Sunday, October 25, 2009

Talk About. . . While I'm Falling

It's funny that I am watching Baby M take some of her first steps while I am getting ready to talk about a book that has falling in the title. She is doing as much falling as walking but she is so determined I wouldn't be surprised if she is walking by the end of the week.

Anyway, it's finally time to share your thoughts (the good, bad, and the ugly) about the book While I'm Falling. Here's a synopsis from the jacket ( I know I'm cheating but gimme a break ok?).

". . . presents a compelling depiction of how one young woman's life changes when her family breaks up for good.
Ever since her parents announced that they're getting divorced, Veronica has been falling. Hard. A junior in college, she has fallen in love. She has fallen behind in her difficult coursework. She hates her job as counselor at the dorm, and she longs for the home that no longer exists. When an attempt to escape the pressure, combined with bad luck, lands her in a terrifying situation, a shaken Veronica calls her mother for help-only to find her former foundation too preoccupied to offer any assistance at all."


You get the idea. Maybe I should get a job writing summaries for book jackets. Get paid to read books and then write a few paragraphs about it. Sounds good to me. Uh, oh-getting off topic.


Back to the book. Whoever was nice enough to follow me in my search to read-what did you think of this one? Did you like the content? What about the writing? I find the older I get, the less that fiction holds my interest, unless it is really well written. Whereas before I would read any fiction I took off the shelf of the library, now I am a little more discerning.


I thought the author has a great writing style but the actual content seemed a tad immature. Even though I think that's what she was going for. But still. I'm not sure I really want to read about college juniors making poor decisions. Don't they all do that?


Ok, enough from me-what did you think?

3 comments:

Rach said...

Ok, I will tell you that I did not like the book. It was a little bit since I read it but I think I can tell you why.

1. the main character just annoyed me. She was so uch, I can't even explain it. Like you read about how she got into a car accident, then got into the truck with that guy, and then threw the party and you knew how stupid she was being and it made me want to skip chapters to see if she got smarter later on in life.

2.I also was not happy with how they seemed to tie it all up with a bow at the end, and very quickly might I add. And now there are all happily divorced and she's going into english and they lived happily ever after. That annoyed me as well.

3.the writing was okay. I seriously found my eyes skipping paragraphs at a time but that might have been more to do with the plot than the writing style.

4.but I do love that you are doing this elisha so keep it up!

Shosh said...

i also read the book and i agree with rachel. i hate books where the characters make one bad decision after another. i did enjoy some parts of it...i didnt have trouble finishing it or anything.
so it wasnt terrible. but it just annoyed me!!!
its like those movies where the people get themselves into trouble...like "meet the parents" - i just want to smack them and say, "STOP IT! GO HOME!"

shalva said...

ok so i'm cheating because i read your review even though i haven't finished the book yet - i agree with all of you that it's kind of annoying and doesn't really pull you in - and i think that's why i'm having such trouble finishing it! i've finished 3 or 4 books since i started this one..i read a few pages and it just doesn't hold my interest - i am the same way about fiction, elisha, and i think that's why i read so much nonfiction...anyways that's my .02, i am going to try and finish the book but it will be even harder now that i've read your opinions on it...
but thanks anyways for doing this, i probably would have tried the book on my own since it got decent reviews - so don't feel bad about choosing it - and i really like being able to discuss what i'm reading - i don't usually get that opportunity!