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The Bright Side Sanctuary for Animals
From the winner of the 2016 Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction comes a tender and funny debut novel, set over one emotionally charged weekend at an animal sanctuary in western Kansas, where maternal, romantic, and community bonds are tested in the wake of an estranged daughter’s homecoming.
The Bright Side Sanctuary for Animals is in trouble.
It’s late 2016 when Ariel discovers that her mother Mona’s animal sanctuary in Western Kansas has not only been the target of anti-Semitic hate crimes—but that it’s also for sale, due to hidden financial ruin. Ariel, living a new life in progressive Lawrence, and estranged from her mother for six long years, knows she has to return to her childhood home—especially since her own past may have played a role in the attack on the sanctuary. Ariel expects tension, maybe even fury, but she doesn’t anticipate that her first love, a ranch hand named Gideon, will still be working at the Bright Side.
Back in Lawrence, Ariel’s charming but hapless fiancé, Dex, grows paranoid about her sudden departure. After uncovering Mona’s address, he sets out to confront Ariel, but instead finds her grappling with the life she’s abandoned. Amid the reparations with her mother, it’s clear that Ariel is questioning the meaning of her life in Lawrence, and whether she belongs with Dex or with someone else, somewhere else.
Acclaimed writer Pam Houston says that “Mandelbaum is wise beyond her years and twice as talented,” and The Bright Side Sanctuary for Animals poignantly explores the unique love and tension between mothers and daughters, and humans and animals alike. Perceptive and funny, moving and eloquent, and ultimately buoyant, Mandelbaum offers a panoramic view of family and forgiveness, and of the meaning of home. Her debut reminds us that love provides refuge, and underscores our similarities as human beings, no matter how alone or far apart we may feel.
The Bright Side Sanctuary for Animals is in trouble.
It’s late 2016 when Ariel discovers that her mother Mona’s animal sanctuary in Western Kansas has not only been the target of anti-Semitic hate crimes—but that it’s also for sale, due to hidden financial ruin. Ariel, living a new life in progressive Lawrence, and estranged from her mother for six long years, knows she has to return to her childhood home—especially since her own past may have played a role in the attack on the sanctuary. Ariel expects tension, maybe even fury, but she doesn’t anticipate that her first love, a ranch hand named Gideon, will still be working at the Bright Side.
Back in Lawrence, Ariel’s charming but hapless fiancé, Dex, grows paranoid about her sudden departure. After uncovering Mona’s address, he sets out to confront Ariel, but instead finds her grappling with the life she’s abandoned. Amid the reparations with her mother, it’s clear that Ariel is questioning the meaning of her life in Lawrence, and whether she belongs with Dex or with someone else, somewhere else.
Acclaimed writer Pam Houston says that “Mandelbaum is wise beyond her years and twice as talented,” and The Bright Side Sanctuary for Animals poignantly explores the unique love and tension between mothers and daughters, and humans and animals alike. Perceptive and funny, moving and eloquent, and ultimately buoyant, Mandelbaum offers a panoramic view of family and forgiveness, and of the meaning of home. Her debut reminds us that love provides refuge, and underscores our similarities as human beings, no matter how alone or far apart we may feel.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published August 4, 2020
About the author
Becky Mandelbaum
8 books139 followersBecky Mandelbaum is the author of THE BRIGHT SIDE SANCTUARY FOR ANIMALS, forthcoming from Simon & Schuster on August 4, 2020. She is also the author of BAD KANSAS, which received the 2016 Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction. Originally from Kansas, she currently lives in Washington State.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 290 reviews
July 12, 2020
It took me about two pages to bond with Mona. She loves animals and hates Trump. She is my kinda gal. Mona runs the Brightside Animal Sanctuary in a small town in western Kansas. She’s recently been hit by a hate crime - the burning of her barn and graffiti on the walls of other buildings. She’s been estranged from her daughter, Ariel, for six years. But when Ariel learns of the hate crimes and that Mona has put the sanctuary up for sale, she returns home.
The book made me realize my east coast prejudices. You mean there are actually liberals in Kansas?
None of the characters are perfect. Both Mona and Ariel make dumb mistakes that hurt the other. They have no idea how to communicate with each other and neither can really forgive. The book made me feel incredibly sad for these two hurting and hurtful souls.
At times, the book drags. But Mandlebaum has an ability to paint a scene so I could easily see it with my mind’s eye. She reminds us of all that animals have to teach us, if we would only pay attention.
My thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance copy of this book.
The book made me realize my east coast prejudices. You mean there are actually liberals in Kansas?
None of the characters are perfect. Both Mona and Ariel make dumb mistakes that hurt the other. They have no idea how to communicate with each other and neither can really forgive. The book made me feel incredibly sad for these two hurting and hurtful souls.
At times, the book drags. But Mandlebaum has an ability to paint a scene so I could easily see it with my mind’s eye. She reminds us of all that animals have to teach us, if we would only pay attention.
My thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance copy of this book.
April 2, 2020
If you’re a Trump supporter, you’ll hate this book. I loved this book.
It is set after Trump is elected but before he takes office. Ariel left her small town in Kansas for the relatively big town of Lawrence, KS, to attend college. She left her mother with such a rift between them, they haven’t spoken for six years. But when Ariel hears that the animal sanctuary Mona has nurtured for years was the victim of a hate crime and was already up for sale, she decides to leave her fiancé behind for a bit and return home.
I loved how incredibly real all of the characters felt. Ariel's first love—a good, solid guy named Gideon who works at the sanctuary and his new love, Joy. Her mother Mona, her fiancé, Dex, and Dex’s uncouth friend, Buddy are all well-rounded.
The novel illustrates how animals can heal humans and politics can rift us. It’s a well-written story about the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, our pasts, and how the futures we imagined rarely go as planned.
Thanks so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES AUGUST 4, 2020.
It is set after Trump is elected but before he takes office. Ariel left her small town in Kansas for the relatively big town of Lawrence, KS, to attend college. She left her mother with such a rift between them, they haven’t spoken for six years. But when Ariel hears that the animal sanctuary Mona has nurtured for years was the victim of a hate crime and was already up for sale, she decides to leave her fiancé behind for a bit and return home.
I loved how incredibly real all of the characters felt. Ariel's first love—a good, solid guy named Gideon who works at the sanctuary and his new love, Joy. Her mother Mona, her fiancé, Dex, and Dex’s uncouth friend, Buddy are all well-rounded.
The novel illustrates how animals can heal humans and politics can rift us. It’s a well-written story about the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, our pasts, and how the futures we imagined rarely go as planned.
