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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
Really tried but didn't care about the characters, the story didn't seem to be going anywhere and I quit.
At first glance, “Untethered” by Julie Lawson Timmer seemed like a straightforward, happily ever after story. While it can still be considered that, it was so much more. “Untethered” began with the death of Bradley Hawthorn and its effect on his wife Char and daughter Allie. Being Allie’s stepmother, Char no longer has any claim in Allie’s life. Their complicated bond is further tested by the disruption Lindy, Allie’s biological mom, consistently causes.
This was a poignant and heartfelt book about the bond of family and the intricacies that come with a mixed family where not everyone is blood-related. Julie sheds light on the balance needed to build and maintain the complex relationships of step-relations. The tug of war Char experiences throughout the book of wanting to be a mom to Allie, but not wanting to overstep her bounds was moving in itself, but what really took the novel to the next level was Morgan’s character.
Allie had met Morgan through a tutoring program and they had become quite attached. Morgan was a foster child with a difficult past, but a huge heart. The journey Allie and Char individually take when Morgan mysteriously disappears made this one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.
The characters are well-developed and relatable. The only negative point I can make is that Char’s continuous analyzation of seemingly small details in her relationship with Allie gets exasperating at times, but I’ve never been part of a step-family and the minutiae were very realistic and well thought out.
Overall, this was a heartrending story and as soon as I finished the book, I wanted to start it all over!
For this and other reviews, please visit: https://thebookbasics.wordpress.com/
This was a poignant and heartfelt book about the bond of family and the intricacies that come with a mixed family where not everyone is blood-related. Julie sheds light on the balance needed to build and maintain the complex relationships of step-relations. The tug of war Char experiences throughout the book of wanting to be a mom to Allie, but not wanting to overstep her bounds was moving in itself, but what really took the novel to the next level was Morgan’s character.
Allie had met Morgan through a tutoring program and they had become quite attached. Morgan was a foster child with a difficult past, but a huge heart. The journey Allie and Char individually take when Morgan mysteriously disappears made this one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.
The characters are well-developed and relatable. The only negative point I can make is that Char’s continuous analyzation of seemingly small details in her relationship with Allie gets exasperating at times, but I’ve never been part of a step-family and the minutiae were very realistic and well thought out.
Overall, this was a heartrending story and as soon as I finished the book, I wanted to start it all over!
For this and other reviews, please visit: https://thebookbasics.wordpress.com/
My favorite aspect of this book was the central mother-daughter relationship, especially the dialogue. The two just keep missing each other. One will choose to stay silent about something, the other will misinterpret and storm off, causing the first to stew and get irrationally angry, and then they will both say things they don't mean. This felt all too real, and was really well written.
I liked the exploration of all the different types of motherhood (step-mother, foster mother, adoptive mother, birth mother), and appreciated that each of these women were depicted with empathy and complexity.
In the end, though, I really struggled with the foster mother's story and her decisions about her troubled child. It's not that I didn't think it was realistic -- I have a family member who is in a somewhat similar situation, adopting children from foster care and then facing the long term effects of their early trauma -- but this family's actions seemed so extreme and so cruel. The final resolution left me uncomfortable and bothered too.
I liked the exploration of all the different types of motherhood (step-mother, foster mother, adoptive mother, birth mother), and appreciated that each of these women were depicted with empathy and complexity.
In the end, though, I really struggled with the foster mother's story and her decisions about her troubled child. It's not that I didn't think it was realistic -- I have a family member who is in a somewhat similar situation, adopting children from foster care and then facing the long term effects of their early trauma -- but this family's actions seemed so extreme and so cruel. The final resolution left me uncomfortable and bothered too.
Good heartfelt story about what makes a family. Julie Timmer gives the reader a different look at families and what it takes to be a step-parent. Sometimes Char would drive me nuts, but I'm not a step-parent so I can't say that I wouldn't be the same in her shoes.
