In her ravishing and moving second novel, the bestselling author of In the Cut tells the story of Mamie Clarke, who sets out to lose herself...
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reviews
Sep 14, 2011
Bethyfly
rated it: 
After snatching this up years ago at a yard sale I was excited to actually begin. It was one of those books I wanted to like. But after a start that had me thoroughly engaged I was pretty disappointed by the brutal imagery and seemingly apathetic protagonist. There were a few bright spots of thoughtfulness for me towards the end but they didn't seem transformative enough to make up for the rest.
I couldn't see anyone I would recommend this book too and after the cover and some pages wer More...
I couldn't see anyone I would recommend this book too and after the cover and some pages wer More...
Nov 07, 2009
Anne
rated it: 
How could I have never rated this one before? It's one of my favorite coming-of-age novels, and one that, despite its imperfections, is nearly impossible to get out of my head. (For one thing, it contains one of my favorite and most pitch-perfect lines of dialogue ever uttered by a character. Mamie's aunt Alysse on fashion: "Do underdress; it makes other women look older and vulgar.") Perhaps this one persists for me because I so admire the way that Moore doesn't adhere to the expe
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Jan 04, 2010
Rachelle
rated it: 
I thought I’d really like this book about two sisters, Mamie & Claire, who grew up on the west side of Kauai and moved to New York City, but I didn’t really. It was ok, not great. I only finished it to finish it and there were some brutal scenes near the end that made me wish I’d just put it down. I thought I’d like seeing New York through their eyes, but it was a pretty bizarro New York. I did like the scenes describing Waimea town and Koke’e and the Waimea River and other things on Kauai, thou
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Mar 16, 2008
Jen
rated it:
Ok- so maybe its not fair for me to rate this book since I didn't finish it, but I did read to page 136 (about halfway) and couldn't see a point in contuing. The books starts out ok, set on the island of Kauai, and since I pulled this off she shelf just before a vacation there I thought it was perfect. Unfortunately, there is no point to the book. The main character, Mamie, is an odd child and we are rushed through a few years of her childhood before the story cuts to her in her 20s moving to Ne
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Dec 12, 2008
Truthmonkey
rated it: 
It wasn't very interesting to start with, but there were some good and witty parts later in the book that saved it. The tone of thebook made me think of another author, but I can't put my finger on who, exactly. Lorrie Moore? Melissa Banks? It's a sad, life will never be better than this, kind of feel.
May 31, 2010
Pam
rated it:
I loved the way Moore satirized the upper middle class and contrasted them with people in Hawaii living the island way. Easy read with some thought-provoking moments.
Jun 16, 2009
Angie
rated it:
I really wanted to like this, but I'm afraid the emotionally shutdown protagonist was just too hard to connect to. That said, there's a part of me that's glad I read this.
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Oct 27, 2010
Christina
rated it:
This was an extremely well-written book. It does everything a coming-of-age novel should, and it's beautiful. It tackles the difficult understandings of sex and transforms them into a journey though a young woman's mind as she comes to understand life and herself in it. Excellent.
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Edit: I re-read this again in March of 2009 for book club, and it absolutely held up to the test of time. It got better, in fact, with the second read. This book is so rich that I have no doubt re More...
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Edit: I re-read this again in March of 2009 for book club, and it absolutely held up to the test of time. It got better, in fact, with the second read. This book is so rich that I have no doubt re More...
Sep 08, 2008
Fredsky
rated it:
My rating is 3.65 for this book. It is difficult to separate this from Sleeping Beauties and My Old Sweetheart; together I give them a 3.75 and might read them again with a family tree handy. Moore's childhood, for all its complications, sounds idyllic. Then she left. Then she wrote these books... and then she was possibly bitten by a vampire and wrote In The Cut. She has said that she always writes about what it means to be a woman. Any remarks about this writer's development would be we
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Jul 06, 2008
Kelly
rated it:
The Whiteness of Bones was one of those almost really good books that are sometimes more frustrating than books that aren't good at all. It's the story of two sisters who grow up in Haiwaii and later move to New York City in the 1980s and fall in with the high society crowd. The story of their Hawaiian childhood is wonderful and unique, but only lasts for about a third of the book. That is the story that the author should have stuck with.
Aug 26, 2008
Rebecca
rated it: 
I really liked this book! It's well written, Mamie is an engaging character, and her story felt raw and real. I was suprised by how I was captivated by this novel. It is a worthwhile read. The violence is not gratuitous, and the writing is stark and vivid.
Sep 05, 2007
Darci
rated it:
I was so touched by this book. The yearning for home, the life lessons, growth and healing and failing. I'm going to re-read this.
Nov 08, 2007
Dorie
rated it:
I couldn't make it through this one. I rarely stop reading a book once I start, but this one just didn't grab me.
Jan 22, 2010
Heather
rated it:
This has some tough imagery but a great story of two sisters kinda like my sister and I. They are very different and sometimes indifferent toward each other but very protective of each other. I ended up liking the book by the end.
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