Helpful Score: 4
I didn't realize this book would have an emphasis on religion, which felt very out of place in chick lit. Aside from that, the book was boring and all over the place. It was hard to get into the characters when you didn't learn their history until halfway through the book. Sometimes, there was too much detail; other times, there wasn't enough. I wonder if I should have read her first book?
Helpful Score: 3
The story to this book was not all that interesting. Too many characters who are all extremely depressing and their connections to the main character are weak at best. Disappointing.
Helpful Score: 3
I heard about this book on the today show, it was touted as one of the must reads of the summer. So I was looking forward to reading it and was lucky enough to get a copy of it from Hachette Book group. And the cover is just really cute. Unfortunately that is where the pleasantness ends on Secrets to happiness. The book was hard for me to get through if I am completely honest. I almost stopped reading but by that point I was half way through and so decided not to give up.
I am not sure how the book can be put into the chic lit genre as over all it is rather depressing. I can understand that it is a gritty look at Manhattan love. But when I read chic lit I expect it to be well more like a romantic comedy. Perhaps thats just me. The plot itself is boring; the characters are just flat on the page and not that likeable.
The most likeable thing about the book? The dogs. They are the saving grace over all. I could leave the rest of the book and not feel like I have missed anything. There truly are no secrets to be revealed in the Secrets to Happiness. This hits the skip it shelf on my list of books. And if you do feel like plugging through I wish you luck.
I am not sure how the book can be put into the chic lit genre as over all it is rather depressing. I can understand that it is a gritty look at Manhattan love. But when I read chic lit I expect it to be well more like a romantic comedy. Perhaps thats just me. The plot itself is boring; the characters are just flat on the page and not that likeable.
The most likeable thing about the book? The dogs. They are the saving grace over all. I could leave the rest of the book and not feel like I have missed anything. There truly are no secrets to be revealed in the Secrets to Happiness. This hits the skip it shelf on my list of books. And if you do feel like plugging through I wish you luck.
I agree with the other posters...this book seemed overall kind of depressing. Each character had some kind of bummer component to their life. Not what I was expecting. It was a bit of a relief when it was over.
This book was a total treat to read. Seriously, my husband had to leave the room, because I had to stop quite often in order to read him a passage. When something is that good, I have to share. I would compare this work to one of my all time favorites "Heartburn" by Nora Ephron, because like Heartburn, it had moments that just cracked me up and were completely impossible to not share. Also I totally could not put this book down! Sarah Dunn has an absolute powerful way of bringing her characters to life in a way that is almost beyond belief. They live and breathe and cause feelings of love and hate.
I enjoyed how the story centered on Holly Frick but also gave us smaller stories to enjoy along the way in the lives of those who were close to Holly. There were little lessons on lives in each and every one. Choices were made throughout this book, and many of them I didn't agree with and neither did Holly, but I am surrounded by that in my own life, and that is what made this story real.
In order to totally avoid spoilers, I am going to keep certain things out of this review and throw myself into a discussion group somewhere, because this is definitely a book you want to share.
Here is what I loved: Each and every character was REAL. Sometimes so real that you wanted to hit them. I loved how Holly had moments where she was faced with her friends failings and expected them to do the right thing. I loved how Holly herself had to make some decisions that were right even though they were painful.
Here is what I didn't like: I felt like Holly did and wanted people to behave in the way that was appropriate. Of course that is just not the way life is always going to be. You can only control yourself, and you have to let that be enough. So really I liked that too. That is what is good about this book. You are not going to like some of the decisions that are made, but it is true to life.
I enjoyed how the story centered on Holly Frick but also gave us smaller stories to enjoy along the way in the lives of those who were close to Holly. There were little lessons on lives in each and every one. Choices were made throughout this book, and many of them I didn't agree with and neither did Holly, but I am surrounded by that in my own life, and that is what made this story real.
In order to totally avoid spoilers, I am going to keep certain things out of this review and throw myself into a discussion group somewhere, because this is definitely a book you want to share.
Here is what I loved: Each and every character was REAL. Sometimes so real that you wanted to hit them. I loved how Holly had moments where she was faced with her friends failings and expected them to do the right thing. I loved how Holly herself had to make some decisions that were right even though they were painful.
