Pat 7 - 6
I wanted a book that blurred the edges of reality. A little girl can taste her mom's affair in the mashed potatoes and gravy? Cool. Her brother is a Barcalounger? That's a very blurred edge. I enjoyed the first half very much but found the rest repetitive and after a while I didn't care about where or what Joseph was. I liked her writing but not the plot choices.
Maggie 3 -3
Isn't fond of books from a child's perspective and would have abandoned if not a book club book. What was this? Sci-Fi? Fantasy? It wasn't either, nor was the writing intelligent. The story line was interesting, but it stretched belief too far. They were such a sad disconnected family. Grandpa could smell how people felt, and dad had some sort of similar superpower. Why wouldn't he let his kids in on this? Sad. It was the saddest, saddest story with little enjoyment.
Carolyn - 6 - 6
Wasn't sure what happened to Joseph in his chair. She too thought dad might have thought to mention his family's super-senses, or at least have tried to help people with those powers. She found herself thinking about it quite a bit and thought the book might head in that direction, but it never did. Carolyn had perhaps the most helpful quote of the night, "You have to accept a book like this and move on." Thanks, Carolyn.
K'Lynn 5 - 5
The first 120 pages or so K'Lynn was thinking, Wow! Who's going to be feeling what next? But the middle dragged on and on over the same ground. George was too kind and perfect to be believable. The book moved quickly, then slow, and then she didn't understand it and fell asleep.
Leticia 6 - 5.75
Powerful descriptive writing. Mom was overcompensating. The family was dysfunctional and sad. So grandpa could smell feelings and dad could feel the pain of others? Hmm. She liked the fantasy aspects and the writing. Would recommend for a bizarre read.
Becky 4.5 - 4.5
Approached with an open mind and was reminded of Like Water for Chocolate. It was quick and light and she was in the mood for that. The family was so isolated from one another. Dad eats, works, sleeps, honks his horn in the morning and leaves. Mom goes through phase after phase, always searching. She clung to her completely unpleasant son in an unhealthy, strange way. Never understood what his deal was other than he was likely autistic. He probably had a gift as well, but used it to become . . . a chair. And then there's George. Why would this seemingly normal guy hang out with them? An affinity for science doesn't explain it. And the splinter ritual: creepy. Did mom get splinters on purpose? She had a weird relationship with her son, and Rose's acceptance of it, and everything else, was beyond her years.
Artie 5.5 - 5.5
"The more I listen the weirder it gets." Liked when grandma's ashes puffed out gave mom a hug. Had high expectations, but was let down. Joseph's a chair. Okay. Why? How? What's the point of this? Of this book? Maybe Joseph felt people's emotions as well and couldn't take it, so he hid from them. We're never told, so we don't know. Mom was always going from one thing to the next. Grandma is a recluse. George is perfect. Nothing ever really tied together.
Sandy 4 - 4.5
Was bored until the chapter on Joseph, and then it picked up. Thought she did a great job overall with showing relationships, dark and depressing as they were. She was reminded of Celeste Ng's, Little Fires Everywhere. Food feelings? Really? Felt like a gimmick, though some of the novel was very thought provoking. Sandy identified with mom's phases 1 - 4 and couldn't believe that Becky sees pursing interests as an adversity. Sandy prefers to call it being well rounded. Loved the mom's comment that Rose was a pretty piece of green beach glass that everyone wants to take home. The book went from a 6 to a 4 when she found out that grandpa could smell feelings.
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