Thanks so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES AUGUST 4, 2020.
December 9, 2019
I can honestly say I've read this book more times than any other book I've ever read, and it still held my interest. Dogs! Love! Kansas! Many subconsciously generated references to cake, candy, and cookies! What more could you possibly want?
April 3, 2020
I can’t go wrong with a book about an animal sanctuary, can I? Apparently, I can. Ariel grew up on a farm sanctuary in Kansas. Her father left. She left, too, and has now returned after 6 years. I didn’t find any of the characters likable, and the book started out with talking about the 2016 election. I really try to avoid anything about “he-who-must-not-be-named,” so I wasn’t happy to have to read about his supporters when I’m supposed to be reading for pleasure. Thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 18, 2020
Becky Mandelbaum is the real deal. In 2016 she published a short story collection, Bad Kansas, which I read and loved. And so when I found this debut novel on Net Galley, I leapt at the chance to read and review it. Big thanks to Net Galley, and to Simon and Schuster. This book will be available to the public August 4, 2020.
Ariel and her mother, Mona have been estranged for six years. But when she finds a news item about her mother’s sanctuary having been torched, Ariel knows it’s time to go home, to see what has been lost and what can be saved.
The story is told from the third person omniscient, and we hear from three characters mostly. We start with Mona, whose stress levels have become nearly unbearable. She’s getting too old to do so much work, and she never has enough money. She has just one employee, working on site primarily for room and board. Perhaps this stress is part of what possesses her when she leaps in her truck in the dead of night to steal the neighbor’s Make America Great Again sign. She wrestles the great big thing into the bed of her pickup, and by now we can see that she is a tightly wound person whose impulse control is just a tiny fraction of what it should be.
Meanwhile, Ariel is concerned, not only about the fire, the sanctuary, and her mother, but also about her relationship. Her boyfriend, Dex—the third of the characters we hear from most-- proposes just as she has begun to fantasize about ending the relationship. As the story progresses, we can see that Ariel is the sort of person that runs from her problems, sometimes literally. She accepts the ring and then says she has to go home for the weekend, and no, he shouldn’t come with her. After all, she’ll be right back. Probably.
Mandelbaum does a brilliant job of building believable, nuanced characters and complicated relationships. Five percent of the way into my galley, my notes say, “This one is going to be a thinker.” And it is, in the best sense of the word. It isn’t a pretentious piece of writing by a long shot, and it isn’t full of florid descriptions or challenging vocabulary. Instead, we have characters that are dealing with thorny personal issues that have no obvious solutions. And my favorite aspect of it is the way the mother-daughter relationship, which is the heart of the novel, is framed. Mona has made a lot of mistakes in parenting Ariel, but she loves her daughter and is a good person. Ariel is still learning how to solve problems herself. There’s a trend in fiction writing right now to draw villainous mothers as the sources of protagonists’ problems. It’s close to becoming a cliché. Mandelbaum has steered clear of this canard and created something much deeper and more interesting. In fact, there are at least half a dozen stereotypes that she has dodged expertly. The fact that she has done this in her debut novel suggests that a great career is ahead of her.
I love the way she ends this story.
Don’t deprive yourself of this glorious novel. Highly recommended.
Ariel and her mother, Mona have been estranged for six years. But when she finds a news item about her mother’s sanctuary having been torched, Ariel knows it’s time to go home, to see what has been lost and what can be saved.
The story is told from the third person omniscient, and we hear from three characters mostly. We start with Mona, whose stress levels have become nearly unbearable. She’s getting too old to do so much work, and she never has enough money. She has just one employee, working on site primarily for room and board. Perhaps this stress is part of what possesses her when she leaps in her truck in the dead of night to steal the neighbor’s Make America Great Again sign. She wrestles the great big thing into the bed of her pickup, and by now we can see that she is a tightly wound person whose impulse control is just a tiny fraction of what it should be.
Meanwhile, Ariel is concerned, not only about the fire, the sanctuary, and her mother, but also about her relationship. Her boyfriend, Dex—the third of the characters we hear from most-- proposes just as she has begun to fantasize about ending the relationship. As the story progresses, we can see that Ariel is the sort of person that runs from her problems, sometimes literally. She accepts the ring and then says she has to go home for the weekend, and no, he shouldn’t come with her. After all, she’ll be right back. Probably.
Mandelbaum does a brilliant job of building believable, nuanced characters and complicated relationships. Five percent of the way into my galley, my notes say, “This one is going to be a thinker.” And it is, in the best sense of the word. It isn’t a pretentious piece of writing by a long shot, and it isn’t full of florid descriptions or challenging vocabulary. Instead, we have characters that are dealing with thorny personal issues that have no obvious solutions. And my favorite aspect of it is the way the mother-daughter relationship, which is the heart of the novel, is framed. Mona has made a lot of mistakes in parenting Ariel, but she loves her daughter and is a good person. Ariel is still learning how to solve problems herself. There’s a trend in fiction writing right now to draw villainous mothers as the sources of protagonists’ problems. It’s close to becoming a cliché. Mandelbaum has steered clear of this canard and created something much deeper and more interesting. In fact, there are at least half a dozen stereotypes that she has dodged expertly. The fact that she has done this in her debut novel suggests that a great career is ahead of her.
I love the way she ends this story.
Don’t deprive yourself of this glorious novel. Highly recommended.
March 25, 2020
I’m pretty much a sucker for animals. But absolutely will avoid novels where animals play such a heavy role. As you all know, animal deaths hit harder. You have to mentally be up for uncontrollable ugly crying on the couch over an animal that never existed. Yet it happens every damn time. So, you can see why I was apprehensive. Fortunately, still interested. Send request!
Upon approval, I knew exactly what I could expect. We’ve seen shows, heard firsthand stories, and know a few novels where a farm or sanctuary is on the chopping block. This story line isn’t new or original, but it does apply more modern views and beliefs into it. Overall, I liked the story enough. But the ending was infuriating and unnecessary. Took my 4-star rating down to a 3.
Beyond animals, The Bright Side Sanctuary for Animals has a few other story lines going on. There is a major disconnect between a few of our narrators. Mona (mom) and Ariel (daughter) are essentially estranged. After a pretty bad incident, Ariel returns home after disappearing with no contact for years and years. And all this does is muck up the works especially for Mona and Jake. Lastly, we have Ariel’s recent engagement to celebrate. All of these pieces with a little political jargon and you have a decent enough story. Minus that horse shit Mandelbaum called an end.