Here is what I didn't like: I felt like Holly did and wanted people to behave in the way that was appropriate. Of course that is just not the way life is always going to be. You can only control yourself, and you have to let that be enough. So really I liked that too. That is what is good about this book. You are not going to like some of the decisions that are made, but it is true to life.
Age R: 17+/Rated-R
Release Date: March 25, 2009
Thoughts:
This is the story of a thirty something woman named Holly. She is not happy. Why? Well last year her now ex-husband, just up and left her. She couldn't even tie her shoes for a month after that. That was a year ago but she has still not gotten over it and she has not managed to find someone. She wants to find a guy that she can settle down and be happy with. She's not the only one feeling this way, in this unhappy way. There's also the apparently-always-looking-sad-to everyone Betsy, there's Holly's best friend Amanda, who is not that happy with her marriage and might be having an affair even if she also has a baby to think about, then there's Leo, Spencer, and many others. These New York folks just want to be happy. But it's SO hard!
Secrets to Happiness is not a story about the secrets of happiness, not really. You should know that straight off. There really isn't a secret to happiness. A bunch of people are unhappy and so they try to be happy even if it means doing crazy things. Sometimes, they don't do anything at all, they just stay unhappy, which of course keeps them unhappy. Basically the secret to happiness is there is no secret. You just have to try to be happy and hope for the best.
I liked this book, I really liked it. It started off pretty slow but it gradually got better and better. Some of the characters I didn't like because they were such a-holes. But hey, that's how they are which makes them more realistic since in real life you know there are people just like that. I LOVED how realistic this book was. Kudos to Sarah Dunn for that. Of course not only for that but also for making this book very entertaining. Some parts were seriously laugh out loud funny it's hard not to enjoy this book.
Recommended. :D
A Look Inside:
'Is it true that Native Americans get their names by the first thing their father sees after they're born?'
'That's one way it happens, yes'
'And your dad saw two feathers?'
'So he tells me.'
'That's cool' said Holly.
'I guess so.'
'I guess you're lucky he didn't see something like, I don't know, an answering machine. Or a plasma TV.'
'--'
'People are less willing to put up with unhappiness.'
'And yet, so many people are so unhappy.'
'And therein,' said Mark, 'lies the rub.'
-tvandbookaddict.blogspot.com
Release Date: March 25, 2009
Thoughts:
This is the story of a thirty something woman named Holly. She is not happy. Why? Well last year her now ex-husband, just up and left her. She couldn't even tie her shoes for a month after that. That was a year ago but she has still not gotten over it and she has not managed to find someone. She wants to find a guy that she can settle down and be happy with. She's not the only one feeling this way, in this unhappy way. There's also the apparently-always-looking-sad-to everyone Betsy, there's Holly's best friend Amanda, who is not that happy with her marriage and might be having an affair even if she also has a baby to think about, then there's Leo, Spencer, and many others. These New York folks just want to be happy. But it's SO hard!
Secrets to Happiness is not a story about the secrets of happiness, not really. You should know that straight off. There really isn't a secret to happiness. A bunch of people are unhappy and so they try to be happy even if it means doing crazy things. Sometimes, they don't do anything at all, they just stay unhappy, which of course keeps them unhappy. Basically the secret to happiness is there is no secret. You just have to try to be happy and hope for the best.
I liked this book, I really liked it. It started off pretty slow but it gradually got better and better. Some of the characters I didn't like because they were such a-holes. But hey, that's how they are which makes them more realistic since in real life you know there are people just like that. I LOVED how realistic this book was. Kudos to Sarah Dunn for that. Of course not only for that but also for making this book very entertaining. Some parts were seriously laugh out loud funny it's hard not to enjoy this book.
Recommended. :D
A Look Inside:
'Is it true that Native Americans get their names by the first thing their father sees after they're born?'
'That's one way it happens, yes'
'And your dad saw two feathers?'
'So he tells me.'
'That's cool' said Holly.
'I guess so.'
'I guess you're lucky he didn't see something like, I don't know, an answering machine. Or a plasma TV.'
'--'
'People are less willing to put up with unhappiness.'
'And yet, so many people are so unhappy.'
'And therein,' said Mark, 'lies the rub.'
-tvandbookaddict.blogspot.com
