There were many reasons why I should have put down this book and many more why I had to continue reading; the "for reading votes" won out.
Most books that I read and enjoy jump right into the problem with little to no background noise to distract the reader. This book builds a foundation from the narrator's background including the life story of her father and the loss of her mother. We start off together mourning the loss of the here and now and then we venture into the loss experienced by a child in Greece. In a quick blink we are invited into a group therapy session that ends in a disturbing, petulant outburst of one group member. We are released from this confrontation with a phone call that is beyond, "Hey, just thinking about you" type of call.
The author is very clever with the background information; giving the reader just enough to pique interest without oversupplying details. It goes beyond a shopping list of description with just enough to tease the reader into submission. The reader wants to listen into the conversation with Zoe; we want to help solve the problem. The reader is more than an observer - the reader is a part of the group session.
Most books that I read and enjoy jump right into the problem with little to no background noise to distract the reader. This book builds a foundation from the narrator's background including the life story of her father and the loss of her mother. We start off together mourning the loss of the here and now and then we venture into the loss experienced by a child in Greece. In a quick blink we are invited into a group therapy session that ends in a disturbing, petulant outburst of one group member. We are released from this confrontation with a phone call that is beyond, "Hey, just thinking about you" type of call.
The author is very clever with the background information; giving the reader just enough to pique interest without oversupplying details. It goes beyond a shopping list of description with just enough to tease the reader into submission. The reader wants to listen into the conversation with Zoe; we want to help solve the problem. The reader is more than an observer - the reader is a part of the group session.