As far as characters go, I find the men to be the better in the bunch. Which is interesting
considering our main protagonists are female. The female characters kind of suck. Ariel especially, I found her hard to like and even more so as the story progressed. She was a selfish dick and that really didn’t change (in my opinion). Jake is unreasonably good and Dex while a goof is also a good dude.
Now let’s talk about that shit show of an ending. Everything I’ve discussed has been pretty average drama. There was nothing profound. Farm is in trouble. Engagement is rocky. Mom-Daughter relationship non-existent. Old lover returns. All story lines that should have some sort of wrap up. But Mandelbaum for some un-fucking-known reason decided she didn’t have to wrap up any story lines with anything definitive. No answers. I’m sorry but this story wasn’t good enough, deep enough, or profound enough to be left subjectively. This isn’t The Leftovers homie, people aren’t disappearing. There was absolutely NO reason for all of the loose ends to remain unresolved. This book is too simple and too overdone for you to leave readers with no answers. And if Mandelbaum went with this approach because she is thinking a sequel, then the Flannery O’Connor award went to her damn head.
Fortunately, my opinion matters very little in the grand scheme of things. But I am curious to see how others feel about this awful approach.
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for approving my request.
Upon approval, I knew exactly what I could expect. We’ve seen shows, heard firsthand stories, and know a few novels where a farm or sanctuary is on the chopping block. This story line isn’t new or original, but it does apply more modern views and beliefs into it. Overall, I liked the story enough. But the ending was infuriating and unnecessary. Took my 4-star rating down to a 3.
Beyond animals, The Bright Side Sanctuary for Animals has a few other story lines going on. There is a major disconnect between a few of our narrators. Mona (mom) and Ariel (daughter) are essentially estranged. After a pretty bad incident, Ariel returns home after disappearing with no contact for years and years. And all this does is muck up the works especially for Mona and Jake. Lastly, we have Ariel’s recent engagement to celebrate. All of these pieces with a little political jargon and you have a decent enough story. Minus that horse shit Mandelbaum called an end.
As far as characters go, I find the men to be the better in the bunch. Which is interesting
considering our main protagonists are female. The female characters kind of suck. Ariel especially, I found her hard to like and even more so as the story progressed. She was a selfish dick and that really didn’t change (in my opinion). Jake is unreasonably good and Dex while a goof is also a good dude.
Now let’s talk about that shit show of an ending. Everything I’ve discussed has been pretty average drama. There was nothing profound. Farm is in trouble. Engagement is rocky. Mom-Daughter relationship non-existent. Old lover returns. All story lines that should have some sort of wrap up. But Mandelbaum for some un-fucking-known reason decided she didn’t have to wrap up any story lines with anything definitive. No answers. I’m sorry but this story wasn’t good enough, deep enough, or profound enough to be left subjectively. This isn’t The Leftovers homie, people aren’t disappearing. There was absolutely NO reason for all of the loose ends to remain unresolved. This book is too simple and too overdone for you to leave readers with no answers. And if Mandelbaum went with this approach because she is thinking a sequel, then the Flannery O’Connor award went to her damn head.
Fortunately, my opinion matters very little in the grand scheme of things. But I am curious to see how others feel about this awful approach.
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for approving my request.
March 11, 2021
What actually happened here?
Familiar premise: "You can never go home again". A young woman decides to return home after a long, unexplained absence to help her mother with her struggling animal sanctuary. And once you know that, you pretty much know what happens in this book. And I'm not even exaggerating.
I'm reading, reading, problems are mounting, situations are coming to a head, and then boom! ... "Acknowledgements". Seriously?! What about the 100 strings that are left flapping in the wind? Literally NONE of them get addressed.
How is that even possible?
What happens to the sanctuary - does Mona keep it, or does she sell it and move to Florida? What happens with Gideon and Ariel - do they ever resolve any lingering feelings? What about all the hostile neighbors? What happens with Buddy? Dex? The cattle dog? Does the container get cleaned out? Do the missing dogs get found? There is SO much that ends up unresolved by the end of this book. It's as if I read a copy that had the last few chapters torn out!
I can't recommend this book in the same way I can't recommend an unbaked pie or a house in studs. It just doesn't feel finished.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster, Netgalley, and the author for the opportunity to read a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Familiar premise: "You can never go home again". A young woman decides to return home after a long, unexplained absence to help her mother with her struggling animal sanctuary. And once you know that, you pretty much know what happens in this book. And I'm not even exaggerating.
I'm reading, reading, problems are mounting, situations are coming to a head, and then boom! ... "Acknowledgements". Seriously?! What about the 100 strings that are left flapping in the wind? Literally NONE of them get addressed.
How is that even possible?
What happens to the sanctuary - does Mona keep it, or does she sell it and move to Florida? What happens with Gideon and Ariel - do they ever resolve any lingering feelings? What about all the hostile neighbors? What happens with Buddy? Dex? The cattle dog? Does the container get cleaned out? Do the missing dogs get found? There is SO much that ends up unresolved by the end of this book. It's as if I read a copy that had the last few chapters torn out!
I can't recommend this book in the same way I can't recommend an unbaked pie or a house in studs. It just doesn't feel finished.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster, Netgalley, and the author for the opportunity to read a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
April 27, 2020
What did I just read? I'll start by saying thank to you Simon and Schuster and Goodreads for a free arc copy of this book.
Two stars for the beautiful writing, very clear organization, easy to follow changing narratives, and stunning analogies. Aside from that, I have nothing else good to say. It's like instead of posting a Trump-hating meme on Facebook like everyone else, the author decided to write a whole novel to explore her home state and to virtue-signal as loud as she can that she doesn't like Trump. Not that it's anyone's business, but lest you judge the merit of my review on this fact--I don't like Trump either. Whether or not you like Trump, the weird and totally out of place Trump bashing reads like tantrum over being given the red sippy cup instead of blue. It's so random to the story, it doesn't fit.
The characters are well written, developed, wonderfully flawed, but also totally unlikeable or memorable. The story reads like when you have a particularly nice chit chat with a store sales associate that leaves you sincerely wishing them well but having no desire to know anything more about them or ever see them again.
The book just sort of stops. I really don't understand what the point of this book is, why was it written except that the author writes well? The writing itself, the words and the flow, is truly very beautiful, and I would give this author another chance if she wrote any more novels.
