Where'd You Go, Bernadette
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After a bit of a reading hiatus through the busy editing process for my upcoming release (Kingdom of War, the finale to the Kingdom Journals Series comes out Friday, June 21, 2019), I'm back on my reading kick and loving it! You're welcome to scroll down and see my most recent reads including those by Tia Silverthorne Bach, L.B. Carter, and Lisa See.
Today, I'm highlighting Maria Sempley's novel Where'd You Go, Bernadette. Bernadette drew me in right away. As an author, I loved the varied point-of-view of the story that switches between 3rd person where we get snippets of what is going on with Bernadette through her email correspondences with an offshore "assistant" and then later in the story through a neighbor, and 1st person from her daughter Bee's perspective. Bee's voice passages become longer and longer as the story progresses and in the end drives the plot.
More about the novel from the book description:
A misanthropic matriarch leaves her eccentric family in crisis when she mysteriously disappears in this whip-smart and "divinely funny" novel that inspired the movie starring Cate Blanchett (New York Times).
Bernadette Fox is notorious. To her Microsoft-guru husband, she's a fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in Seattle, she's a disgrace; to design mavens, she's a revolutionary architect; and to 15-year-old Bee, she is her best friend and, simply, Mom.
Then Bernadette vanishes. It all began when Bee aced her report card and claimed her promised reward: a family trip to Antarctica. But Bernadette's intensifying allergy to Seattle--and people in general--has made her so agoraphobic that a virtual assistant in India now runs her most basic errands. A trip to the end of the earth is problematic.
To find her mother, Bee compiles email messages, official documents, and secret correspondence--creating a compulsively readable and surprisingly touching novel about misplaced genius and a mother and daughter's role in an absurd world.
My review:
I liked this book and give it a solid 4/5 stars for several reasons: 1) the point-of-view adds an interesting twist on the book; 2) the plot moved along well; 3) I was intrigued the whole time to find out exactly what Bernadette was up to and why, i.e. the book held my attention well, moved at a good pace, and released information at a good trickle; and 4) I liked the characters even if they seemed a bit eccentric and self-centered initially.
The official review:
I loved the creative point-of-view/voice in this story. The switch between omniscient POV and the daughter's first person accounts gave you a great glimpse into each person's character. The daughter gave you a reason to care for Bernadette. There were other factors that helped you be invested in her character (I won't include spoilers), but I felt the daughter's love for her mother were the most important and sweetest link to Bernadette.
Find the book on Amazon here: Where'd You Go, Bernadette
Happy reading!
Tricia
Today, I'm highlighting Maria Sempley's novel Where'd You Go, Bernadette. Bernadette drew me in right away. As an author, I loved the varied point-of-view of the story that switches between 3rd person where we get snippets of what is going on with Bernadette through her email correspondences with an offshore "assistant" and then later in the story through a neighbor, and 1st person from her daughter Bee's perspective. Bee's voice passages become longer and longer as the story progresses and in the end drives the plot.
More about the novel from the book description:
A misanthropic matriarch leaves her eccentric family in crisis when she mysteriously disappears in this whip-smart and "divinely funny" novel that inspired the movie starring Cate Blanchett (New York Times).
Bernadette Fox is notorious. To her Microsoft-guru husband, she's a fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in Seattle, she's a disgrace; to design mavens, she's a revolutionary architect; and to 15-year-old Bee, she is her best friend and, simply, Mom.
Then Bernadette vanishes. It all began when Bee aced her report card and claimed her promised reward: a family trip to Antarctica. But Bernadette's intensifying allergy to Seattle--and people in general--has made her so agoraphobic that a virtual assistant in India now runs her most basic errands. A trip to the end of the earth is problematic.
To find her mother, Bee compiles email messages, official documents, and secret correspondence--creating a compulsively readable and surprisingly touching novel about misplaced genius and a mother and daughter's role in an absurd world.
My review:
I liked this book and give it a solid 4/5 stars for several reasons: 1) the point-of-view adds an interesting twist on the book; 2) the plot moved along well; 3) I was intrigued the whole time to find out exactly what Bernadette was up to and why, i.e. the book held my attention well, moved at a good pace, and released information at a good trickle; and 4) I liked the characters even if they seemed a bit eccentric and self-centered initially.
The official review:
I loved the creative point-of-view/voice in this story. The switch between omniscient POV and the daughter's first person accounts gave you a great glimpse into each person's character. The daughter gave you a reason to care for Bernadette. There were other factors that helped you be invested in her character (I won't include spoilers), but I felt the daughter's love for her mother were the most important and sweetest link to Bernadette.
Find the book on Amazon here: Where'd You Go, Bernadette
Happy reading!
Tricia
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