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Catharine L. (Petoskey, MI)
With or Without You
This is a novel about relationships. Stella, a nurse; Simon, her long-term partner - a bass player for a rock band; and Libby, a doctor and Stella's best friend. When Stella awakes from a two month coma, she is no longer interested in nursing and becomes addicted to painting portraits - seeing the person's hidden feelings. Simon tries to cope with the change and becomes closer to Libby. The emotional changes in the three are described realistically and even with their flaws and mistakes, the reader wants each one to succeed.
Cherryl V. (San Francisco, CA)
Beautifully written
Grateful to @algonquinbooks and @bookbrowse for my ARC of this incredible novel by @carolineleavitt . After being together for 20 years, Stella and Simon now find themselves at a crossroad in their relationship. Responsible Stella wants to get married and start a family, while rocker Simon is focused on reviving his languishing musical career. When Stella slips into a coma and awakens with a new personality, they are forced to question whether they still belong together. This novel was beautifully written, heartfelt but never maudlin. I couldn't put it down. Maybe it's because I'm around the same age as the
…more protagonists but the central themes of the book — commitment, friendship, finding yourself, making peace with the past, and growing up — really resonated with me. This book was a poignant rollercoaster read. It broke my heart but it also made me wiser, humbled by all the ways people change and the resilience of the human spirit. ????????
Also posted on IG: https://www.instagram.com/p/B_v3XUTgjru/?igshid=rhpdrabml237 (less)Love is complicated, and so are people. Stella and Simon love each other, but they're at an impasse; they desperately want different things, and those things don't go together. Leavitt sets the stage with their argument and unresolved differences. Then something happens that changes everything. More complications arise. The characters, confused and in conflict, are believable and the story moved along, holding my interest. It's a good, solid read, and the ending was not predictable. Even though the characters were likable, I felt detached from them, and that weakened my involvement with the story.
Jane H. (Prospect, KY)
With or Without You by Caroline Leavitt
Leavitt is one of my fav writers, so I jumped at the chance to read this new one of her offerings. Totally absorbing story, relatable characters and an interesting dilemma faced by all three main characters. I wondered while reading if the author had been prompted to write this because of some incident relating to coma in her own life or the life of a close friend or family member. I'm not at all sure that the paths taken by the three main characters would have been ones I would have taken in the same circumstances .... but then again, how would I know, not having experienced anything similar? I read this in one
…more afternoon sitting ... couldn't put it down. I would classify as chick lit ... but absorbing. (less)With or Without You was just an average read for me—however is is not a typical beach book because the story is unusual. Stella is married to Simon, who loves her but is a selfish former rock star. The marriage is failing but both are trying their best to hang on. After a drug mishap sends Stella into a comma everything changes. I have to say that I was not sympathetic to or engaged by any of the characters. Caroline Leavitt is a good writer so the story moves along but I am tired of stories about selfish men and the women who love them!
Kenan R. (Liberty, MO)
It Was Fine
I thought this book was a little shallow, considering the subject matter. I mean girlfriend in a coma and all that. The book moved at a nice clip and was easily digestible - great for a beach or quarantine read. I just really did not care about any of our 3 main characters - they were overly simplified. They all lacked depth and emotional maturity, and were a little bit ridiculous with their refusal to reexamine their beliefs about their childhoods. For a book about people coming to terms with their lives it seemed like not a lot of personal growth going on. I feel like a little more nuance could have gone a long way here.
Marianne D. (Crofton, MD)
Wandering...
I was generous in giving this book three stars. While the characters were for me one-dimensional as portrayed, any of them could have been a credible main character. It seemed to me like the author was trying to decide whom she wanted to take that role. I certainly couldn't tell. From chapter to chapter, I didn't know where I was going or where I would wind up. If that's what the author intended, she achieved her purpose, but awkwardly and too quickly. Characters would show up and then disappear. I found the ending convincing, but as I said, the story leading up to it was too disjointed.
Normally, I can read
…more about characters of any age, but the actions of these men and women often disturbed me. Characters of real depth, in my opinion, would not demonstrate some of the behavior that occurred on almost every other page of "With or Without You."
I think this book might work well for some book groups if all the participants made it through to the end (I can't guarantee that they would). I did find enough in the description of the characters and their relationships to serve as discussion material if the group wanted to add a lighter book to its annual list. (less)I would recommend reading Caroline Leavitt's With or Without You.The title subtly weaves its meaning through the main characters' life changes throughout the book. It's easy to emphasize with the agonizing feelings and needs resulting from the life altering effect of a quick decision, followed by smaller, more gradual changes in these characters' lives. Their personal growth and self-realization make them better, happier persons. more able to make good decisions allowing them to apparently lead richer lives. Growing, maturing, and owning our choices, while being kind and forgiving to others, is a lesson learned
…more by all without, we hope, facing major life altering events, with or without those to which were are most close. The writing is a bit wordy but maybe contributes to the feel of agonizing over decisions. (less)
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