Two stars for the beautiful writing, very clear organization, easy to follow changing narratives, and stunning analogies. Aside from that, I have nothing else good to say. It's like instead of posting a Trump-hating meme on Facebook like everyone else, the author decided to write a whole novel to explore her home state and to virtue-signal as loud as she can that she doesn't like Trump. Not that it's anyone's business, but lest you judge the merit of my review on this fact--I don't like Trump either. Whether or not you like Trump, the weird and totally out of place Trump bashing reads like tantrum over being given the red sippy cup instead of blue. It's so random to the story, it doesn't fit.
The characters are well written, developed, wonderfully flawed, but also totally unlikeable or memorable. The story reads like when you have a particularly nice chit chat with a store sales associate that leaves you sincerely wishing them well but having no desire to know anything more about them or ever see them again.
The book just sort of stops. I really don't understand what the point of this book is, why was it written except that the author writes well? The writing itself, the words and the flow, is truly very beautiful, and I would give this author another chance if she wrote any more novels.
March 11, 2021
I wanted to love this book. Really love it. It could have been just half way good and I would have given it a good review, recommended it for Indie Next and showered it on Edelweiss with glowing remarks. How is this book getting such rave reviews? Especially from animal lovers? This sanctuary is anything but bright. Do not read this if you are an animal lover! The problem is the constant inaccurate stereotyping throughout the entire book.
July 21, 2022
Enjoyed this book about an animal sanctuary that was created out of love and passion but before you know it, things become unbalanced. Unbalanced with the original mission and caretaking and homing of animals to unbalanced with throwing oneself into a project and missing signs and life along the way. Throw in some political and anti-demotion into the story. Throw in family dysfunction - some people don’t know how to communicate too well in this story. There’s loss, anger, love, unforgiveness, people leaving, desperation trying to take care of the animals while so much is going against it - finances, taking in more desperate animals than what was originally planned. Mona, the mom and head of sanctuary has lost her way literally by throwing herself into taking care of these animals that she’s lost her herself. She’s lost the ability to see things, notice signs of family issues because she’s got tunnel vision. She’s also rather crass and sarcastic, thinking everyone in town pretty much is against her and her sanctuary.
Reading about the animals living and running through the house (yes the house!). It’s become an extension of the barn, the barn of which was now set on fire by a townsperson. The mess, the smells, the animals, the disarray all point to an animal hoarder in my opinion, yet this persons overwhelming idea of helping these animals has gone taken over her life, her finances, her home. It’s quite a sad situation.
Throw in other pieces of stories and it makes for quite an interesting read. I liked this book a lot, not sure still how I feel about the ending. Still worth 5 stars though!
Reading about the animals living and running through the house (yes the house!). It’s become an extension of the barn, the barn of which was now set on fire by a townsperson. The mess, the smells, the animals, the disarray all point to an animal hoarder in my opinion, yet this persons overwhelming idea of helping these animals has gone taken over her life, her finances, her home. It’s quite a sad situation.
Throw in other pieces of stories and it makes for quite an interesting read. I liked this book a lot, not sure still how I feel about the ending. Still worth 5 stars though!
January 14, 2020
I LOVED this book. I've been struggling to stay engrossed in a novel lately and this story had me completely absorbed from start to finish. The first few chapters help lay the political landscape -- things are tense. It shouldn't feel comfortable. Setting that scene allows us to better understand the characters and their respective actions, reactions, and interactions. I love Becky's sense of humor and her attention to detail. One sentence will make you laugh out loud and the next will have you reaching for a highlighter because she's so beautifully captured something you didn't even realize you were missing the words for. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.
Many thanks to Becky Mandelbaum for the advanced copy.
Many thanks to Becky Mandelbaum for the advanced copy.
August 8, 2020
I found the mother and daughter almost equally unlikable. The condition of the "sanctuary" was appalling with inadequate vet care because Mona couldn't afford it. No. Too many stereotypes, and anger issues that were left unresolved. I really don't see how this is getting such a good rating.
February 17, 2020
Thank you, NetGalley and Simon Schuster for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
The cover is what initially drew me to this book because it is so pretty by itself but when I read the title, I knew I would have to request this one. :) And I am going to say that this was a book that was 100% back and forth for me. At times, I thought it was going to be 5 stars and at other times, it was all the way down to two stars. In fact, until the last ten pages, it was going to be two stars for the win. Let me preface all of this by saying that I never 100% connected with one of the main characters, Ariel. I can completely understand where she was coming from and why she was the way she was but I never really liked her. I liked her mother, I liked her ex boyfriend and his new girlfriend(and even HER mother). I liked her new boyfriend/fiancé(actually, I liked him best)and occasionally his best friend(and that is saying a lot) but till the last ten pages, I did not like Ariel. Mona(the mother) was a woman with a dream to save animals...and when that dream had a chance to happen, she jumped at it. Unfortunately it affected just about every relationship she had even the one with herself in the end. She let that dream take over her entire life...and that is what the book is about. Recovering as best you can from such a huge thing. I loved reading about the animals and each one clearly had their own personality...Hippo/Bam Bam was my favorite as I am a pitbull Mom myself. What kept it from being 5 stars in the end was that I wish it had gone on just a tiny bit more. I want to know what happened AFTER the end. Maybe just ten more pages to explain how things ended up all the way around.
The cover is what initially drew me to this book because it is so pretty by itself but when I read the title, I knew I would have to request this one. :) And I am going to say that this was a book that was 100% back and forth for me. At times, I thought it was going to be 5 stars and at other times, it was all the way down to two stars. In fact, until the last ten pages, it was going to be two stars for the win. Let me preface all of this by saying that I never 100% connected with one of the main characters, Ariel. I can completely understand where she was coming from and why she was the way she was but I never really liked her. I liked her mother, I liked her ex boyfriend and his new girlfriend(and even HER mother). I liked her new boyfriend/fiancé(actually, I liked him best)and occasionally his best friend(and that is saying a lot) but till the last ten pages, I did not like Ariel. Mona(the mother) was a woman with a dream to save animals...and when that dream had a chance to happen, she jumped at it. Unfortunately it affected just about every relationship she had even the one with herself in the end. She let that dream take over her entire life...and that is what the book is about. Recovering as best you can from such a huge thing. I loved reading about the animals and each one clearly had their own personality...Hippo/Bam Bam was my favorite as I am a pitbull Mom myself. What kept it from being 5 stars in the end was that I wish it had gone on just a tiny bit more. I want to know what happened AFTER the end. Maybe just ten more pages to explain how things ended up all the way around.
March 1, 2020
This book. This book. I read this book while snuggled up in bed, first thing in the morning and last thing at night. I wrapped this book around me like a comforter. I loved it.
