Rating: 
Summary: How a young woman struggles to find herself
Review: After having this book on my bookshelf for a while, I finally decided to pick it up and read it. At first I felt that this book was going nowhere and that I should just put it aside, but later as I got into the book, I felt drawn into Carrie and her world and I could not put the book down.When an accident cause's Carrie Bell's fiancée Mike to have be in the hospital and have to deal with the life of never being able to walk again. Carrie struggle with the fact that she feels no real pain or emotions during the entire time. She feels that there is something wrong with her and that she is not happy. So Carrie takes a chance in life and decides to go to New York City to look up a friend she met and see how her life might be different in NYC as opposite to Madison. When Carrie arrives in NYC and finds Kilroy she finds that there is part of her that is happier then she has ever been, but there is still part of her that wonders if she did the right thing. This book covers the life of a young woman who has to deal with the reality that things in her life will never be the same and how she must see and learn the new things in her life, but not before she discovers her own troubles in life. This was a wonderful book and I hope the author writes many more great books.
Rating:
Summary: thought provoking coming of age in the face of tragedy
Review: Our bookclub read this book which provided lively and passionate emotional feelings on behalf of all of our members. We were all in agreeement that this book is extremely well written; lovely use of metaphor and imagery. We were divided as to the nature of Carrie's abrupt departure. Some of us (therapists) believed that Carrie was in a state of exteme crisis and was unable to fulfill the "obligations" others of us felt were appropriate for someone in her position. Exactly what did Carrie owe Mike? This led us to explore deeply held values as to the nature of family and sense of obligation. It was one of our best discussions ever. I would highly recommend this book and will look forward to others from this author.
Rating: 
Summary: I wanted to jump too.
Review: This book would be great if it were listed in the YA section... it's the kind of two dimensional soap opera that i read in high school...picked this book for book club because it takes place in our home state but gawd i wish someone with some talent like jane hamilton would have chosen to write this story. Wait for the movie then go with your best friend from high school.
Rating: 
Summary: You can go home again
Review: Ann Packer's book starts out promisingly enough but somehow gets bogged down in the middle. The plot poses an interesting juxtaposition between the protagonist's self actualiziation and the moral dilemma of abandoning a decent fiancee who has suffered a life altering tragedy. The writing is infused throughout with empathy for all of her characters. They are real and quite human. The writer's biggest problem is indulgence. Good editing would have made this a more successful first effort. Towards the end I found myself bored and skimming to get to the end. Still I stuck it out and having finished The Dive from Clausen's Pier I find it sticks with me. The ending was emotionally satisfying. Yet I couldn't shake the feeling that she would split again -- that she had not yet finished her journey. I also wanted more exploration of the character Kilroy. He was, for me, the most interesting but least realized character in the novel. Hope to see more from Packer.
Rating: 
Summary: Loved it
Review: Having a similar experience in my life, I could feel the hospital room, see the machines, and know the delicacy of life. Ann Packer brought all the imagery of the dialog to life. Kilroy was an odd sort and I was frustrated along with Carrie as to what his big secret was. It was this frustration that kept me up at night reading trying to get to the end. I thought the ending was suitable. No happy ending for Carrie just the continuation of the growing pains of becoming an adult (from the child who was married to Mike). A different ending would not have been too realistic. A good read for people who like intelligent writing and inspire to find your life's passion, Carrie's was sewing, she was lucky to find it at a young age.
Rating: 
Summary: Whimp
Review: I started getting into the book when she went to NY. All of the sewing!!! I was so happy when she started design school, I thought great ...she's finally going to do something. Kilroy was definitely the most interesting character in the book, I wanted to know more about him, his brother Mike, his family, his time in France. I couldn't believe the ending, what a disappointment.
Rating:
Summary: Pleasant enough, but overall flat
Review: This book was a good enough story to get me involved and interested throughout. It wasn't a "can't put it down" read though. The writer used her words to paint a good picture in my mind. But I never stayed up half the night to read just a little more, never stopped what I was doing during the day to get a few more pages in. The characters did not come alive enough for me to pull me in. Some of the dialogue was sort of wooden. I really couldn't feel a sense of Carrie's struggle. I couldn't relate, the way she shunned her best friend, a friend she had since grade school, since way before she got together with Mike. I would have been crying on my best friend's shoulder, after all Jamie was Carrie's best friend, not Mikes, and she seemed a good person, a good confidant. I also never felt I knew how Carrie felt about Kilroy. Yea, great sex, but why was she drawn to him in the first place? She was just so aimless and unfeeling, and there must be a torrent of emotions after the tragedy she went thru. It would have been fun to go thru a rich emotional experience with her. Some have argued with me that the point is that she was emotionally dead. Well, to me that just doesn't make for stirring and engaging reading. But ultimately, the most difficult part of the book for me to relate to was that she found a parking space in New York City, for free even. yea, right!
Rating:
Summary: Fun Read
Review: Lots of questions go unanswered - and that is a good thing. I enjoyed the characters and would read a Part II book. But it is not necessary. I agree with others, I don't like that she jumped right into Kilroys bed and spent more time figuring him out rather than herself. If she would have figured herself out while in NY then she should have stayed. Since she didn't it does not matter that she went home - cause she can always leave again. It is typical-true-to-life that as soon as you find something you enjoy and feel your life is getting on track (her design/sewing classes) life keeps you moving and then you are at another crossroad. This was a fun read and fun to discuss her decisions with others.
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing, but a frustrating ending.
Review: As much as I got [drawn] into this book, I was disappointed that the ending is the one that I wanted at the beginning of the novel--but by the time I got to the end I wanted a totally different ending! As much as I enjoyed reading this book, I wanted to shake Carrie and scream, "Go back to New York!!!"...
Rating:
Summary: The Dive from Claussen's Pier
Review: I could not get through this book, for me it was torture to finally finish it. I would not recommend it, too boring and the story drags on and on. So glad to have finished it and cannot believe that Good Morning America choose this book for their bookclub. Needless to say I will not ever take another book recommendation from them and their bookclub.
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