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
http://www.anurseandabook.com/2016/07/untethered-by-julie-lawson-timmer.html?m=
What I Say....This was an interesting book and it made me think, but not for the reasons I expected.
Char is a marshmallow. Her step-daughter calls her gutless and I would have to agree with her. In Char's mind, she should behave as an overly gracious hostess to her stepdaughter, Allie, even after her husband dies and she's left raising Allie on her own while her mother continues her life and business in California.
So if Allie's mom is rude to her at her own husband's funeral, Char just takes it and tells herself it's the way to get what she wants.
Allie tutors a little girl, Morgan, who has been adopted by a highly regarded local family. One day, Char sees Morgan covered in bruises and her mother tells her that Morgan self harms. She even offers Char her therapists phone number so she can verify this information, but of course Char wouldn't dream of following through on calling the therapist. That would be rude.
Things continue to to decline for this family, and when Char sees Morgan's mom with a startlingly declining personal appearance and a distinct change in parenting style, it gives her a moment of pause, but she just goes on, not asking any further questions or taking any action.....such as calling the therapist.
Allie is also changing, running with a fast group of kids, not interacting, and being outright rude to Char. And what does Char do? Tells herself that she can't lay down any rules or be firm with Allie, even when she's lied to. Char is afraid to rock the boat because no one has made any concrete plans for Allie to rejoin her mother in California, so she is living her life in limbo. I seriously wanted to shake her! The human doormat!
Allie runs away with Morgan, in a righteous but misguided effort to help her. I won't give any spoilers but while the reason was valid, there was another way to handle it rather than having a 15 year old take a young girl, steal her father's convertible, and start driving on the freeways to Florida.
And does Char do anything appropriate? Like say, call the police to get them off the highway? No, indeed, she doesn't want to make Allie mad, because then she might not call her anymore. She initially doesn't tell Allie's mother because she might take action. Ugh. At this point, I was getting really mad because Char's innate wimpiness was putting two children in danger.
Allie's mom figures out what is going on, and although she says she won't call the police, she does and they are quickly located and brought safely to the police station to wait for their parents. And Char's reaction? That Lindy promised not to call the police, who knows what charges could be brought? I know that I was meant to not like Lindy, but jaysus, at this point, she was acting more like a parent than Char ever did. You do what you have to do to keep your child safe, not happy.
Then for some reason, Char thinks she can appear submissive to Lindy and that Allie will still be allowed to live with her. Dumb bunny. Of course, Lindy takes her back to California and keeps her there until she graduates high school. Because obviously Char is not capable of parenting responsibly. If she would have left Allie with Char, I would have written Lindy off, but she was obviously understood responsibility more than Char did.
So then Char ends up keeping Morgan. So she gets to be a parent after all, to an emotionally troubled child due to the practice of adoption "rehoming". Where you apparently rehome children like dogs.
Reading my review, it may seem like I didn't like the book - ummm, NO! I loved it - I just reacted to it as someone who has parented three teens and knows that being their friend doesn't usually work - I'm not here to make them happy, I'm here to make safe, productive adults. Being their friend as they become adults is the reward for being the bad guy though the teen years.
Current Goodreads rating 3.57
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What I Say....This was an interesting book and it made me think, but not for the reasons I expected.
Char is a marshmallow. Her step-daughter calls her gutless and I would have to agree with her. In Char's mind, she should behave as an overly gracious hostess to her stepdaughter, Allie, even after her husband dies and she's left raising Allie on her own while her mother continues her life and business in California.
So if Allie's mom is rude to her at her own husband's funeral, Char just takes it and tells herself it's the way to get what she wants.
Allie tutors a little girl, Morgan, who has been adopted by a highly regarded local family. One day, Char sees Morgan covered in bruises and her mother tells her that Morgan self harms. She even offers Char her therapists phone number so she can verify this information, but of course Char wouldn't dream of following through on calling the therapist. That would be rude.