First of all, I am an animal person which is why I was drawn to this book but it isn’t just the dogs and cats and horses, it’s also the human animals that drew me in. Relationships are complicated and complex and awful and wonderful and that’s really what this book is about.
Ariel decides to return home after six years of having disappeared out of her old life. She didn’t know what to expect when she returned home but when her Mother, Mona, treated her like an unwanted intruder, well, that’s when this book really got interesting. When her boyfriend/fiance, Dex, follows her after snooping into her life, something he had never done before, things just get more confusing and complicated for Ariel and she is finally forced to figure out what she really wants and where she really wants to be.
Such a good storyline and characters whose emotions and thoughts were sometimes understandable and sometimes not but always interesting. This was a first novel by this author and I hope not her last.
I won this ARC in a First Reads giveaway. Thank you to Simon & Schuster and the author Becky Mandelbaum.
First of all, I am an animal person which is why I was drawn to this book but it isn’t just the dogs and cats and horses, it’s also the human animals that drew me in. Relationships are complicated and complex and awful and wonderful and that’s really what this book is about.
Ariel decides to return home after six years of having disappeared out of her old life. She didn’t know what to expect when she returned home but when her Mother, Mona, treated her like an unwanted intruder, well, that’s when this book really got interesting. When her boyfriend/fiance, Dex, follows her after snooping into her life, something he had never done before, things just get more confusing and complicated for Ariel and she is finally forced to figure out what she really wants and where she really wants to be.
Such a good storyline and characters whose emotions and thoughts were sometimes understandable and sometimes not but always interesting. This was a first novel by this author and I hope not her last.
I won this ARC in a First Reads giveaway. Thank you to Simon & Schuster and the author Becky Mandelbaum.
August 19, 2020
The Bright Side Sanctuary for Animals // by Becky Mandelbaum
"It was one thing to talk about forgiveness, but it was another to forgive with the body, with the bones and skin and blood. It was something the animals understood instinctively, that the deepest emotions could not be translated into language, for they existed in the body and not the mind."
The Bright Side Sanctuary for Animals is in trouble - not only is it up for sale but it was also victim to an anti-semitic attack orchestrated by Ariel's childhood friend Sydney. Ariel has not been back to the sanctuary since she ran away six years prior but after finding out that news, she feels drawn back to her childhood home. She knew coming home to her mom would be complicated. They have not even talked once in the whole time Ariel has been away and she knew that there would be some resentment on all fronts back on the farm where her high school crush still lived. Add a clumsy fiance into the mix and the tension may turn into more than she can handle.
It wasn't until I reread the description for this book that I remembered that the entire story played out over just a single weekend because there was enough feeling and excitement and tension to last us several weeks! If you are looking for a book with a grand adventure and a big climax at the end - then this is not the one for you. But if you are a fan of character-driven novels that explore the deeper meaning of feelings and focus on how the characters arrive at the choices they make, then this is just the one for you. It is hard to believe that this book is Mandelbaum's debut novel because the feelings she evokes are deeper than I have come to expect even from some more seasoned writers. Ariel and Mona took me on a rollercoaster ride of emotions with their complicated relationship while Dex, a character I expected to dislike from the start, turned into someone far more caring than it would seem at first glance (or even all throughout Ariel's point of view). Sometimes having more than one or two narrators can feel overwhelming but Mandelbaum did an excellent job switching between her characters at just the right moments. While the ending is rather open-ended with some unresolved issues, I rather like that in this case because it feels so full of possibility. I'm excited to see what else we will see from her in the future.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.
"It was one thing to talk about forgiveness, but it was another to forgive with the body, with the bones and skin and blood. It was something the animals understood instinctively, that the deepest emotions could not be translated into language, for they existed in the body and not the mind."
The Bright Side Sanctuary for Animals is in trouble - not only is it up for sale but it was also victim to an anti-semitic attack orchestrated by Ariel's childhood friend Sydney. Ariel has not been back to the sanctuary since she ran away six years prior but after finding out that news, she feels drawn back to her childhood home. She knew coming home to her mom would be complicated. They have not even talked once in the whole time Ariel has been away and she knew that there would be some resentment on all fronts back on the farm where her high school crush still lived. Add a clumsy fiance into the mix and the tension may turn into more than she can handle.
It wasn't until I reread the description for this book that I remembered that the entire story played out over just a single weekend because there was enough feeling and excitement and tension to last us several weeks! If you are looking for a book with a grand adventure and a big climax at the end - then this is not the one for you. But if you are a fan of character-driven novels that explore the deeper meaning of feelings and focus on how the characters arrive at the choices they make, then this is just the one for you. It is hard to believe that this book is Mandelbaum's debut novel because the feelings she evokes are deeper than I have come to expect even from some more seasoned writers. Ariel and Mona took me on a rollercoaster ride of emotions with their complicated relationship while Dex, a character I expected to dislike from the start, turned into someone far more caring than it would seem at first glance (or even all throughout Ariel's point of view). Sometimes having more than one or two narrators can feel overwhelming but Mandelbaum did an excellent job switching between her characters at just the right moments. While the ending is rather open-ended with some unresolved issues, I rather like that in this case because it feels so full of possibility. I'm excited to see what else we will see from her in the future.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 11, 2021
I want to start off by saying thank you to NetGalley for this Advanced Copy that I should have read ages and ages and ages ago...
Now, I guess I have to talk about my dislike of this book. This book did not have any point. No plot. The reason I liked the first 30% of this book is because I felt some sort of direction of where the plot was going to go... no. Everything I thought could've happened, came no where close to happening. The only plot points, if I can even call them that, are when Ariel comes back to the sanctuary, when the dogs get out, the end. For all the loose ends of this barely salvageable plot, I am disappointed. This could've been so much more than it was. But in reality we were left with nothing. The characters weren't enjoyable. The only reason I kept reading is because I wanted to see if there was actually going to be some sort of resolve. By 95%, I knew that it was a lost cause but there is no way I can justify myself DNFing an Arc at 95%... so I kept going until the story just ended.
This book was not satisfying. It could've been so much better than it was and for that, I am thoroughly disappointed.
Now, I guess I have to talk about my dislike of this book. This book did not have any point. No plot. The reason I liked the first 30% of this book is because I felt some sort of direction of where the plot was going to go... no. Everything I thought could've happened, came no where close to happening. The only plot points, if I can even call them that, are when Ariel comes back to the sanctuary, when the dogs get out, the end. For all the loose ends of this barely salvageable plot, I am disappointed. This could've been so much more than it was. But in reality we were left with nothing. The characters weren't enjoyable. The only reason I kept reading is because I wanted to see if there was actually going to be some sort of resolve. By 95%, I knew that it was a lost cause but there is no way I can justify myself DNFing an Arc at 95%... so I kept going until the story just ended.
