What readers think of The Book That Matters Most, plus links to write your own review.

I was disappointed with this book. The plot was more important to the author than character development. I enjoyed the fact that many chapters of the book dealt with a book club, and I liked the parts about the daughter, but there were too many coincidences (or plot devices, really). The plot twist at the end of the book was predictable and I felt like it left me hanging with a lot of unanswered questions.

I really enjoyed this book for the first half but less so as it progressed. The Ava storyline started off well, but didn't move forward (constantly repeating the same lament about her husband), and her borderline indifference to the growing evidence of her daughter's issues was not believable to me. The Maggie storyline also started off very interesting but dragged on far too long and in too much depth with regards to her drug addiction. The events of the last few pages felt contrived/unrealistic & Ava's response to them also seemed strange to me. Overall, it is a quick read that is great for the slow, lazy days of summer but not one to rush to the top of the TBR list.

2.5-3 stars

The Book That Matters Most was not my favorite story. The concept sounded wonderful, and I was really looking forward to reading it. However, it did not meet my expectations because the story was very disjointed. The main character Ava drove me a little crazy because she was either very naïve or just uninterested in the welfare of her daughter who was clearly troubled. The ending seemed very unrealistic also and somewhat sad. Thanks to BookBrowse for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Book That Matters Most had more potential than was realized. The storyline was really intriguing and kept me turning pages but the characters were not likable nor well developed. Ava, the main character, cannot seem to accept that her husband has left her and way too much time is spent lamenting the husband's infidelity. The book group Ava joins is very interesting and I would have loved to have seen those characters expanded. The most interesting backstory relates to Ava's mother's disappearance years before and for some reason the author chooses to tie this up in just a few paragraphs at the very end of the book with a hyper dramatic final few sentences.

As the facilitator of a book club for the past nine years, I have found that the members of my group like light, feel good books for summer reading. This book would fit right in. I chose it because of the title, thinking that it would offer great insight into why some books matter to, and influence people in their lives. That didn't happen. I was disappointed in the book, but I will give my copy to my group for their summer reading.

The idea of choosing "The Book That Matters Most" for a book club read was compelling -- and my favorite part of the book. I found Ava whiny in the beginning, and not very interesting! Her daughter Maggie's story was more engaging and kept me reading. The book was well written, but improbable, especially the ending. There were too many characters essential to the story who were not well defined.

I've read other books by Ann Hood and liked them, this one...not as much. I'm the sort of person who likes to read to either learn something new or to "escape." This book did neither for me. While I liked and sympathized with the character of Ava, I found her daughter Maggie very depressing and sad. For me, the most interesting parts were the discussions of the other books mentioned, some of which I have read. All in all, I have mixed feelings about this one...it would probably be a good choice for a book club discussion, but it's not one I would read again.

You CAN go home again in Hood's forthcoming book, even if home looks slightly different. Ava's participation in a local, invitation-only book group opens her eyes to literary works and to her own life...and the refreshments are delicious and boozy! Although this could have been like many other books centered on book clubs, this one takes a sharp left turn by including a close look at addiction in Ava's family. There's a lot to discuss because of various themes (death of sibling, dealing with addiction, loss of parent, younger lover), however a couple of the resolutions seem hurried and not fully developed. I would categorize this as women's fiction, but in the end, I'm not really sure what the book was trying to be.