Every Last One in Bound Together

Jun 08, 2011 Dem rated it liked it

This book had a slow begining and an eventfull(but unexplained) middle and then nothing.
I was disappointed with this book as the book built up quite slowly and there was a shocking event and then it just seemed to flag off and finish. The plot was a good one however very predictable and when the event does happen we are given no details what so ever which I felt was a real chance for Quindlen to develop the story, but Anna Quindlen failed to Nail the story and just seemed to lose interest in the ...more

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Feb 04, 2017 Kathryn rated it liked it

Shelves: kathryns-aty-2017, fiction, reading-list-2017

This book has been on my TBR list ever since I finished One True Thing, having found it to be a powerful book. I am glad I’ve read this one, but it did take a looong time for the story to get going. I felt in the beginning that it was such a slow start, and I wasn’t connected to the characters. I also found myself having to re-read whole paragraphs (sometimes several paragraphs) because I'd zoned out somewhere in the middle and lost track of what was happening.

It is only about half-way through t ...more

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Jun 20, 2010 ☮Karen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: giveaways-goodreads, favorites

This book is amazing and deserves every one of those 5 stars. Anna Quindlen's imagination has produced some great books; this is the best so far. She delves into the idea that mothers can try and try to keep their kids safe from harm but when it comes down to it, none of us has complete control over the events that come along to change our lives. Thank you, goodreads, for adding this to your first reads giveaway so I was able to obtain a copy to read. ...more

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Feb 18, 2011 Angie crosby rated it it was ok

Shelves: checkedout-library, fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 29, 2010 Teresa rated it it was amazing

Wonderful, moving, I loved it!

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Apr 05, 2010 Glenda rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-read-in-2010

This book starts out with the troubles of the almost perfect Latham family, mom Mary Beth, dad Glen, twin sons Alex and Max and daughter Ruby.
The story is told from Mary Beth’s perspective and how she handles her family’s difficult problems. Their problems are hard but not uncommon, sibling rivalry, depression, anorexia, etc… And then bam some very horrific activity takes place that changes everything for Mary Beth. I knew something bad was going to happen, but I was totally unprepared for the This book starts out with the troubles of the almost perfect Latham family, mom Mary Beth, dad Glen, twin sons Alex and Max and daughter Ruby.
The story is told from Mary Beth’s perspective and how she handles her family’s difficult problems. Their problems are hard but not uncommon, sibling rivalry, depression, anorexia, etc… And then bam some very horrific activity takes place that changes everything for Mary Beth. I knew something bad was going to happen, but I was totally unprepared for the tragic event.
The rest of the book is about how Mary Beth struggles to cope with her new life. She becomes very protective of her remaining family. As one might do after the circumstances, she replays events over and over again in her head. Mary Beth is not a totally likeable character but I was still interested in her experience.
One really vivid part for me is towards the end where Mary Beth is taking the back road to Olivia's and the storm has come through and knocked down a lot of trees and she says, "I think I can see a large nest on the ground beside one of them. What a waste that would be, to build a home stick by stick, to line it with moss and lay some eggs and then watch as the whole thing fell from the sky, to become nothing but a mess of shards and twigs on the shoulder of the road." What I loved about that is that Anna Quindlen is making an obvious analogy there. I was thinking that's what happened to Mary Beth herself (but now as I read it again I also see Deborah). I just loved that the reader so obviously understands, but that Mary Beth was so wrapped up in her grief that the irony is completely lost on her.

And my favorite thing of all was how the book ended:
"This is my life. I am trying."

What more can anyone ask? That's all I want to be able to say about my own life, that I am trying. Sometimes I want to give up completely and sometimes I am so focused on what I didn't get, what I don't have, what could have been, that I don't work on the trying. But that's all I can do and reading this really made me want to just get up and say this is my life. I am trying. So simple. So profound.

...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Suzanne rated it really liked it

I found the first half of the book very slow,in fact I nearly put it down. But, there were some really good reviews so I choose to forge ahead. Once I got involved in the rhythm of the book I found I could not stop reading. Or if I had to stop reading I could hardly wait to get back to it. Very insightful.

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May 08, 2010 Lauren rated it did not like it

Shelves: dropped

I've heard mixed things about this book, and it was not for me. I think it was a good book to be written, definitely a case ripped from the headlines. But nothing that resinated with me. ...more

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