I really wanted to like this more than I did. Tragedy combined with coming of age is like catnip for me. However, I felt like the characters weren't really fleshed out, relying on our cultural sterotypes for the characters rather than showing them through the story. Which sort of makes sense to me when I read that the author based it on her own similar experiences. With such a painful personal experience, it's hard to bring that pain to the story. I didn't fall in love with or strongly identify with any of the characters. In particular, it's unclear why the family is friends with any of their friends. They all seemed to be ridiculous characters plucked from a sitcom. Then, the "resolution" for the main character felt out of place and forced. Again, it felt like a literary trope of damaged, misunderstood youth acting out rather than an authentic response for the character. Ok, but I wouldn't read it again and probably wouldn't recommend it. Is it bad to admit that my favorite thing about this book was the cover? I picked this book up from the library and was intrigued by the premise. While it sounded a little somber, an exploration of life and loss, I thought it was worth a shot. Unfortunately, I was pretty disappointed with this book. It was very well written, but I just couldn't connect to it. I kept waiting for the story to pick up and hoping I'd become more attached to the characters. I was halfway through when I realized I still felt disconnected, and I finished it simply because I hate leaving books unread. I'm sure some will love this slow and thoughtful novel, but it just wasn't for me.
What do You think about Hello Goodbye (2011)?
a lovely book beautifully writtena coming of age meets the end of life in one family
—3march2009
Recommended by EW as a "Family Vacation" novel - summer 2012
—Nicole
This was a pretty slow read...hard for me to relate
—selina1111
