DNF - Got 20 percent through before I decided that the story wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Life’s too short to read depressing mediocrity.

Audiobook

This is one of the top books I have read so far this year. This is a book told from the points of view of two sisters and their mom. Their father and husband has developed a brain tumor and is dying. Life kind of screeches to a halt for these three as the dads personality changes. They all deal with it in different ways and this is the story of how.
This kicked me in the gut honestly. It was heartbreaking and beautifully written. I was just in there with them 100%. This was such a terrific debut novel.

I was provided an advanced from the publishers which has not affected my review.

The telling of this story is through the thoughts of a mother and her two high school daughters as their husband/father goes through the last stages of a brain tumor. The setting is a small island on the New Jersey shore where the family runs a tourist rental business. I quickly came to the understanding that the author has a personal understanding of loss due to disease and the ability to communicate it in a real life way through her characters. Katie Runde's created her first novel with tenderness against the backdrop of a somnolent summer at the beach.

3.5 rounded up. As beach reads go, this one was better than average.

As I was reading, I felt it was kind of "meh".
I chose it and liked it because of the setting - EVERYTHING so familiar and fun to read. It felt a bit depressing, but the author changed my mind in the last chapter. Way to move it from a 3 to 4 star read hahahahha

It was good but NOT a summer "happy" read for sure.

Touching portrayal of a family at the shore as the dad dies of a brain tumor. Not sappy at all. I liked the relationship between the sisters and the mother as they all try to cope with this tragedy.

Had to DNF this one…. From page one, the characters whined and complained, making it hard to care about their stories. I wanted to enjoy a book about the shore (especially one I’ve grown up going to my whole life), but their negativity sank the whole ship for me! Would give negative 2 stars

So good. Grief n love n familiar nj places. Love the characters and the different perspectives. Nice ending. Truly enjoyed :-)

This book made me love living by the ocean even more. It takes place in Seaside, NJ and I loved all of the shore town references. This book was filled with inspiring messages on loss, grief, having to become an adult (at a normal pace and too early in life), and what a hometown or where you are from really means. It was interesting getting every characters perspectives. The story mentions poetry briefly, but I think it is riddled with poetry in its style of writing and the messages it presents. I can’t imagine living anywhere besides Manahawkin or LBI. I agree that where I am from no longer exists, it is ever changing and perhaps certain parts were fabricated with nostalgia in my memories. I can’t wait for more Jersey summers.