From the Bookshelf of Pop Sugar's Annual Ultimate Reading Challenge…

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves

Karen Joy Fowler

Start date: August 15, 2017

Finish date: August 18, 2017

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What Members Thought

Nov 11, 2013 Nancy rated it it was amazing

Offbeat and, by turns, hilarious and sad, this is a little gem of a book. No matter what you think of the plot, the characters, or the back-and-forth line of narrative--the writing is absolutely marvelous: sharp, witty, deadpan, observant, illuminating.

It's not a book that tells a story; it's not reasonable or linear. It is instead a pastiche--glued-together bits of life that eventually form a heartbreaking tale of what family really means.

Delicious. ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Sep 16, 2013 Karli rated it liked it

Shelves: bee-books, kindle, bookmarks

This one started out really well for me, but I lost steam about halfway through. I think there was a bit too much psych theory and that I would have enjoyed that more if I had any background at all in it.

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Feb 28, 2014 Melyssa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: prize-winners, n-c-literary-festival-featured-aut

I really loved this funny and quirky book. It examines family dynamics, how people treat animals, and how we treat each other. All that, without being heavy-handed. I also loved the way author Karen Joy Fowler played with story structure. I had high expectations for this after seeing her at a literary festival, and I was not disappointed.

I won't say much about the storyline since it seems that the author intended the central plot to be a surprise halfway through the book. Unfortunately, that is ...more

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