This book was not satisfying. It could've been so much better than it was and for that, I am thoroughly disappointed.
April 2, 2020
The writing in this book is adequate, but flawed - in places it lapses into cuteness, and tries way to hard to be more than it ever manages to be. The main characters - mother and daughter - are unlikeable, selfish, and not fully developed. There is a heavy-handed thread of politics which serves only to highlight the author’s feelings about the current political climate and adds nothing to the story or to a deeper understanding of the characters or their motivations. Disappointing at best.
August 1, 2020
2.5 stars ✨
August 13, 2021
Thank you, Becky Mandelbaum, for writing this book. While I found the pacing tedious---I was surprised it took 319 pages to cover what happened in two days and three nights---the ending made it worthwhile. No, not all the themes get resolved in this story. But neither do they in real life. For me, what happened was that mother and daughter, the two most difficult personalities in the book, finally opened their hearts to love and accept each other, and to accept an unknown future. What a beautiful ending.
While politics initially were disturbing to me by the author's heavy-handed handling, ultimately she convinced me why she did this: she resolved that theme in an insightful, big-hearted way.
I look forward to reading more of this author's works. Please keep writing!
While politics initially were disturbing to me by the author's heavy-handed handling, ultimately she convinced me why she did this: she resolved that theme in an insightful, big-hearted way.
I look forward to reading more of this author's works. Please keep writing!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2020
The Bright Side Sanctuary for Animals by Becky Mandelbaum is a big emotional journey. I loved the idea of the sanctuary and hoped for both Mona the mother who ran it and her daughter who ran away from it.
I could understand both of them. Mona had a bad childhood and realized that she could get unconditional love from animals. She could relate to them with love and patience and could never harm any animal. But the job of taking care of the dogs, cats , horses and other animals was too much for one person. The sanctuary getting by on meager donations, little help and she or anyone could not do what she did without losing time for herself, time and comfort her daughter, A labor of love was becoming a monster.
Her daughter, Ariel, remembered the early days before her father left the family and was in pain because her mother was there for her less and less. Ariel wanted a mother and her father and friends at school. Ariel felt that her mother did not love her as much as the animals. She felt abandoned. Yet Ariel loved animals too.
The above is one part of the complex story, there is much more, humor, violence, sorrow, forgiveness. This book meant so much to me. I am an animal lover too and a long time ago I to turn down a gift of love of dog I would have loved dearly but I knew that I we had move after our retirement and I would not be able afford care for it. When I turned the offer of a very large and beautiful puppy, my heart broke because the woman who wanted to give me the puppy was exactly like Mona, she loved dogs more than people and would never understand. I love both animals and humans like Ariel.
I received an Advanced copy of this book from the Publisher as a win from FirstReads but that in no way made a difference in my thoughts or feelings in this review.
I could understand both of them. Mona had a bad childhood and realized that she could get unconditional love from animals. She could relate to them with love and patience and could never harm any animal. But the job of taking care of the dogs, cats , horses and other animals was too much for one person. The sanctuary getting by on meager donations, little help and she or anyone could not do what she did without losing time for herself, time and comfort her daughter, A labor of love was becoming a monster.
Her daughter, Ariel, remembered the early days before her father left the family and was in pain because her mother was there for her less and less. Ariel wanted a mother and her father and friends at school. Ariel felt that her mother did not love her as much as the animals. She felt abandoned. Yet Ariel loved animals too.
The above is one part of the complex story, there is much more, humor, violence, sorrow, forgiveness. This book meant so much to me. I am an animal lover too and a long time ago I to turn down a gift of love of dog I would have loved dearly but I knew that I we had move after our retirement and I would not be able afford care for it. When I turned the offer of a very large and beautiful puppy, my heart broke because the woman who wanted to give me the puppy was exactly like Mona, she loved dogs more than people and would never understand. I love both animals and humans like Ariel.
I received an Advanced copy of this book from the Publisher as a win from FirstReads but that in no way made a difference in my thoughts or feelings in this review.
September 6, 2020
From first sentence: "It was midnight in Kansas, and the bigots was were awake" (so powerful! Surely it take someday own rightful place among such prominent phrase as “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” or “The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.”) till the last:
“So why did we just do that?”
“Because” Mona said. “We resisting.”
“You mean stealing?”
“I said resisting, and that's what I meant.”
which was actually not final, but last which I can stand.
The plot of these 5 pages that I could endure, consisted in "story" how drumpf-hating, animal-loving, illegal-migrant sheltering, jew feminist, steals "MAGA" flag at night from previously mentioned "bigots", but waits till they transform in other, sleeping condition, which was very clever of her, because I remember recent simular story, that end not so good for brave womnx:
While carry through, this Normandia-like flag capture, (a little bit delayed due to the fact that the flag was larger than it seemed to her from afar, and a strong, independent woman is forced to call a man for help) Mona fall to reminiscences how badly she was treated by her neighbors, which even dared to thought that she did't use comb and defecate on lawn among her dogs (obviously due to pure antisemitism and in no way because of her behavior) and abandoned by husband and daughter. Why is the world so opposed to this stunning woman? A riddle, which I not to dare solve.
September 19, 2023
I picked up this book because I wanted to read about an animal sanctuary. I love animals. They take me away from the insanity of humans. Also, I read to escape and one big reason I wish to escape is due to the horrors of the 2016 election and all the political insanity. Did I mention I am (unfortunately) stuck living in Missouri? What I didn't need to read were pages filled with bad language, descriptions of hate badgering, more bad language, bar brawls and stupid people. Missouri has enough of this without reading about it.
The writing was very juvenile, a style I would expect to see in a creative writing 101 class. The plot was thin and the pages filled with repetitive, provocative political descriptions that didn't add to the narrative and so many actions of the characters made no sense.
The writing was very juvenile, a style I would expect to see in a creative writing 101 class. The plot was thin and the pages filled with repetitive, provocative political descriptions that didn't add to the narrative and so many actions of the characters made no sense.
July 1, 2020
Ok, how can I not love a book about a pet rescue? How is that possible?
The main reason is that the two main characters were not likable. At least for me. The secondary characters were great, though. I would probably like to have read stories about them.
