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There are currently 19 member reviews
for The Innocents
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Angelina A. (New York, NY)
A nice twist on a classic
I am always cautious when reading a book that is a reworking of a classic. I always worry it will ruin the original but this book has so many merits. It doesn't stay glued to the original; it finds its own path in a very interesting cultural unit that I enjoyed reading and getting to know. I highly recommend it.
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Shirley D. (Amherst, MA)
The Innocents
The Innocents shows meticulous research, and good grammar (always a sticking point for me). The second element I look for – strong vocabulary and interesting characters. While I thought The Innocents beautifully written, for me at least one character has to be one I can “know” and care about. I must hear him or her speaking to me from the pages and make me a little anxious to discover the how and when and why of that character’s life. Then I can’t stop turning page after page! I did not find that character here. I look forward to Segals’s next book and finding a "live" character and all that will make me love it.
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Mary H. (Phoenix, AZ)
It is truly a Family affair.
The story holds some complex issues for adults who have narrowed their life choices. Expectations prove to be the norm for all the characters but one. The renegade cousin Ellie, although accepted due to circumstances beyond her control, is never totally a welcome family member. The participants all seem to teeter just on the brink of "social" failure only to find their way again. Need, want, desire and dreams all appear in this novel. Who arrives at their personal destination can only be determined by each individual but continually judged by all.
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Portia A. (Mount Laurel, NJ)
Not your average "chick-lit"
The story which takes place in a close-knit Jewish community in London is a story of leaving the arms of the extended family and the discovery of the world outside. When I read it, I felt that the author had lived it; or at least something like it. The voices felt very real. I recommend it.
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Dorothy M. (Maynard, MA)
The joy and pain of families
The Innocents is a lovely debut novel set in a Jewish community in London that explores the choices we make and the cost of those choices. Told from the point of view of Adam, who believes he has everything he ever wanted until he sees possibilities that he never knew were there. It shows us his totally supportive family and community as he realizes that the other side of comfort and love is constraint and confinement. He must decide what kind of man he chooses to be. Written with a light touch of humor, this is a delightful book - highly recommended.
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Tillie H. (Baltimore, MD)
Just so-so
This book has an interesting storyline, but there is so much extraneous material in it that it became a chore to get through it. The plot intrigued me, but I just couldn't get through the entire thing because of how things moved so slowly.
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Susan M. (Bloomfield Hills, MI)
Tries but in the end...
This book peaked my interest by the second chapter and as I read I thought this might be a good book for my book group. Unfortunately midway through part 2 I began to doubt that this book would be a good book group book. Reading part 3 sealed the deal. Midway through part 2 the author throws in a family crisis which was vaguely foreshadowed on page 18, but never really explored. Part 3 was just a quick tying together of loose ends. I gave the book a 3 because I thought the writing was quite good and I found myself caring about the characters. Unfortunately the plot lines strayed and weakened. With additional editing and rewriting I would say that this book has strong potential.
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