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Lisa G. (Riverwoods, IL)
The Stuff That Never Happens
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. Love, lust and adoration are very different things with relationships being built or falling apart based on perceptions, not truth. I am of similar age as present-day Annabelle and know people in relationships like those depicted in the book. I liked the first person narration alternating between the 1970's and the present. Younger readers may not "get" the decisions Annabelle made but those of us who have been around a while know that relationships are ever-evolving.
Carol N. (San Jose, CA)
The Stuff . . .
I can’t say I loved every minute of Maddie Dawson’s “The Stuff That Never Happened.” At times it made this reviewer step back, much like the author’s middle-aged heroine, Annabelle. I, too, can identify with the longing for yesterday’s romance. This slow moving character drama flits back and forth between the present and the past, answering the questions. ... Will she leave her husband? Will he leave his wife?
I didn’t have an easy time getting into it, until I finished the first 100 or more pages, then I was hooked and needed to know how it would end. Longing for the one that got away is a common theme in
…more literature, but Maddie Dawson writes with a particular honesty that makes her characters very real and convincing. (less)This book is a fun, engaging read. The main character, Annabelle, is witty, complex, and at times, naive. Annabelle's relationships with her mother and daughter add another interesting dimension to the plot. This book should be of particular interest to women like me who grew up during the seventies. Although somewhat predictable, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.
Rosario D. (South El Monte, CA)
Interestingly Real
A great look at how the choices we make today will affect the outcome of tomorrow. I loved reading this book. I found it easy to connect with Annabelle and found that many of her emotions have mirrored mine in the past year. A Great Read.
Tricia L. (Auburn, WA)
Well-written, but we've seen this before
This is one of the better books about choices and waking up to find ourselves in a position we now are not sure we want to be in. I love the author's writing and the voice is strongly compelling. I don't tend to want to read yet another book about this subject, but this one kept me reading.
Nancy F. (Carmel, IN)
Trite maybe, but life often resembles fiction...
I love to read about people and relationships ... all life is, is a tangled web which never ceases to amaze me.
I liked "Stuff.." even though the plot line was at time a bit shallow. I must admit that my personal past experiences during that period of my life made this book come alive for me! I think the author has selected an interesting way for Annabelle to view her life in perspective and with some level of self acceptance and forgiveness which often is missing. It is a surprisingly good read that draws you in, even when you can guess where the story is headed ... read it anyway.
Linda M. (Three Oaks, MI)
Stuff Never Happens
Annabelle married Grant McKay when she was so very young and still had so much to learn about herself and her new husband. But like any journey, the road is fraught with obstacles and detours. Annabelle’s side trip was an extramarital affair that defined both her and Grant’s existence over the next 30 years. Grant’s way of dealing with it was to put his head in the sand like an ostrich pretending that it never happened. For Annabelle, it was an itch that when scratched was never satisfied. This story is told from Annabelle’s perspective and deftly navigates between the past and the present. I confess there were
…more moments when I didn’t particularly like Annabelle and even wanted to throttle Grant a few times but that’s what made this novel work so well. I thought this was a pretty good debut for this new author. (less)A really good read that will resonate with older women readers who have lived through the times that shaped Annabelle. I was surprised that I ended up liking it as much as I did as I seemed to know how it would end, but the characters were well defined and their relationships interesting. A good book club choice especially if all ages are represented in the group - lots of interesting discussion, I would think.
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