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Kathy S. (Danbury, CT)
Accidents of Marriage
It took me a week to drag myself through this book. I found the characters to be totally self-absorbed, both before and after the accident. Every adult had his or her own agenda; even for the older daughter and her boyfriend, it was all about them. I have very little patience with these types of people in real life, and zero patience with them in books. If this had been a library book, it would have gone back after the first 50 pages.
Eve A. (Henderson, NV)
Accidents of Marriage
Average is a perfect word to describe this book. I felt as if I had read this story before. It's a common theme - how a family survives an accident to one of them. Without revealing too much of the plot - the mother of the family is seriously injured in a car accident. The rest of the book deals with the effects on her husband and children. The characters were interesting but once again - I felt as if I had met them before. I found parts of the book very slow moving - I wanted everyone to move on. I did finish it tough as I was curious enough to want to find out how each family member turned out, The ending was satisfactory.
Melissa H (Stowe Twp., PA)
Slow, too slow.
Unfortunately this book moved very slowly for me. I liked the premise of it and while the ending wasn't exactly what I expected, it was better than I had anticipated. Yet, the majority of the book seemed to slough along. I wouldn't recommend it to someone looking for a quick, exciting read, but would possibly recommend it to a married couple.
Dorothy L. (Manalapan, NJ)
Could Have Been Better
I found the book slow for the most part. I couldn't really identify with any of the characters that much. The premise was good but the execution could have been better. I was satisfied with the ending and got a sense of Maddy's emotional journey.as well as physical healing. I also liked the way Emma and Maddy's relationship evolved throughout the book. But there was something lacking in the way the story was told and for me, it was not an exceptional read. I thought her earlier book, The Comfort of Lies, was a better book and kept my interest more.
Shirley L. (Norco, LA)
Rather Heavy Handed
I had trouble engaging with this novel. The characters seemed one-dimensional, at times almost stereotypes of particular character types used by the author to make her point. Very early in the story the husband accuses his wife of "social working" him. I felt this way while reading much of this book.
Elizabeth L. (Beavercreek, OH)
Disappointing
I wanted to like this book as I found the subject intriguing but I didn't like it much at all. I thought the characters were very one dimensional and often their emotions did not seem to ring true. I particularly despised the way Ben's character was drawn. He seemed to have no redeeming qualities whatsoever. It would have been a richer story if there had been a hint of redemption in the way Ben handled the crisis instead of an overwhelming sense of narcissistic priggery.
Sharon A. (Tierra Verde, FL)
Predictable Family Dynamics-A So-So Read
The book was readable, but predictable in the storytelling. You knew what was going to happen, just not when. The story was drawn out, fewer words would have been better. A lot of family dynamics, a story of a very dysfunctional family. Ben, the dad, didn't seem real with his I'll be good now" persona. The meddling parents of Ben & Maddy were the most realistic. The ending seemed abrupt.
Jill F. (Blackwood, NJ)
Too many shortcuts
This could have been a really good book; it grabbed my attention right away and drew me in, but there were glaring implausibility that ruined it for me. The events that led to Maddy being in the car at the time of the accident would not have happened, and the fact that the other driver was drunk would not have negated Ben's culpability especially with so many witnesses in a high profile case. If you want to read a really well researched book that deals with brain injury in a realistic way I suggest "Left Neglected," Lisa Genova .
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