THE MEMORY KEEPER'S DAUGHTERKim Edwards ~ BOiPod
Personal Rating: 3.25/5
Yearly Count: 55
I was really looking forward to this book, but it ended up not being what I expected. The beginning started out with a mysterious tone that made it very intriguing, but about halfway through it started to become dull and repetitious, then ultimately fell flat.
The plot definitely held promise ... a twin being whisked away at birth without the knowledge of the mother, along with secrets (lies) that always have a way of surfacing seemed to me like the makings of a good novel. However, a great plot doesn't necessarily ensure the best execution, which was the case in this book.
Too bad. This book is sitting on my shelf as it is on my TBR list. I have heard both good things and bad things about this book.
ReplyDeleteHmmm. I'm sorry to hear this. I'd been looking forward to this one for a while. Like Pamela, I've heard both good and bad about this one.
ReplyDeletePamela & Debi ~ I had only heard/read good things about this one prior to choosing it for the TBR Challenge. I was really looking forward to it too. I seem to have fallen into the middle of road, but hope you both find it more enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny, I've been holding back from reading this one, though it seems I was seeing it everywhere. Maybe I'll just keep avoiding it :) Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteI felt just the opposite about this book. I had heard good and bad as well. I think it's one of those stories that people generally fall on one side or the other of, with very little middle-of-the-road response.
ReplyDeleteI really liked it and found the story pulled me all the way through to the end. Although I'll admit there were a few parts where things got a little slow, ultimately I really enjoyed the story. I suppose it could have been executed differently, but I wouldn't necessarily say that different would have been better. If you haven't read it, I'd say "Don't give up on it until you've given it a try." You never know, you might be one of the people who lands on the "liked it" side of the road.
I read this one a few months ago and came away with the impression that it was very overrated. I grew bored with it long before I was done reading it but finished it anyway...I have no idea why. :-)
ReplyDeleteI agree with you--I came away feeling disappointed. Too bad, it did have a good start. Good review.
ReplyDeleteI actually enjoyed this one, much more than I expected to. I was thinking it was going to be something along the lines of a Jodi Picoult-type book, but found it much more complex than I had supposed. Low expectations definitely help sometimes!
ReplyDeleteGentle Reader ~ I saw it everywhere...all the time, too! If you get to it, I hope you fall on the "like it" side. :)
ReplyDeleteSmtwngrl ~ I definitely fall into the middle of the road for this one. I'm glad you were on the "like it" side. I certainly would have preferred that. :) Thankfully, there's enough books for everybody to find something they enjoy.
Sam ~ Do you quit books often? What makes you quit one book and not another?
ReplyDeleteLisa Jean ~ Ulitmately, I was disappointed, too. :(
Lesley ~ LOL, you are so right. Hype really changes one's perspective and hopes for a book choice. But isn't it great when you have high expectations and they are met and even go beyond?!? I LOVE that feeling. :)
I couldn't agree more. It started with such a promising beginning, and turned out to be quite ordinary.
ReplyDeleteJoy - I hadn't heard anything about this book when I picked it up, when recently I've seen a lot of praise for it, but didn't really see why. I thought it was good, but I was a little disappointed as well. I agree--a lot of potential that didn't get carried through.
ReplyDeleteTara ~ Another good descriptive word...ordinary. Is that an oxymoron statement? :)
ReplyDeleteTrish ~ I see that on both B&N and Amazon it received a 3.5/5 from a total of 635 raters.
It seems like everybody and their mother has read this book and for some reason I've stayed clear of it. I'm afraid after hearing all the hype, I'll be disappointed. Now with your review to ponder, I'm even more convinced it's not for me. Thanks, Joy!
ReplyDeleteInteresting... I keep picking this book up in shops and then putting it down because I haven't been entirely convinced that I'd like it. Seems you have confirmed my suspicions.
ReplyDelete"Sam ~ Do you quit books often? What makes you quit one book and not another? "
ReplyDeleteI don't quit books very often but I've quit six of them already this year. I usually only give up when I can't see any possibility that I'm going to enjoy slogging my way through the rest of the thing. I've quit them at 50 pages and at 400 pages. At some point I just lose hope and find myself thinking about what I really want to be reading instead of the one that's boring me. It's all over at that point. :-)
Les ~ I think the path you're on is probably the best one. :)
ReplyDeleteKimbofo ~ I thought it sounded great, but it just misses the mark. It's still a decent read though. :)
Sam ~ Oh wow! I can't believe you invested in 400 pages, then quit! I've always had a very difficult giving up on a book, however, I am learning to do that. This year I have "reshelved" 5 books with full intentions of picking them back up again someday. I just wasn't in the mood for them at the time. Actually, one of them I doubt I'll read...too chunky! :)