Why is it when a man raises children alone he is heaped with praise, but when millions of women do it they are branded as “single mothers” which is not a compliment. As if all of them deliberately drove the fathers of their children away as it definitely conveys. Why aren’t they lauded and applauded for being the parent that stayed? Nine times out of ten when a man has to raise his children alone it’s because she has died, not because she has left. This makes him more sympathetic somehow, but we know that if she lived, she’d be doing the bulk of the raising. Drives me crazy.

But insofar as the book goes, so far I can’t help but despise everyone in it for their selfishness, backwardness and self-congratulation. It’s all so stultifyingly boring. Being a self-absorbed asshole isn’t interesting, neither does it take great talent or energy. I may call it quits soon and return it to the library. Borrowing was a good call.

OMG narrators - do some freaking research. Two of them persist in pronouncing Charon "Kay-ron". Uh no. Did one of them stop to wonder why the writer had a young boy crab that Charon was a girl's name and so not appropriate for a male turtle? Duh, it rhymes with Karen. Oy vey. This kind of thing drives me nuts.

The casual misogyny of father and son is pretty staggering. They are so fucking sure that they have every right to dominate and that they are naturally smarter, better and therefore superior is sickening. Nothing can alter their view of women as lower, lesser and deserving of subjugation and suppression. It's the natural order of things don't you know. The funniest thing is that they have NO IDEA how weak this makes them appear in reality. Women know it's fear and the smart ones avoid it. A naturally confident man doesn't fear women or worry about their accomplishments and position in the world. They accept and welcome any partnership, achievement or thought process from any quarter, no stupid gender pigeonholes. Oh the self-pity of today's average, middle-aged white man. Cry me a river boys.

Steph complains that she hasn't gotten far having a relationship with dad and siblings, but neither has she come clean about being their half-sister. Duh. When she finally does, only Abbey knows...I think. It was a bit unclear, but then Steph decides Ken and Adam are too horrible to be around and she decides against having a relationship with any of them except maybe Abbey. That seems to be a secret and then the book just ends. Eh. Glad I borrowed it.

Ken is truly gross. Good characterization, but I wish the writer had chosen another name for him, lol. ( )

Interesting story about a wealthy family who lives on the Cape. Dysfunctional from the start and an unknown addition to the family make for interesting reading. The father is bipolar and his manic episode was described very well. I enjoyed the characters eventhough most were all quite sad. ( )

Story of a Cape Cod based wealthy family, could literally be a beach read. Unfortunately I finished while closer to home. I didn't like where it started, and mostly grew to not like the characters (at least the men), but it all managed to come together... if not nicely, at least together. Oh, how I feel for the 'best' characters (Abby, Jenny & the twin girls) next chapters after election day, 2016...

The manic Adam can be read sympathetically, but Ken is a cardboard cutout of a (little, angry) manchild. ( )

Reason read: WC bookclub read, Nov/Dec 2023

This book was published June 2023. This is set in contemporary times; Hillary and Trump are running for president. The location is Cape Cod and it involves a very dysfunctional family and sibling relationships. The book looks at the impacts of mental illness and the death of parents on children. The book also covers some politics, environmental issues, and gender issues. I found it to be a book that keeps you engaged but I can't say I enjoyed it. I found it rather icky. I don't think it has any lasting impact but does speak to the current times politically and wokeness. The plot revolves around several family secrets. The main characters are the 70 y/o manic depressive father, his two children Abbey and Ken, Adam, and Steph. Of these characters there is little growth for any of them. ( )

The voices of each character are distinct. Brodeur did a great job wiih Adam's ramblings and manic delusions. Each character's inner struggles are believable and interesting. Despite the human drama, the descriptions of summer on the Cape are lovely and restfull. A well written page turner which will bring summer on the beach to life. ( )