Things continue to to decline for this family, and when Char sees Morgan's mom with a startlingly declining personal appearance and a distinct change in parenting style, it gives her a moment of pause, but she just goes on, not asking any further questions or taking any action.....such as calling the therapist.
Allie is also changing, running with a fast group of kids, not interacting, and being outright rude to Char. And what does Char do? Tells herself that she can't lay down any rules or be firm with Allie, even when she's lied to. Char is afraid to rock the boat because no one has made any concrete plans for Allie to rejoin her mother in California, so she is living her life in limbo. I seriously wanted to shake her! The human doormat!
Allie runs away with Morgan, in a righteous but misguided effort to help her. I won't give any spoilers but while the reason was valid, there was another way to handle it rather than having a 15 year old take a young girl, steal her father's convertible, and start driving on the freeways to Florida.
And does Char do anything appropriate? Like say, call the police to get them off the highway? No, indeed, she doesn't want to make Allie mad, because then she might not call her anymore. She initially doesn't tell Allie's mother because she might take action. Ugh. At this point, I was getting really mad because Char's innate wimpiness was putting two children in danger.
Allie's mom figures out what is going on, and although she says she won't call the police, she does and they are quickly located and brought safely to the police station to wait for their parents. And Char's reaction? That Lindy promised not to call the police, who knows what charges could be brought? I know that I was meant to not like Lindy, but jaysus, at this point, she was acting more like a parent than Char ever did. You do what you have to do to keep your child safe, not happy.
Then for some reason, Char thinks she can appear submissive to Lindy and that Allie will still be allowed to live with her. Dumb bunny. Of course, Lindy takes her back to California and keeps her there until she graduates high school. Because obviously Char is not capable of parenting responsibly. If she would have left Allie with Char, I would have written Lindy off, but she was obviously understood responsibility more than Char did.
So then Char ends up keeping Morgan. So she gets to be a parent after all, to an emotionally troubled child due to the practice of adoption "rehoming". Where you apparently rehome children like dogs.
Reading my review, it may seem like I didn't like the book - ummm, NO! I loved it - I just reacted to it as someone who has parented three teens and knows that being their friend doesn't usually work - I'm not here to make them happy, I'm here to make safe, productive adults. Being their friend as they become adults is the reward for being the bad guy though the teen years.
Current Goodreads rating 3.57
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Julie Lawson Timmer looks at the role of stepmother in all new ways in Untethered.
Allie's stepmother, Charlotte, has been happily married to her dad for years, while Allie's biological mother plays a small role in her upbringing. When Allie's father dies, suddenly Charlotte's role as stepmother has become a tricky part to play. Since Charlotte was never able to formally adopt Allie, technically she has no rights to the child whom she raised for years as her own.
At the same time Charlotte is struggling with these sudden changes, Allie has her own way of grieving while also trying to help ten year old Morgan, a girl she has been tutoring. Morgan was brought up in foster care, but was adopted by a family who, by all appearances, seems to be perfect. As worlds unravel and secrets are uncovered, readers don't know who to believe and find themselves asking, what really is in the best interest of the child?
Readers who enjoy suspense and family drama will love Untethered. This book also leads to excellent discussions for book clubs! Looking forward to Julie's next book!
Allie's stepmother, Charlotte, has been happily married to her dad for years, while Allie's biological mother plays a small role in her upbringing. When Allie's father dies, suddenly Charlotte's role as stepmother has become a tricky part to play. Since Charlotte was never able to formally adopt Allie, technically she has no rights to the child whom she raised for years as her own.
At the same time Charlotte is struggling with these sudden changes, Allie has her own way of grieving while also trying to help ten year old Morgan, a girl she has been tutoring. Morgan was brought up in foster care, but was adopted by a family who, by all appearances, seems to be perfect. As worlds unravel and secrets are uncovered, readers don't know who to believe and find themselves asking, what really is in the best interest of the child?
Readers who enjoy suspense and family drama will love Untethered. This book also leads to excellent discussions for book clubs! Looking forward to Julie's next book!
