First up, Matthew Norman's We Are All Damaged. This one is brand spanking new this week.
When Andy's mom calls to let him know that his grandfather is dying, he drops everything to very reluctantly return home. It's not that he doesn't want to see his grandfather, it's just that his hometown holds so many bad memories. Like his divorce and the fact that he ruined his best friend's wedding by punching the groom's father (Andy's own ex-father-in-law). And things haven't improved since he's left. Now his mother has been groomed to be a Fox News speaker whose rantings have caught the attention of a gay mafia. Plus, his ex still calls the town home and Andy finds it hard to resist staking out their old house on really drunken evenings. Andy desperately needs a redo.
We Are All Damaged is actually quite funny. Andy's made some mistakes but it's not like his family is much better off either. In truth, as the title says, they're all DAMAGED. In spite of all of that, Andy is quite an appealing character. It's easy to feel sorry for him and to want things to get better. He could be a sad sack whose moaning and drinking gets old quite fast, but that's not at all the case. His is a sweet story with plenty of laughs. I guarantee you'll root for him!
We're All Damaged is out today.
Rating: 3.5/5
Jude is on the run and looking for a place to hide out for a while. The tiny town she visited some time ago on vacation seems like the perfect spot, and a job in the cramped and cute used bookstore the perfect thing to tide her over. Fortunately, the job also comes with a place the stay. Unfortunately, there are complications that come with the job as well. And then there's Jude's personal life and the past she's running from!I wanted to love this book. Frankly it sounded quite perfect for me and the cover (and previous McPherson stand alones) promised a creepy vibe. Maybe.
I should note that I'd never read anything by McPherson before this so I really had no personal experience to back up my expectations.
Sadly, Quiet Neighbors didn't come through for me. The story meandered like an achingly slow Sunday drive. High points promised a pick up in the plot that never became reality as I muddled through waiting and hoping the story would get better.
Rarely do I feel reading a book is a waste of time, but I have to admit this was one that made me mourn for my lost hours.
Rating: 2/5
1 comment:
I'm a BIG fan of the mini review. So much less pressure to write! Thanks for reading & writing.
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