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Catharine L. (Petoskey, MI)
Wonderful first novel
I would rate this 4.5. A story of mothers, daughters, sisters, relationships, family secrets. Characters are so believable. I empathized with them all even though they made terrible choices.
Beth B. (New Wilmington, PA)
Devour This Book
There's a lot to consume and digest in The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray. This is a novel rich in characters, wisdom, relationships, and family dynamics. History definitely repeats itself throughout the generations' stories. Inherent are the dangers: playing favorites, poor coping skills, blind spots, and failure to communicate with one another. What's past is past but slights and wounds are opened and reopened. The author has given readers a palette of people, mostly related to one another. Pay particular to one non-family gem, Mercedes. Happy reading and reflecting.
Nancy L. (Staunton, VA)
Dysfunctional Family
"The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls" follows a dysfunctional trio of sisters, their partners, and twin daughters as they attempt to navigate the trials of their lives. Eldest sister, Althea, seems to have inherited her father's hard-headedness and is in jail with her husband for stealing from funds collected for the needy in her town. Middle sister, Viola, suffers from bulimia and hides behind a stoic, professional demeanor. Youngest sister, Lillian, feels unseen and unappreciated and seems to display some OCD behavior. They are defensive with each other and avoid any real closeness until one of
…more Althea's twin daughters is missing after threatening suicide. The sisters pull together to find the missing girl as well as begin to confront the demons of their childhood. The story is told in the alternating voices of the sisters and illustrates how problems in one's childhood can infect generations to come. Although choppy at times, I found this story to be hard to put down. (less)I really was excited about reading this book. The title alone is very intriguing and the topic (family dynamics) is something that interests me. However, I struggled to finish this one--so much so, I almost decided not to review it. I had trouble connecting with and caring about the characters. I didn't feel as though they were developed enough. What motivated Althea to swindle the charities, why did Lillian have an affair, Viola left Eva because...?? I think it would have helped to have a little more insight making it easier to relate or be empathetic to their situations. I really only felt empathy for Kim and
…more Baby V., mainly because they are children and still powerless regarding their situation, unlike the sisters. I also think the narrative was just a bit too disjointed which may have contributed to my difficulty in relating to the characters. I actually had to flip to the front of the chapters occasionally to make sure I remembered correctly which sister's viewpoint I was reading.
I think this book has a ton of potential. The topics covered are very interesting and the writer is obviously talented. The characters and story just needed to be more engaging for me to be more invested in the outcomes. (less)I really wanted to like this gorgeously-titled book. I wanted to like it so much that I read it twice, searching for what I thought I must have missed the first time. But I just ended up doubly frustrated. It's not for the author's lack of talent. Anissa Gray is an absolutely beautiful, fearless writer. I have no doubt that she's poised on the edge of a huge career in literary fiction. What doomed this book for me is its "too-muchness" - too many characters, too many issues, too many storylines, too many points of view - which ultimately left me unsatisfied with not enough of anything. (Ironic, given the title.)
…more It almost started to veer into soap opera territory where, in lieu of authentic action, characters mostly just talked and talked and talked about the actions that mostly occurred "off-stage," switching from sister to sister to sister to husband's letters from prison and back again. It was dizzying. I wanted to identify with someone, follow someone's story, but they each kept slipping away, yielding to someone else's narrative, eventually beginning to all sound alike. Any one of the issues could easily have been the subject of an entire meaty book. I hope the author has the confidence in her next book to select just a few themes to explore in depth, trusting that all the untold stories she's bursting to bring to life will have their say, just not all at once. I'm not sure I would recommend this book to my friends, but I can hardly wait to read Ms. Gray's next novel. (less)The author presented an aspect of crime, incarcerated women, which was completely new to me. I did become a little confused with all the many characters. Ms. Gray didn't seem to have time to introduce and expand upon how all fit together. Since the reason for Althea and Proctor's trial and crime were not mentioned until halfway through the novel, the plot seemed disjointed. The reader can assume Ms Gray was trying to "hook" us into her story.
It was well written, which is always a pleasure to read. I would recommend this title to book clubs because a myriad of conversations could result during a discussion.
Jane E. (Port Republic, MD)
Great writing
I almost didn't finish this book, because I found it a little hard to follow. Anissa Gray writes beautifully and it was the saving grace. It's a sad story of a family and the choices each member made and the guilt, shame, and anger that follows them throughout their lives. It's definitely not a feel good book. There wasn't much happiness in it at all. Everyone just tries to get along the best they know how. There are a lot of good reviews of this book; it just wasn't my cup of tea.
Dorinne D. (Wickenburg, AZ)
Dysfunctional Management
The emotions expressed in this book are over the top for me. The ways in which each character deals with these emotions is what moves the story. This was not a story I could embrace but though I didn't really like it, I continued reading it to the end. Somehow every one of the characters seems to have come around to being able to handle the dysfunctional problems each had been experiencing. For that reason, I ended up not hating the book, but I couldn't embrace it as being a favorite.
