Roisin Meaney

I got such a kick out of this one. Meaney has a play in this one with you also delving into the life of the characters who come to perform in an amateur production. I really enjoyed everyone we read about and would have happily read a second book starring everyone. However, Meaney gives you a general idea of how things are going to go with everyone once the curtains fall.

Six people come out to audition for an amateur play called, "Death by Dying". Think Agatha Christie.

The director of the show more play, Edward Bull (everyone mentions he looks like Tommy Lee Jones) is throwing himself into directing in order to distract himself over the disintegration of his marriage. He wonders if he can forgive his wife, but finds himself thinking about someone else. I liked Edward. He is a bit of a prig when the book starts off and stays that way through the end. But he grows on you, at least he did on me. He is trying to take care of his uncle and definitely knows what is what with directing.

The other characters are sisters, Ellen and Maria. Ellen is still dealing with the heartache of losing her childhood sweetheart. Maria is dealing with being in a loveless marriage and her son's autism. I didn't really like Ellen. There is a whole side-plot dealing with her and a potential medical issue that didn't make me more interested in her. Maria I felt really bad about. She's caught between a rock and a hard place and wants to leave her marriage, but feels trapped since her young son needs his routines or he will lash out.

Robert is a hairdresser still working alongside his ex-wife Caroline. They share custody of their twin boys, but now Caroline is seeking to make a big change that is going to impact Robert. I don't know. I didn't care that much for Robert. You find out he and Caroline split because he cheated. He seems oblivious about how much he had to hurt her. His two kids are pretty cute though.

Harry is a librarian and dealing with a secret he has kept hidden about himself. He still has hope his mother who is suffering from Alzheimer's can come back to herself. I felt badly for Harry. We get a scene with him trying to take his mother out for her birthday over the objections of his absent siblings. You can feel how much pain and loneliness he is dealing with.

Theo has a son and daughter she adores. Only issue is that her current fiance's daughter that she wishes would go away. Can't lie, didn't like Theo at all for this whole story-line. She was acting obtuse and kind of jerky.

Judith has a lot of regrets. Her ex-husband abandoned her long ago to deal with raising their son alone. He hasn't turned out that great. When he returns from Greece with a girlfriend, her life is tipped upside down.

I enjoyed reading the play/characters dialogue so much. I thought it was such a smart idea to mix that in there with us getting to read along with the rehearsals.

The book flow was great. You go from character to character quite easily. Meaney does a good job of setting up the chapter headings that helps with showing how much time has passed as well.

The ending was really good. Not everyone got a great happy ending, but what does occur made sense to me. show less

I really enjoyed Semi-Sweet, in fact I could barely put it down and was 15 minutes late to work because I didn't want to leave it at that particular spot. At first I wasn't enthused with the jumping around at first, but it soon didn't bother me at all--I felt like I was watching a soap opera, where they cut to each of the various characters right in the middle of a good scene-it compels you to continue reading.

I was really pleased that the author didn't take any easy outs with a few of her show more storylines, I was expecting from the beginning that she was going to put Hannah and Adam together in the end, which is an obvious but popular plot. I was surprised numerous times by the mini-plot twists. I had hoped that there would be some reconciliation between the two moms or between Hannah and Leah, but there wasn't-which I guess is fairly true-to-life.


*received a digital copy free through netGalley show less

Meaney has a wonderful gift. She manages to imbue a sad story about loss, dying and mourning with a vibrancy of life. Of love and family, Of life lived and life still to be lived. Of guilt, forgiveness and making reparations. Of making new bonds and renewing existing bonds. The story is told from the point of view of four women: Una (the daughter), Daphne (the wife), Mo (the mother) and Isobel (the mother-in-law). Over the course of one day – the anniversary of that fateful day in April show more – the stories of the four women is told, exposing to the reader their flaws, insecurities, guilt and remorse. I really liked how Meaney is able to present the same experiences from more than one perspective while keeping the imagery fresh and unique so that the reader doesn’t feel as though they are rehashing old ground. The themes are dense but Meaney is able to delve into them in a way that is easy and highly readable, without overwhelming this reader which I think has to do with the fantastic character development. I found it easy to relate to most of the characters and even developed a soft spot in my heart for Daphne’s mother-in-law Mo, who’s rough/severe exterior hides a warmth and goodness.

I tend to read dedications found in books. I have to say that this one has one of the best dedications I have read in a book for some time:

"This book is dedicated to random acts of kindness, and the excellent people who commit them"

Love that sentiment!

Overall, a surprisingly engaging read filled with wonderful characters and an uplifting read given the themes that run through it. show less

Audrey Matthews, 37, teaches an evening class for adults in “life drawing” – i.e., drawing the human body with the help of a live, nude model. Although Carrickbawn in Ireland is a small town, the students enrolled don’t appear to know one another and haven't signed up with the intention of meeting anyone else. But by the last session, much has changed for the members of the group – even for Audrey, who, amusingly, is oblivious to the catalyzing effects of the class.

Discussion: This show more is such a lovely little story. At first, from the title and publisher’s plot summary, I feared it would just be a variation on the cooking school novels, in which disparate people come together for a class and then end up in various happy combinations as a result. But this book subverts that trope enough to add interest and gratification for jaded readers. Those taking the class already live lives which are quite intertwined, but they just aren’t aware of it. As the classes progress, they gradually discover the connections that were there all along. And not all of these linkages are positive, nor are all the endings happy. Some of the stories aren’t even wrapped up. Nevertheless, their resolutions seem right.

Evaluation: I liked all of the characters – even the ones who seemed unsympathetic at first. The unpleasant characters are working through pain, and we come to feel for them and their situations. The characters who are attractive are still realistic enough not to seem too saccharine. This is not just a simple beach read, although it goes quickly and enjoyably. I found it to be an entertaining way to pass the time. show less