Danielle

I admit, I read this book because I knew an anime movie was being made of it by Studio Ghibli, so I anticipated the story would be beautiful. It was. It was magical, whimsical, and enchanting.

If you've ever loved a parent, or another human for that matter, try to read this book without feeling an overwhelming wave of selfishness and guilt.

How well do we really know someone? How much are we supposed to really know someone? Chances are not enough and more than we allow ourselves.

Please Look After Mom is not a page-turning thriller. It is an opportunity to be honest with ourselves and our fellow humans about the levels of compassion we are comfortable with.

Very moving story about family, creative oppression, and Seattle.

Honestly, the only reason I ended up with this book is because I was paying attention to the fascinatingly disturbing stories I'd read about Cat Marnell in the news a few years ago. The ones she talks about approximately 3/4 of the way through this book.

This book made me so mad, sad, empathetic and furious all the way through, and several times I wanted to just give up on it because I just absolutely could not relate and it irritated me.

But, she eventually become a a real human I could relate to and that's pretty much when a flip switched and I couldn't put this book down. For me this book is a) an acknowledgment that shame and suffering are universal, regardless of the coping mechanisms we choose to make those feelings go away, and b) a reminder to be kind to others as well as ourselves. We are more often than not our own worst enemies and could all probably afford to be more gracious with ourselves.

Entertaining and engaging, in a Lifetime movie sort of way. All the characters have terrible decision making skills. Although the pace clipped along and kept me mildly interested, I had a hard time believing that it's possible that every single one of the characters is as big a mess as they are.

Wish I could give it 2.5 stars. The description of the culture and scenery were magnificent and worth reading for that alone. The plot was meandering, anticlimactic, and barely believable.