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What Members Thought
LOVED this...just enough quirky and snarky to be really funny and the narration was excellent. I liked that everything didn't get tied up with a bow, but there was enough resolution to be satisfying. (not going to say anything more because even after four years, I managed to be surprised by how things turned out...I hope others can be too!)
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Some things are all about perspective.
On the first pages, the reader is introduced to Bee, a young teenager whose mother has disappeared under mysterious circumstances. The opening section of the book is a sometimes-confusing scrapbook of emails, letters, narration,bills, and reports that eventually, brilliantly, tell of the circumstances surrounding Bernadette's disappearance. I wouldn't suggest putting this book down for long periods of time, though I don't know who would want to. The pacing ...more
On the first pages, the reader is introduced to Bee, a young teenager whose mother has disappeared under mysterious circumstances. The opening section of the book is a sometimes-confusing scrapbook of emails, letters, narration,bills, and reports that eventually, brilliantly, tell of the circumstances surrounding Bernadette's disappearance. I wouldn't suggest putting this book down for long periods of time, though I don't know who would want to. The pacing ...more
How do I count the ways that I loathed this book? Let's see... 1) It was not clever or funny, as it was reported to be, except one passage about how everyone at Bee's boarding school had Mac stuff and they were offended that she had a Zune, as though she'd taken a big stinky poop and put earbuds in it (or something like that; I paraphrased). 2) There were constant insider references (complaints, really) about Seattle, which I couldn't give a rat's patootie about since I don't live there. 3) Ther
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I listened to the audiobook,and found that the dramatic intonations the narrator applied made the already-melodramatic text even more exhausting. Also, did I miss something or does nobody give a f*** that Elgin now has a BABY with another woman? Where will that fit into the family's reunion and recovery? Is Su-Lin just supposed to be like, oh well, he never loved me, so me and my baby I had with him will just scuttle away and out of the picture?? I forgave this book a lot of silliness in the nam
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This was sold as funny, and it definitely was. That said, this book earned its fourth star in the poignant moments examining the breakdown of a family and the various results of miscommunication and self delusion. A great, quick read. Highly recommended.
3.5 stars if I could! The book was engaging, especially when it veered into Bernadette's days as a formative female architect and artist. The rest of it was entertaining, a bit annoyed by the ending, but a fun quick read and examination of yuppie neuroses/quirks.
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Clever story and great vacation read, but the implausibility of the main plot point was too much for me to overcome and so it gets 4 stars instead of 5.
I thought this would be a silly, light read and it kind of was. But the mother-daughter relationship made it more complex.
Well, that was awesome.
Aug 28, 2013
Katie
added it
Jun 26, 2014
Christine
added it
Nov 22, 2014
Rachel
marked it as to-read
Nov 29, 2015
David Abrams
marked it as to-read
Jul 20, 2016
Elizabeth
added it
