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There are currently 46 member reviews
for Outside Wonderland
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Ann D. (Clermont, GA)
Watching from Otherwhere
The three Stenen siblings, orphaned as young children, are going through adult crises unaware that their deceased parents are observing from "somewhere other". Cook's characters are realistic and her writing is spell-binding. You will be left asking yourself if we can ever be truly separated from those we have deeply loved.
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Virginia B. (Foster, RI)
Outside Wonderland
"Outside Wonderland" is an enjoyable read. The three siblings left behind by their parents' untimely and sudden deaths are engaging characters who immediately caught my interest. I found myself engaged in their individual struggles to form meaningful relationships and find some happiness in a world they could not trust. The commentary of the mother who fleetingly observes her three children's progress from some other timeless place reminded me of the narrator of "Lovely Bones" who has also died and looks back on the living.
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Luisa A. (Flemington, NJ)
Outside Wonderland
This was a very moving book that at times filled me with angst and in the end tied things together. I wish there could have been more insight into their youth - there was a gap between their younger selves and then as adults. That may have helped to better understand the who they were and why. None the less the story was moving and had me wondering at times - what would happen to my children if I was not around to help guide them?
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Pamela C. (boxborough, ma)
Engaging book!
I liked this book -- the characters make this book a good read for people who enjoy family drama/psychological fiction.... It was interesting to observe how the children adapt to their lives growing up after the loss of both parents only eight years apart. The children (Dinah, Griffin and Alice) are named after characters is their mother favorite books : Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and The Looking Glass. They have learned to cope in their own way with being orphans...Each has adapted their lives to be as in control as possible: Alice becomes an actress (always on stage), Dinah prefers to remain anonymous and Griffin is insecure in relationships. . As they each try their wings in careers and relationships, they are watched by their parents from "Wonderland". As they try to step out of their normal modus operandi they make mistakes and they each become more sure of who they are and what they want out of life. As their parents watch their ups and downs from heaven their mother says, "Human nature is getting in their way!!"
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Brenda S. (Grand Rapids, MN)
Little Pieces of Heaven
Reading this book was a roller coaster of emotions. There are always consequences to the choices made, some good, some not. The characters' choices kept the reader hoping for the best, such is life. The references to those in heaven turned into a distraction and the book would have been better served without them. In all, it was a pleasant read and I would definitely read a book from this author again.
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Nan G. (Mazomanie, WI)
Quietly Sweet
Having recently lost and old and dear friend to a stroke I was reluctant to start Outside Wonderland, thinking it might be too close to the bone. I was wrong. In a way it has helped me feel the loss a little less due to the writer's deft use of her characters as two of them watch, from their afterlife, as their children grow up, make mistakes and live. I would recommend it to anyone who has asked themselves: what next?
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Cheryl W. (Cassville, MO)
Outside Wonderland
At first I thought this would be a cliched story about 3 siblings struggling though adulthood because as children they lost their parents. I was wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I'm not sure what I liked the most about the book, the hopefulness of it, the description of "life" in Here, the love the characters had for one another, or the realness of the story. As a public librarian I will make sure there is a copy on our shelves and will recommend it to patrons.
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