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There are currently 25 member reviews
for The Children
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Jodi G. (Plymouth, MN)
Good story - but too much going on
Let me start by saying that I did like this book - as a nice holiday weekend read. I read it really quickly and it kept me interested. If it had stayed at that I think my review would have been better. But there were so many little storylines going on at once and it was hard to keep them straight at time and had to figure out why some of them were relevant. And most of them did not get developed enough to even get a feel for the character or the storyline (e.g. Perry and his family). I liked the main characters - Joan and Charlotte and Sally and Spin and Everett - and I thought the main storyline of how they came to be a family was really good and engaging. There was so much more that she could have done with those characters. I felt like the whole Laurel piece was odd and I felt like the way Spin flipped out at the end was not realistic and really kind of ruined the book for me. So if I take the book for what I thought it was initially then I think it was really good - but if I focus too much on everything she tried to cram into 250 pages then I think it is a little weak.
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Iris F. (West bloomfield, MI)
The children
I was initially very disappointed with this book. For almost 100 pages I felt that the story felt contrived as the author worked hard to be funny at the expense of the story. When the "humor" ended the story improved tremendously. The characters were fleshed out and explanations to the various motivations of the characters behavior was explained and my interest was piqued.
What started out as a chore to read became a book that I couldn't put down. The last third of the book was read in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. I would say that all the individual story lines were tied up in a neat little bow, but that wouldn't be exactly the truth as the end took a turn that I didn't see coming,
If the author had told the story without the attempt to be funny in the beginning I would have enjoyed it more. I would've rated the beginning a three while the end was almost a five.
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Marybeth T. (Bellingham, WA)
Another winner
I am a sucker for a good dysfunctional family story, and this didn't disappoint. The pace was good and my interest was held. I enjoyed this one as much as her first one.
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Molly B. (Longmont, CO)
The Sins of the Fathers...
The Children was an easy read - it flowed easily, moved fast and had interesting characters. Everyone was flawed in some way, so it was realistic. The dialogue was funny, especially when the two daughters were talking with the mother and calling her on her stuff. The dark underbellies were disturbing, and the biggest villain was truly without conscience or heart. My only complaint would be that the story stopped short, that the conclusion seemed hurried. I would have liked to have the story be more complete, to have a better picture of where the sisters ended up - perhaps this could lead to a sequel? Overall, this was a well-crafted and balanced story with characters that I cared about, and exposing some of the sadder sides of humanity.
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Marjorie W. (Bonita Springs, FL)
The Children
This is the first book I have read by Ann Leary - and it was certainly different and entertaining! What a family - two daughters with problems - one bi-polar, the other afraid to venture out. One angry son; one who appears to be well adjusted until he meets the woman who will become his wife. I will recommend this to my friends as I think they will enjoy it as I did.
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Christine
Summer at the Lake
I enjoyed this book. The setting seemed idyllic--a cottage on a lake in Connecticut just as summer was beginning. The characters were interesting, and kept me reading because I wanted to learn what would happen to them. I could not have guessed or anticipated what that would be. I am looking forward now to reading Ms. Leary's other books.
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Pam
Fun, easy, quick beach read
An unconventional family with an unconventional story - I read it in a single sitting while sitting at the beach. Each family member is quirky, but believable, and the storyline takes many twists and turns until the surprisingly satisfying ending. It's basically the story about what remains of a blended family after the actual owner of the home passes away and none of the rest of them move out - or move on - until a whirlwind wedding changes everything for all of them. It was the perfect book for a lazy afternoon!
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