I worked at Starbucks for a couple of years in high school, and read this book one evening after a shift while waiting for a ride home. What a piece of overly-sentimental tripe! The plot was predictable, the characters one-dimensional, and the narrator was someone I'd hope never to meet in real life. The so-called "inspirational message" at the center of the novel was as canned and cliched as anything one would expect to find in a Lifetime Original Movie.

I haven't read anything else by Mitch Albom, so I can't pass judgement on the rest of his (apparently well-liked) work, but as to this one? If you enjoy watching the Hallmark Channel around Christmas, you might like this book. To anyone else, I'd recommend giving it a pass. ( )

Mitch Albom is an author who has a lot to live up to. After such great hits as TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE and THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVNE, I opened my copy of FOR ONE MORE DAY wondering if he'd be able to pull off another winner. The answer, wholeheartedly, is yes.

Albom pays tribute to mothers with the story of Charley "Chick" Benetto, who remembers clearly the words his father told him as a young boy: "You can be a mama's boy or a daddy's boy. But you can't be both."

For most of his life, Chick worked towards being a daddy's boy. Even when his father's love was elusive, it was the one thing he always strove to earn. It wasn't until later that Chick learned, as everyone does, that love not given freely can never be earned, no matter how hard we try.

When Chick's downward spiral leads to an attempted suicide, he's granted the one thing he's always wished for since his mother's death eight years previously--the chance to spend one more day with a mother who always loved him unconditionally, even when he didn't deserve it.

FOR ONE MORE DAY is the story of Chick, but even more so the story of his mother, Posey, a women who sacrificed more, and withstood more heartache, than her children ever knew. And as Chick realizes that he'd made the wrong decision, all those years ago, in becoming a daddy's boy, he's also given the chance to forgive himself, and, ultimately, become a better person.

This is an emotional and heartfelt read, every bit as good as Mr. Albom's previous releases. In recent articles I've read negative comments about the author being "too sentimental" in his writings; all I can say to that is that when sentimentality starts being a crime, we're all in trouble. ( )

A sentimental, very obvious story.

The characters are one dimensional; a self-involved, troubled main character, an unceasingly saintly mother who has passed away, and an absentee father who is unfailingly villainous.

From the first page, you know where this story is going. There are no surprises, development, or other attempt to involve depth in the book. If you want a straightforward, simple morality tale, this short book is just right for you. Other than a lightly touching fable, there isn't much to this tale. ( )

I loved this book! I have read it twice now and thinking about it makes me want to read it again! I think everyone who has lost someone should read this book. You will definately feel for the main character and you will also wish for one more day! ( )

For One More Day is a beautiful, haunting novel about the family we love and the chances we miss. It is the story of a mother and a son, and a relationship that lasts a lifetime and beyond. The novel explores the question: What would you do if you could spend one more day with a lost loved one?

Alright. I will admit For One More Day isn't the type of novel I would be likely to purchase for myself. This was one of my Christmas gifts in 2007. I decided to give it a fair chance, since one can always stop reading if the book isn't to his or her taste. Surprise! I was hooked from the first page, and after a chapter or two, putting it aside for sleep was difficult, not picking it up again was never an option... I HAD to find out what happened.

The novel is slim, but provides a mountain of food for thought. It brings one to a new appreciation of his or her own family members along with a reminder not to take anyone for granted. Unlike Charles "Chick" Benetto (the story's main character), we only get one life and one chance to appreciate those we love, though we may wish otherwise. I know I do.

The author brings out all the emotional impact and the turmoil that the main character feels, making the reader also feel as if he or she were that character or someone closely related. Recommended reading for those 18 and up who may be looking for something more than a quick and easy read. This book deserves thought and consideration of the issues it addresses.

This review has previously been published on Dragonviews ( )