March 2011 Nook Book of the Month is. . .

[Angela]

The Leftovers Just a reminder, on the poll for the February book, we had a tie between this book and Game of Thrones, and decided to read The Leftovers in March.

If any of you are like me, you may still be reading Game of Thrones, and if so, feel free to continue posting comments on the February thread for that book during this month as well.

But if you're ready for The Leftovers,be sure to post any comments, thoughts, about the book in this discussion thread throughout the month. . . .

[Jim]

I'm picking up the dead tree edition at my local library today and will be starting off tonight, so I will joining in the spirit, if not the letter, of the Nook group read. ;-)

[Abby]

I read The Leftovers after being intrigued by the premise. But the story left me feeling kind of "meh." I never got very involved with any of the characters. For such an extraordinary beginning--a big chunk of humanity going "poof"--I'd expect more. I'm a big fan of end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it books, and maybe I started with higher expectations than I should have. Convince me otherwise, folks! I don't like writing "meh" reviews!! :-)

[AmyK]

Abby wrote: "I read The Leftovers after being intrigued by the premise. But the story left me feeling kind of "meh." I never got very involved with any of the characters. For such an extraordinary beginning--a ..."

I am only about 30 pages into the book so far, but i'm actually feeling the meh too. Still reading, hoping it gives me more.

[Jim]

I read The Leftovers with absolutely no preconceived notions. In fact, I didn't even read the book jacket when I checked it out at my library. I just sat down and started reading because it was our group read of the month.

I'm going to wrap the rest of this in a spoiler tag, just in case.

(view spoiler)[
The story follows several different characters from a small town immediately after the rapture. Or, at least, that's what most people assume it was. No one really knows. A lot of people simply disappeared instantaneously all over the earth without any clue as to what happened to them. People of all ages and types - no rhyme or reason to it - simply vanish. After a brief introduction to this, the book picks up after a year has passed with the characters (the titular Leftovers) dealing with it over the course of a year (more or less).

Mostly it's a bunch of maladjusted people going through and dealing with various levels of anger, grief, guilt, denial, readjustment, or just total meltdown. There are at least three cults that pop up in the book (which were interesting), a couple of murders, a city council meeting, plenty of teenage angst, a softball game, and a Lolita character. Unfortunately, I don't think I actually liked any of the characters - I either felt sorry for them or just wanted to slap them, mostly the latter.

It was an interesting book, though, despite being somewhat depressing, and it read really well. I'm pretty sure there isn't an actual plot in the traditional sense, just a lot of people flailing away in various levels of emotional suffering, and I think that's why I came away so unsatisfied. There was no climax (most of the characters have reached no resolution by the close), barely a beginning (we seem to have joined a story already in progress), and only a series of disjointed story lines to get from page one to the end.

I know this is supposed to be a book about normal people dealing with extraordinary times, and in that regard the author is successful, but it wasn't an enjoyable book or one that I'd reread or suggest others read. There just didn't seem to be any reason for the book.
(hide spoiler)]

So yeah, me too. Meh.

[Julie]

i was so intrigued by the premise and kept reading, hoping to start to care about one if the characters or at least understand where they were coming from-but it didn't really happen. There were parts that were intriguing, but I would have to agree with the 'meh'.

[Angela]

Another "meh" here, and I've been listening to the audio version, because I got it from the library. I'm about 1/3 through, and keep thinking "I don't care" about the characters, and thinking I just wasn't giving the book a fair chance. Reading others' reactions. . . . I'm giving myself permission to abandon ship and move on to another book.

[AmyK]

I read to the end of the book waiting for something to happen and when i got there i was pretty disappointed. Meh is right....it wasn't AWFUL, but i can't say i would ever recommend it to anyone else.