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Liked It “Although the subject is depressing, Prose's language is so beautiful you hardly notice. I thought that she really got into the mind of a well articulated 13 year old girl. I loved her imagery and the idea of the staircase spirit is one that will not leave me anytime soon. This book was very good.” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “Thirteen year-old Nico's older sister, Margaret drowns in a lake. Her parents deal with the grief in their own ways leaving Nico to cope on her own. She gets into a risky relationship with Margaret's boyfriend, Aaron. She spends most of the story haunted by her sister's death and trying to find...” see full review » see other reviews » |
Newest Reviews
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“I thought this one sounded interesting. I know it's not a guy's book but it doesn't matter to me what audience the book is for. If I like it, I will read it.”
Christopher G wrote this review 2 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“It was ok. I didn't relate to it.”
Jill Z wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Thirteen year-old Nico's older sister, Margaret drowns in a lake. Her parents deal with the grief in their own ways leaving Nico to cope on her own. She gets into a risky relationship with Margaret's boyfriend, Aaron. She spends most of the story haunted by her sister's death and trying to find some meaning in it and in life. Kind of depressing.”
Jaime Lire wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“In a word, meh - by the way, is "meh" a word? The prose is beautiful and haunting - Goldengrove is an extremely well-written novel. Why then the meh? Well, I just couldn't manage to get involved with any of the characters. Consequently in the end, I was completely unmoved by their story. The plot is bland and just plain disappointing, and the characters were flat as pancakes. Goldengrove completely failed to hit the mark with me.
Susan wrote this review Saturday, November 21 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Don't get me wrong, it's not a terrible book. Gracefully and elegantly worded though it may be, it just didn't work for me. Sometimes well-formed sentences and paragraphs cannot save a novel. It took another week out of my life to slog through Goldengrove - and without anything to show for it. I am a very disappointed reader.”
“I thought this book was decent. It wasn't the most exciting novel I've read, but it certainly wasn't the most boring. It had a very generic feel to it, and it wasn't anything life-changing, but it held my attention and was easy to read. ”
Sarah B wrote this review Wednesday, October 14 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“"Goldengrove" is another in a recent spate of grieving-families-trying-to-come-to-grips-with-the-death-of-a-child novels. What distinguishes Prose's story of 13-year-old Nico coming of age while dealing with the drowning of her sister, Margaret, is a macabre pygmalion twist. This might have garnered 4 stars if not for the faltering, stalled-out ending.”
travelingmamma wrote this review Sunday, September 20 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Listening to it now. Very claustrophobic story narrated by a young girl whose beautiful and talented sister killed herself shortly before high school graduation. She and her parents are suffering. It may seem callous to say this, but it's getting rather tedious going over and over their grief. The grief is real and I think described in a realistic way, but I'm hoping for a plot twist. From what I've read in the reviews, it comes when the surviving sister and the dead sister's boyfriend become friends.”
Suzanne F wrote this review Monday, July 20 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“When her sister's preventable heart problem PLUS accidental drowning
Emily C wrote this review Thursday, March 12 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
occur over the summer, Nico is left bereft. She doesn't know WHAT to do without her sister. She begins working in her father's bookstore, Goldengrove, and dating her sister's boyfriend (who asks her to do all kinds of weird things like wear the same perfume and clothes. As Nico's family life spins out of control (her mother is abusing prescription pills and alcohol, her father is escaping into the book he is writing), Nico struggles to find her place in grief and in the new life that has appeared. This book was very sad, especially if you have a sister.But the things Nico was doing felt too old for a 13 year old and sometimes the scenes felt too overwrought or contrived. This book would probably be well received with an OLDER audience who can be introspective.”“Although the subject is depressing, Prose's language is so beautiful you hardly notice. I thought that she really got into the mind of a well articulated 13 year old girl. I loved her imagery and the idea of the staircase spirit is one that will not leave me anytime soon. This book was very good.”
eissme wrote this review Tuesday, March 10 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
