What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

Synopsis:

Alice Love is twenty-nine, crazy about her husband, and pregnant with her first child.

So imagine Alice’s surprise when she comes to on the floor of a gym and is whisked off to the hospital where she discovers the honeymoon is truly over — she’s getting divorced, she has three kids and she’s actually 39 years old. Alice must reconstruct the events of a lost decade, and find out whether it’s possible to reconstruct her life at the same time. She has to figure out why her sister hardly talks to her, and how is it that she’s become one of those super skinny moms with really expensive clothes.

Ultimately, Alice must discover whether forgetting is a blessing or a curse, and whether it’s possible to start over.

I read the synopsis of this book and was highly intrigued. It seemed like a pretty unique concept, so I jumped right in.

And, let me tell you, this book did not let me go until I turned the very last page.

I was absorbed. When I had to take a break from reading, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

This book broke my heart, it made me cry, it made me laugh, and it made me question life. THAT is what I like from a novel. I like when it challenges me just by telling its story. I didn’t want it to end, but I feel like the ending came at the perfect time, and it was a good one.

The characters were all interesting. They all played a role, and the inner monologue of Alice was fantastic.

My favorite books center around characters that could be REAL, that could be your next-door neighbor or could be YOU. And this book gives you that.

I will always recommend this book to anyone who is ready to invest the time into it. It is pretty long, but it is worth the ride.

5/5 stars

Memorable Quotes: "Who cared if hundreds of strange people turned up on her doorstep tonight? Her life was a nightmare and she may as well let it continue on its nightmarish way."

"Your mind resists death with all its might."

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She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb

Synopsis:

Meet Dolores Price. She's 13, wise-mouthed but wounded, having bid her childhood goodbye. Stranded in front of her bedroom TV, she spends the next few years nourishing herself with the Mallomars, potato chips, and Pepsi her anxious mother supplies. When she finally orbits into young womanhood at 257 pounds, Dolores is no stronger and life is no kinder. But this time she's determined to rise to the occasion and give herself one more chance before she really goes under.

Don’t be turned off by the length of this novel. It is long for a reason. It takes us through the hectic journey of Dolores Price’s life starting as a child and leaving off in her thirties.

Nothing seems to ever go right for Dolores. She has been through hell and back. Though broken, there is still a source of strength within her that keeps her pushing even when she wants to just give up.

This book can be taken two ways. It can bee seen as a really sad story of a girl that had too much on her plate and learned to never trust people. Or, it can be seen as a story that reminds you that true love and passion can conquer all. Sometimes forgiveness needs to be given, and sometimes you must just let time heal some deep wounds.

There is never a perfect answer for difficult situations, and for most of Dolores’s life, she probably made all of the wrong decisions, but she was able to come of it kicking and screaming in the end.

I really enjoyed this book. It was deep at times, and it was shallow at times. Dolores’s wit and sarcasm made her an interesting character to read, but also allows the reader to form a connection with her right away. It tells a complete story, but it also leaves Dolores’s ending up to the reader.

I would highly recommend this book.

5/5 stars

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Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

Synopsis:

When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she knows it isn’t love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.

Never ask about the past.

Don’t expect a future.

They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.

Hearts get infiltrated.

Promises get broken.

Rules get shattered.

Love gets ugly.

I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this book. I had heard a lot of talk about it around the internet, and the general consensus seemed to be that it was well liked. I don’t think anything could have prepared me for the rollercoaster that was this novel though.

First of all, Tate was a very likable protagonist. I thought she had a good personality and she made me laugh quite a few times.

Miles was an interesting co-protagonist. He was a very big mystery through most of the novel. That kept my attention, and I just had to finish the book to figure out why he was the way he was.

The way this book was written also kept it exciting. It switched back and forth from Tate’s point-of-view to Miles’s point-of-view.

Tate’s sections were in the present while Miles’s sections covered the past and slowly revealed how his character came to be. Learning about him slowly throughout the book made the story even stronger.

The story itself was also interesting to me. It was a cute romance book, but it was also deeper than that. Miles dealt with a lot of pain to get to this point. Suffering from abuse and a broken heart.

Then on the other hand, there was Tate. She seemed like she had a pretty decent life and Miles completely threw her off. I was rooting for them from the beginning.

Once I really got going with the book, I could not put it down for anything. I just had to get to the end and nothing else seemed as important. It has a way of really drawing you in and not letting go until you turn the last page.

I would be lying if I said I didn’t cry.

5/5 Stars

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