The secondary reason, how are animals not the main part of the story? These were such a small part of the book. And when mentioned, they were being mis-treated by the main characters or were living in filthy conditions, because the main character couldn’t keep up with the necessary cleaning and care, or they were dying. This was really frustrating to me and overshadowed the entire rest of the story.
Definitely not my favorite and if there was a second book (I don’t think there is), I would not read it.
The main reason is that the two main characters were not likable. At least for me. The secondary characters were great, though. I would probably like to have read stories about them.
The secondary reason, how are animals not the main part of the story? These were such a small part of the book. And when mentioned, they were being mis-treated by the main characters or were living in filthy conditions, because the main character couldn’t keep up with the necessary cleaning and care, or they were dying. This was really frustrating to me and overshadowed the entire rest of the story.
Definitely not my favorite and if there was a second book (I don’t think there is), I would not read it.
December 19, 2019
I had the privilege of reading this book recently, and I'm recommending it to all of my friends. The author has an amazing ability to capture many different kinds of love--for humans, animals, and the land--and her prose is the best kind of funny, warm, and insightful. I was fully invested in these characters and couldn't stop reading. I would follow this writer anywhere!
August 18, 2020
Rating: 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars
This is Becky Mandelbaum’s first full-length novel. The author is from Kansas, and her knowledge of the book’s setting was refreshingly authentic. Fair warning for those who are not interested in encountering politics in their leisure reading, this book contains political discussion and views from the 2016 election. It did not bother me, but I think that it might not be some reader’s cup of tea.
This story about reclaiming an estranged mother-daughter relationship hit the right note on many levels. The book moved along via the viewpoints of three different characters; Ariel, Mona and Dex. First, there is Ariel. She is returning to rural Kansas after her Mom’s animal sanctuary was vandalized. She and her Mom, Mona have been estranged for six years. Ariel left Lawrence, Kansas right after accepting a marriage proposal from her boyfriend, Dex. She was entertaining thoughts of breaking up with Dex before his proposal. She accepted his proposal anyway, and then skipped town to go out to the sanctuary. To complicate matters further, Ariel is surprised to find that her first great love is still working at the sanctuary.
The main thrust of the book is about healing relationships, and finding the wherewithal to be true to yourself in an authentic way. The writing is superb. While there were many characters and viewpoints, the story moved along in a way that was easy to follow. I was not a fan of the ending. Some reviewers loved it, but for me I was left a bit disgruntled.
I would recommend this to readers who like Literary Fiction, and those who are interested in seeing how a caring mother-daughter duo empathically resolves long-standing issues. This is an intelligent book that I am glad that I got a chance to read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Publisher via NetGalley. These are my honest thoughts.
This is Becky Mandelbaum’s first full-length novel. The author is from Kansas, and her knowledge of the book’s setting was refreshingly authentic. Fair warning for those who are not interested in encountering politics in their leisure reading, this book contains political discussion and views from the 2016 election. It did not bother me, but I think that it might not be some reader’s cup of tea.
This story about reclaiming an estranged mother-daughter relationship hit the right note on many levels. The book moved along via the viewpoints of three different characters; Ariel, Mona and Dex. First, there is Ariel. She is returning to rural Kansas after her Mom’s animal sanctuary was vandalized. She and her Mom, Mona have been estranged for six years. Ariel left Lawrence, Kansas right after accepting a marriage proposal from her boyfriend, Dex. She was entertaining thoughts of breaking up with Dex before his proposal. She accepted his proposal anyway, and then skipped town to go out to the sanctuary. To complicate matters further, Ariel is surprised to find that her first great love is still working at the sanctuary.
The main thrust of the book is about healing relationships, and finding the wherewithal to be true to yourself in an authentic way. The writing is superb. While there were many characters and viewpoints, the story moved along in a way that was easy to follow. I was not a fan of the ending. Some reviewers loved it, but for me I was left a bit disgruntled.
I would recommend this to readers who like Literary Fiction, and those who are interested in seeing how a caring mother-daughter duo empathically resolves long-standing issues. This is an intelligent book that I am glad that I got a chance to read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Publisher via NetGalley. These are my honest thoughts.
January 6, 2024
I had high hopes that this would be mostly about the animal sanctuary and the mom and daughter dynamics, but it was mainly about the daughter Ariel being a self-absorbed bratty mcbratpants. Seriously, there's one point where she says she's tired of herself, and I cannot agree more.
No growth as a character, just ugliness all around. Boo Ariel.
Mona, the mom, I'm more interested in.
She reminds me of people I've known in the country who are animal hoarders. They THINK they're rescuing animals, but really, they are just hoarding living creatures. Fleas, bed bugs, stink, filth, animals who haven't been properly cared for, animals who are suffering and need to be put to rest. It's actually a mental illness, and Mona is definitely suffering from it.
This book was a massive disappointment.
No growth as a character, just ugliness all around. Boo Ariel.
Mona, the mom, I'm more interested in.
She reminds me of people I've known in the country who are animal hoarders. They THINK they're rescuing animals, but really, they are just hoarding living creatures. Fleas, bed bugs, stink, filth, animals who haven't been properly cared for, animals who are suffering and need to be put to rest. It's actually a mental illness, and Mona is definitely suffering from it.
This book was a massive disappointment.
September 5, 2022
** Thank you, NetGalley and Simon Schuster, for providing me with an Advance Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. **
Such a sweet story of love for animals, family, hurt, and forgiveness! I was drawn into Mona and Ariel’s story so deeply that I was moved to tears a couple of times. It’s a feel-good story, one that is ideal to put into the reading pile between darker books – a refreshing palate-cleanser, if you will.
I highlighted a number of lovely passages that I would love to quote, but since I read an ARC I can’t do that yet. (I should mark the publication date on my calendar, then amend my review to include the quotes.) What I marked were both well-made points and beautiful prose, and I look forward to sharing them at some point in the future.
There were two things I didn’t like very much. 1) The beginning of the book seems to be a political rant; I read to escape, not hear the same things that come out of the television and radio. Yes, the election was certainly a plot point but the ranting seemed a bit excessive, even to the point of seeming like someone else had written it – there was that much difference from the first couple of chapters to the rest of the book. 2) There were several rather gross references to nasal secretions that I found totally unnecessary. The references didn’t add anything to the plot or to character development, and just came across to me (I’m in my late 50s) as juvenile.
Overall, The Bright Side Sanctuary for Animals was a very enjoyable read for me.
Such a sweet story of love for animals, family, hurt, and forgiveness! I was drawn into Mona and Ariel’s story so deeply that I was moved to tears a couple of times. It’s a feel-good story, one that is ideal to put into the reading pile between darker books – a refreshing palate-cleanser, if you will.
