Maura

Just meh

Revisado: 01-09-25

Very superficial treatment of people with very serious problems. Nice shout-out to the healing power of friendship.

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Could this be YA?

Revisado: 11-12-24

I enjoyed it but at times wondered if it was an MG, YA, or adult novel

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Excellent companion for family road trip out West

Revisado: 11-05-24

As always, Bahni Turpin's narration is exquisite. Nolen's take on the westward pioneer journey, from the perspective of enslaved Virginians supporting the Gold Rush journey of their enslaver, is a unique one. Great audiobook listen for the family.

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Adept at adoption's complexities

Revisado: 12-31-23

I loved this book and I'm so impressed with how deeply the author must have researched the perspective of first mothers, adopted mothers, adoptees, and the topic of reunion. I am in reuinion with my two sisters that my mother had to relinquish during the dark days of the Baby Scoop era, and more often than not, books about adoption fail to appreciate how complex all of these relationships are. I grew to love all of Matthew's family and love how the author honored and represented so many perspectives. I love also how the unlikeable character of Cynthia's life was transformed so positively in the end. It took so long to get toward happy endings for them all that I wish there could be a sequel set on the Cape. A great listen as well.

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Good twists

Revisado: 07-17-23

Unexpected twist, satisfying ending. Best played at faster speed. A good escape with well crafted tension.

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Beautiful story, botched accents

Revisado: 06-22-23

Absolutely loved this story, as a person who went home to Ireland from the US as about the same time as Breda, trying to forge a relationship with a grandparent who was a stranger to me. I cried! Beautifully told. The infusion of stories by the seanachie flowed well with the story, which is difficult to do.

It’s a terrible shame that the publisher did not hire Irish narrators who would read the Irish accents, though. They are so difficult to get right and so grating when they are off. This was definitely a decent attempt but still jarringly bad at times, like frequent discordant notes in a musical performance with only one person on stage.

I highly recommend d the story for a family audiobook read on a long drive.

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A life saver

Revisado: 05-28-22

Put it in the hands or ears of your teens. It is an empathy builder and a life safer.

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esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Awful

Revisado: 03-27-22

I love books set in Ireland but this was a DNF. I might have stuck through the horrible accents (how the narrator managed to mangle American AND Irish accents is beyond me), the utterly implausible premise, the dialogue that never would happen in Clare (no one calls the language “Gaelic”), and the annoying main character who is supposed to be a real estate mogul but doesn’t know the first thing about property transactions.

But when that shallow witch took a stroll at the Cliffs of Moher, saw a sign offering hope and comfort to people suffering from suicidal symptoms, and declared “suicide is weak and selfish”, I realized that the author is not just a bad writer. She’s apparently a bad person. Even the setting couldn’t redeem this unreadable, unlistenable mess.

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esto le resultó útil a 3 personas

Astonishingly beautiful, made my heart bigger

Revisado: 08-22-21

Absolutely loved this novel. The language, the heart in it. It made me laugh and cry. It are me feel peaceful. It made my heart bigger. Excellent narration does justice to the language.

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Absolutely love!

Revisado: 02-18-21

What a wonderful YA novel - a romance, a friend story, a family story, and a deeply important look at depression, anxiety, and self-esteem for teens. I loved the main character’s family, the Mandarin, the narration in general. The author’s note was SO important, especially naming passive suicidality as a risk factor for suicide. Most of all, during these times of overwhelming grief and trauma all around us, I deeply appreciate the assurance going in that this book would have a happy ending...even though the characters say that it’s not yet their happy ending, we know that it is. Mental health treatment has no guarantees. But the honesty, courage, loyalty, and growth we see are the ingredients for a good outcome. I want to share this with all parents of teens!

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