Celeste Ng
I started New Year's Day finishing this book that had been on my "To Read" list for quite a while. I had seen it come up on several posts on Facebook, and finally decided to use my Half Price Books gift certificate to purchase it.
"Sometimes you need to scorch everything to the ground, and start over. After the burning, the soil is richer, and new things can grow. People are like that, too. They start over. They find a way."
So, what did I think?
3 out of 5 Stars
The book started off well for me. I enjoyed getting to know the characters, particularly Pearl, who is a young teen who has had a rather unusual upbringing, and her fascination with a seemingly normal, upper class family. Pearl's mother, Mia, is an artist, and for Pearl's whole life, it's just been the two of them, moving from place to place, always with what can basically fit in their car to pack up as they move on. The time has come though, that Mia tells Pearl that they can settle down for good, and Pearl decides to form solid relationships for perhaps, the first time. It turns out, the seemingly normal family that she gets to know, has issues, (as we all know any "normal" family would), and things are not quite what they seem. The turning point in the book really comes when a dispute arises within the neighborhood about a couple, who after much struggle to conceive, are on the track to complete the adoption of a baby who was left at the local fire station. This event sets in motion several different things, and ultimately, leads to what turns out to be, a major conflict.
Though there were several parts of the book, in my opinion, the end left something to be desired. It just wasn't satisfying for me. Was it just because I thought it should end differently...I'm not sure. I was just left with a feeling of, "Really?!?"
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