Spinsters (High Risk)

Rating:
Summary: A box of chocolates
Review: At the risk of sounding too Forrest Gump-ish, I would have to say that "Spinsters" is like a box of chocolates. Each chapter is a perfect little world, and when you finish one you stop and say to yourself "Oh, I think I'll have just one more." Before you know it the book is finished, and you sit there, completely satisfied, but unsure as to exactly what you have just consumed. So you stop for a moment, and like remembering a particularly yummy nougat or macadadamia nut center, you recall wonderfully realized moments, and smile as each new memory of these characters, who have become a part of your life, plays across the pleasure centers of your brain. This book, like a box of chocolates, is deceptively simple. As you bite into each chapter the chocolate is only a facade covering the creamy, sweet inviting centers that await with each page turn. But best of all reading this book is an absolutely fat-free experience. All of the pleasure, none of the guilt.

Rating:
Summary: Not Living Up to "The Exes"
Review: I read Kennedy's The Exes and expected a witty and engrossing book similar in style when I picked up Spinsters. The premise about two single woman on the road looking for something out of life seemed promising. I was very, very wrong. The book falls very flat. It reels you only to end when things start to get interesting. Don't read this book, read Kennedy's The Exes.

Rating:
Summary: Totally Ordinary
Review: I'd heard the buzz about Pagan Kennedy, so I figured I'd grab this and see what the fuss was all about. Set in 1968, the book is about two 30-something sisters who embark on a cross-country road trip following the death of their father, who've they've been caring for. It's more or less a belated coming of age tale for Frannie, the virgin of the two, as she gradually sheds her safe life and appearance. Although there are a couple of nice lines ("My mother understood longing better than love.") it didn't strike me as anything special and didn't enthuse me to pursue anything else by Kennedy.

Rating:
Summary: Good Housekeeping/Readers Digest Condensed Novel
Review: My book group picked it because it sounded great from the synopsis and reviews. We were (9/10 of us) disappointed. It was short, superficial, and the plot just kept plodding forward with few connections. We debated whether it was believable...more thought no than yes. Luckily it only took about 3-5 hours to read, cover to cover. Save your money; you can do better.

Rating:
Summary: an exquisite book
Review: This book is absolutely lovely, witty, and insightful. At first I was drawn into by the dead-on descriptions of New England -- houses, people, places -- which made me homesick; then I was utterly absorbed in the story -- simple (in the way only really well-crafted writing can be), subtle, and a great read. I recommended it to my book club (which means I happily got to reread it) and all eight members agreed it was the best pick of the year! (I was kind of surprised, because we never agree on anything, but apparently this book's wonderful story and writing have universal appeal.) Truly a gem.