BOOK INFORMATION
Genre: Women's fiction, domestic life, coming of age
- Paperback: 312 pages
- Publisher: SparkPress (May 3, 2016)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1940716330
- ISBN-13: 978-1940716336
Synopsis: Melanie, a perfectionist mom who views the approaching end of parenting as a type of death, can't believe she has only one more year to live vicariously through her slacker senior son, Dane. Gorgeous mom Sarah has just begun to realize that her only daughter, Ashley, has been serving as a stand-in for her traveling husband, and the thought of her daughter leaving for college is cracking the carefully cultivated facade of her life. Will and his wife are fine as long as he follows the instructions on the family calendar and is sure to keep secret his whole other life with Lauren, the woman he turns to for fun (and who also happens to have a daughter in the senior class).
Told from the points of view of both the parents and the kids, The Goodbye Year explores high school peer pressure, what it's like for young people to face the unknown of life after high school, and how a transition that should be the beginning of a couple's second act together empty nesting is often actually the end.
Review: Wow! These five families are all such a mess--I felt SO sorry for all the kids, honestly. Not one of them had what I would consider a normal family life. There was the helicopter mom with the drinking problem, the dad who admitted to a lengthy affair with another man (after giving his wife genital herpes), the dad who was having an affair with another mom....the list of dysfunction just goes on and on.
Among all that, these kids were trying to navigate senior year and figure out what they want to do with the rest of their lives. College fairs, college applications, career choices, just being able to finish high school--the trials and tribulations are numerous.
I'm glad that my "Goodbye Year" before the empty nest wasn't like any of these, but theirs definitely make for interesting reading. This would make a great summer beach read if you don't get to it before then!
**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.**
Among all that, these kids were trying to navigate senior year and figure out what they want to do with the rest of their lives. College fairs, college applications, career choices, just being able to finish high school--the trials and tribulations are numerous.
I'm glad that my "Goodbye Year" before the empty nest wasn't like any of these, but theirs definitely make for interesting reading. This would make a great summer beach read if you don't get to it before then!
**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.**
Rating: Four stars
About the author
Kaira Rouda is a USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of contemporary women's fiction and modern romance novels that sparkle with humor and heart. Her previous award-winning and best-selling women’s fiction novels include Here, Home, Hope and In the Mirror. When she's not writing, she can be found walking the beach, practicing yoga, playing Pickleball, and enjoying as much time as possible with her family. Connect with her at www.kairarouda.com.
1 comment:
I'm glad you enjoyed The Goodbye Year - and that your own wasn't like these characters' year! Thank you for your review!
Post a Comment