own story within the story. But it wrapped up nicely, which I have to admit I wasn't expecting.
A great tale about how a group of boys stay friends after high school. Its told from a very different perspective than other books I have read and it was a nice change.
A great tale about how a group of boys stay friends after high school. Its told from a very different perspective than other books I have read and it was a nice change.
tracyreally's review against another edition
2.0
I think this would be a lovely book had I not already read Jeffrey Eugenides' The Virgin Suicides.
kenziehindman's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
lottie1803's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
rosekk's review against another edition
4.0
I wasn't expecting to read this book so quickly - in one sitting, pausing only for food. It's one of those books that deliberately leaves things unanswered. Half the point is that there are some things never confirmed or denied, that have an almost greater value for belonging to the imagination alone. It's frustrating, because of course I want to know 'what really happened', even though that's not the point at all. I liked that it was narrated in second person; that the narrative voice groups the boys/men together. It confirms the sense of them being ordinary people with ordinary lives, because they aren't unique enough to command the story on their own, as individuals. It's a little unsettling to think of characters that way, because it forces you to consider the idea that people aren't as unique as we like to imagine ourselves to be, but it makes perfect sense for the story. I guess my only real problem with the story is one I have with many: that I don't really believe in or understand this small-town america setting. I've read many books set in times and places I'm unfamiliar with, but there's something about this setting - which I see a lot in books and movies - which feels more fake, or made-up, or distant to me than any other I can think of. This is not a fault of the writer, of course.
selenajournal's review against another edition
4.0
i'm already adding this book to the shelf "thebest." i already know i'll love it. now i just need to buy it.
small steps.
small steps.
sdandrews's review against another edition
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
_soraya_pl's review against another edition
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
It was a story of… small town life perhaps. Classmates come and go. Everyone dies eventually. There isn’t a plot, just observation of classmates as people age.
byp's review against another edition
3.0
This is another one of those pastiche novels that tells the story of overlapping groups of people in little vignettes. It has cool Rose-For-Emily thing happening with a first person plural narrator. It probably deserves a higher rating, but I think I'm just a little burned out on Hidden Lives of The Upper Middle Class novels. There's always a rape, always the brutal, accidental death of an animal, and always some dead/alcoholic parents. I probably should have saved this for when I was more in the mood for such a book.