In the aftermath of a school shooting, Oliver Loving remains in a persistent vegetative state. This is the story of his family, coping or falling apart in their own separate ways, and, 10 years down the line, of the events that led up to that point. From the First Impression, I was really looking forward to reading this, but sadly it didn't quite work for me, and I struggled through much of the book.
The writing is beautiful, but so incredibly wordy it almost acts as a barrier between you and the characters. Given that it's a story of silence, non-communication and isolation, in which all of the characters are writers or artists, this may well have been deliberate, but I found it so difficult to stay engaged with the story. The 'Oliver' chapters, addressed to you, added an unusual feel to the story, and I was grateful for the regular change of points of view.
I am glad I finished reading this. I felt the story picked up pace in the last 100 pages. Unfortunately, by that point I felt very distant from the characters, so it probably didn't have the emotional impact I'd have liked.
The writing is beautiful, but so incredibly wordy it almost acts as a barrier between you and the characters. Given that it's a story of silence, non-communication and isolation, in which all of the characters are writers or artists, this may well have been deliberate, but I found it so difficult to stay engaged with the story. The 'Oliver' chapters, addressed to you, added an unusual feel to the story, and I was grateful for the regular change of points of view.
I am glad I finished reading this. I felt the story picked up pace in the last 100 pages. Unfortunately, by that point I felt very distant from the characters, so it probably didn't have the emotional impact I'd have liked.