“snoozefest”

3.2 out of 4 stars.

This is the longest piece of thread ever to be spooled. It just keeps going on and on and it is representative of this book’s story; never ending.

A novel about Abby and Red Whitshank’s family of six and their dynamics together as a unit. Similar to a Seinfeld episode this tale is that with no climax and no real reason behind the telling of it. It is just a snapshot into the day in the life of a Whitshank. There are some ups and there are some downs but absolutely zip to report home to.

Now it is not to say that I am not a fan of books that talk about family life. It is also not to say that I need action scenes rather than a good cast of characters to become interested but it is more so that this book had neither. Tyler made all the Whitnshak members so one dimensional that I never even got to know them enough to fall in love with them.

The book “This is Where I Leave You” by Jonathan Tropper is a perfect example of a family tiered novel that had a wonderful group of people featured and although it was mostly just them being in stuck in a house for a week the writing was still able to make me laugh and cry. I felt emotion even though it was solely based on character’s lives rather than dramatic events.

Every Sunday I read the New York Times’ Book Review section. This book “A Spool of Blue Thread” was featured in it as one of the top paperback reads of the week. I believe this is a clear point of how once an author gets critically acclaimed (Tyler won the Pulitzer Prize for “Breathing Lessons”) than they will receive a mass following that will purchase any of their work. I am a little different where I like to explore all different types of writers and mix it up. I feel the more I am diversified with my reading than the more opinions and points of views I can be exposed to. All in all, it is not good to judge a book by its cover or in this case an author by their past success!