by Myla Goldberg
ages: adult
First sentence: “At precisely 11 a.m. every teacher in every classroom at McKinley Elementary School tells their students to stand.”
Ever have the experience where a book starts out relatively promising — not great, but good, and with potential — and so you keep reading. Then, about halfway through, you start wondering where this is all going, but because of the initial promise, you keep going. Then, a few dozen more pages later, you realize that the book is going nowhere slowly, and so you start skipping around (say, reading the end just to see if it’s good or not). But, then, you read something that is mildly confusing or interesting (how on earth did she come to make that decision? Or, why is she doing that!? Or, is she completely nuts, or am I reading this wrong?), and so you go back and begin plodding through again. But, by the time you make it to that interesting decision or situation, it’s no longer intriguing. In fact, by the time you finally close the book, you’re tearing your hair out, wishing you would have just stopped halfway through, lamenting the time that you can’t get back. In fact, the more you think about it, the worse the book is, the more annoyed you are that you’ve even attempted it. In fact, you wonder why you even try adult fiction, if this drivel is all there is. Granted, that will probably wear off in a day or so, but right now, right after finishing it, you just want to go and scrub your brain out with a good Hilary McKay book.
Ever read a book like that?
(I just did.)
(More coherent thoughts are over at the Jewish Literature Challenge Blog.)
The Book Nut 
I love you! You are so great, just the way you are 🙂 Just had to say that 🙂
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Amen!! I tried reading this one and quit halfway through! I’m so glad!
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Oh, Becky. I just came home from an emotionally difficult visit with a friend, and was feeling low. Your comment just was exactly what I needed. Thanks. 🙂and Shelley, you were SMART. Be thankful.
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You are not alone..I felt this way about it too!!!
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I am truly laughing out loud. GREAT review.I purchased this book on a whim last year – but have not made the time to read it. I am now very grateful that I only paid the clearance price for it.
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YEAH, I HATED this book. Rarely do I want to run and tell people NOT to read something. I could’ve written this review my own dang self.
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My sentiment almost exactly, although I did get a little more out of it than you did. http://www.semicolonblog.com/?p=1710
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You asked about the movie. I don’t know whether its worth the time or not; I haven’t seen it.
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I’d have to reread my review to remember what I initially thought of this book. From what I remember is that it wasn’t my favorite but it kept me interested enough to finish it. I read it after I had watched the movie so I don’t know if that affected my reading or not.
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