Thursday, June 6, 2024
Review - Within Arm’s Reach
AUTHOR: Ann Napolitano
NARRATORS: Cassandra Campbell, Kimberly Farr, Marin Ireland, Gilli Messer, Ray Porter, and Brittany Pressley
RATING: ★★★
Summary (from Goodreads): No one in my mother’s family ever talks about anything that can be categorized as unpleasant or as having to do with emotions. . .
This spellbinding debut by bestselling author Ann Napolitano is a poignant reminder of how connected we are to those we love, even when we cannot find the words to say it. The unforgettable story of three generations of a large Irish Catholic family, Within Arms Reach is another rich and deeply satisfying novel from the author who captured the many dimensions of grief in Dear Edward and the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood in Hello Beautiful.
REVIEW: I’ll admit right from the start that I really struggled with this one. Normally, I love Ann Napolitano’s work, but this book is my least favorite. I had a hard time connecting with the characters because they were all very annoying, and I couldn’t find one with any redeeming qualities. But the worst part for me was the ending because it felt rushed, and it ended in kind of a cliffhanger. We never find out what happened to any of the characters and there’s no definite conclusion. No explanation. No epilogue. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Did any of the relationships survive? Did Gracie have a boy or girl? Did Katherine die? These were just some of the questions left bouncing around my brain after such an abrupt ending. I rarely give books three star ratings because I normally don’t finish a book I can’t get interested in after the first few chapters, but I love Ann Napolitano so I hung in there to the very end. If you love stories about dysfunctional families then you might enjoy this one, but I can’t in good conscience recommend it.
(DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this title from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.)
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Sorry to see this one didn't work for you. Somehow it's extra disappointing when it's from an author you usually love. The lack of satisfying conclusion would be a huge deal breaker for me.
ReplyDeleteThanks Tanya. I couldn't agree more. I was really looking forward to this one. Thank goodness her writing has improved since she published this story in 2004. Her last two books, Hello Beautiful and Dear Edward, were awesome! I hope you have a great weekend.
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