I highlighted a number of lovely passages that I would love to quote, but since I read an ARC I can’t do that yet. (I should mark the publication date on my calendar, then amend my review to include the quotes.) What I marked were both well-made points and beautiful prose, and I look forward to sharing them at some point in the future.
There were two things I didn’t like very much. 1) The beginning of the book seems to be a political rant; I read to escape, not hear the same things that come out of the television and radio. Yes, the election was certainly a plot point but the ranting seemed a bit excessive, even to the point of seeming like someone else had written it – there was that much difference from the first couple of chapters to the rest of the book. 2) There were several rather gross references to nasal secretions that I found totally unnecessary. The references didn’t add anything to the plot or to character development, and just came across to me (I’m in my late 50s) as juvenile.
Overall, The Bright Side Sanctuary for Animals was a very enjoyable read for me.
August 1, 2022
4 Stars.
Thank you to #netgalley #beckymandelbaum and #simonandschuster for the complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this book and it actually spoke to me on a lot of levels. I grew up an only child with a single mom who loved(s) animals. To the point where I too questioned if my mother loved the animals more than I and the older I got, I loved animals but also resented them a little. Just as Ariel escaped to college and a different life- I did the same. The only big difference is Ariel goes back.
This book is about people and complex relationships. It starts off showing some very liberal viewpoints and hatred towards Trump (I'm super liberal and absolutely hate Trump) but later in the novel, it digs a little deeper into some of those beliefs. My big problem is that it didn't dive deep enough.
The book looks at the parent/child relationship, the husband/wife relationship, fiancé/fiancee relationship, Ex-boyfriend/Ex-girlfriend relationship, but really only skims the surface. I would have liked her to dig deeper and provide more context into why each person was there and why they were so passionate about animals.
Overall I felt like it was a good book. I read it quickly, but i really left me wanting more. I'm excited to see what the next book by Becky Mandelbaum brings.
Thank you to #netgalley #beckymandelbaum and #simonandschuster for the complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this book and it actually spoke to me on a lot of levels. I grew up an only child with a single mom who loved(s) animals. To the point where I too questioned if my mother loved the animals more than I and the older I got, I loved animals but also resented them a little. Just as Ariel escaped to college and a different life- I did the same. The only big difference is Ariel goes back.
This book is about people and complex relationships. It starts off showing some very liberal viewpoints and hatred towards Trump (I'm super liberal and absolutely hate Trump) but later in the novel, it digs a little deeper into some of those beliefs. My big problem is that it didn't dive deep enough.
The book looks at the parent/child relationship, the husband/wife relationship, fiancé/fiancee relationship, Ex-boyfriend/Ex-girlfriend relationship, but really only skims the surface. I would have liked her to dig deeper and provide more context into why each person was there and why they were so passionate about animals.
Overall I felt like it was a good book. I read it quickly, but i really left me wanting more. I'm excited to see what the next book by Becky Mandelbaum brings.
September 28, 2020
4.5/5
I picked this book up because I’m a supporter of animals sanctuaries, but I fell in love with it because of the beautiful story of family, friendship, and navigating life as an outsider in your own home.
This book was wonderfully written, and I especially appreciate the way non-human animals are spoken about. It isn’t often that a book treats them with such respect and thoughtfulness.
Plus, being from KC made reading about Kansas even that more interesting.
I picked this book up because I’m a supporter of animals sanctuaries, but I fell in love with it because of the beautiful story of family, friendship, and navigating life as an outsider in your own home.
This book was wonderfully written, and I especially appreciate the way non-human animals are spoken about. It isn’t often that a book treats them with such respect and thoughtfulness.
Plus, being from KC made reading about Kansas even that more interesting.
September 22, 2020
**I received this ARC copy from Simon and Schuster as a Goodreads giveaway winner and am offering my honest review**
To start - this would actually be a 3.5 for me but Goodreads doesn’t do half stars so here we are.
That being said - this book was lovely. It was warm and sentimental and sort of felt like a Hallmark movie in book form in the best way. The characters were well written, human and flawed, which I really enjoyed. I like characters that are real, that feel like someone you could know.
The book is narrated between Ariel, Mona and Dex but honestly it’s mainly about the relationship between Ariel and Mona and how they find their way back to one another. I did like Dex’s side of things because it shows how love can hurt and how maybe sometimes the situation you’re in might not be the best one for you. Also - Hippo! However. I, like Ariel, couldn’t stand Buddy. Just could not stand the character. He was gross and obnoxious which I suppose was the point? But still not my favorite.
I appreciated how the author handled the situation with Gideon. I think that it took the turns it was supposed to and it made sense and it was refreshing.
Also - probably not the best choice for Trump supporters as Mona is decidedly anti-Trump and there are most definitely anti-Trump sentiments throughout the book. It does not bother me because I am decidedly anti-Trump but it will likely rub some readers the wrong way.
All in all, this was a lovely, quick read. I enjoyed the story and the characters and I rather liked the ending and how it was vague and open ended (but I’m a weirdo and don’t need a happy ending with the loose ends all tied up to enjoy something). I needed a good light read after a series of serious books and this hit the spot.
To start - this would actually be a 3.5 for me but Goodreads doesn’t do half stars so here we are.
That being said - this book was lovely. It was warm and sentimental and sort of felt like a Hallmark movie in book form in the best way. The characters were well written, human and flawed, which I really enjoyed. I like characters that are real, that feel like someone you could know.
The book is narrated between Ariel, Mona and Dex but honestly it’s mainly about the relationship between Ariel and Mona and how they find their way back to one another. I did like Dex’s side of things because it shows how love can hurt and how maybe sometimes the situation you’re in might not be the best one for you. Also - Hippo! However. I, like Ariel, couldn’t stand Buddy. Just could not stand the character. He was gross and obnoxious which I suppose was the point? But still not my favorite.
I appreciated how the author handled the situation with Gideon. I think that it took the turns it was supposed to and it made sense and it was refreshing.
Also - probably not the best choice for Trump supporters as Mona is decidedly anti-Trump and there are most definitely anti-Trump sentiments throughout the book. It does not bother me because I am decidedly anti-Trump but it will likely rub some readers the wrong way.
All in all, this was a lovely, quick read. I enjoyed the story and the characters and I rather liked the ending and how it was vague and open ended (but I’m a weirdo and don’t need a happy ending with the loose ends all tied up to enjoy something). I needed a good light read after a series of serious books and this hit the spot.
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