Helpful Score: 2
This was a very enjoyable, unpredictable read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It centers around Matt King, a married father of two, who must deal with a life altering event - his wife Joanie is in a coma after a boating accident. Matt has been told by the doctors that once taken off life support his wife will not survive. Now Matt must break the news to his tween daughter Scottie and his rebellious teenager Alex. When Matt discovers that his wife was having an affair he begins an odyssey along with his two daughters to find the man and break the news to him about Joanie's impending death. Along the way Matt must come to terms with the state of his marriage, his wife's affair, his two daughters and their problems. He must also decide whether to sell his familys' massive land (amassed over generations) or whether to forge a totally separate path for himself and future generations.
Helpful Score: 1
This book started off slow for the first 3rd of the book, then came to life. You can get vested in the main character Matt King. You root for him, altho sometimes you would just like to shake him and make him take control. Has a movie made from the novel playing currently.Worth the read. 3 1/2 stars
Helpful Score: 1
I did not enjoy this boook at all. I thought there would be more about the history of Hawaii through one family's ancestors, etc. But it was just about a guy who found out when his wife was dying that she had been cheating on him & manipulating the family inheritance; plus he had problems controlling his two daughters. I would not recommend this book.
Helpful Score: 1
Review first published on my blog: http://memoriesfrombooks.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-descendants.html
The Descendants is the story of Matt King and his family. His wife, Jonie, is in a coma following a boating accidents. His daughters, ten year old Scottie and seventeen year old Alex, face the struggles of life and of their mother's illness. Matt is thrust into the role of being an active father without his wife to rely on. The situation is made worse by his discovery that his wife was having an affair. Added into the mix is his struggle over property he inherited through the lineage of Hawaiian royalty.
The book covers the span of only a few days. Matt is attempting to gather family and friends to say their final goodbyes to Joanie. He decides that this group of people needs to include his wife's lover. He takes his daughters on a journey to find him. The journey becomes one of self-discovery and of reconnection with his daughters and his heritage.
I really liked this book because the characters elicited an emotional connection and reaction. I felt sorry for Matt, who is trying to do the best he can in a really bad situation. I wanted to protect and shelter Alex and Scottie as they struggled through. Joanie is in a coma; yet I wanted to ask her why. Even the other characters like Alex's friend Sid and Joanie's lover had interesting stories.
The tone of the book also came across as honest and real. I am not sure many people would go looking for their dying wife's lover, but regardless the book came across as real. Perhaps because people in extreme circumstances sometimes make extreme choices. The characters were believable as was the story itself. Maybe I should see the movie. Wonder if it would ruin the book for me or improve on it?
The Descendants is the story of Matt King and his family. His wife, Jonie, is in a coma following a boating accidents. His daughters, ten year old Scottie and seventeen year old Alex, face the struggles of life and of their mother's illness. Matt is thrust into the role of being an active father without his wife to rely on. The situation is made worse by his discovery that his wife was having an affair. Added into the mix is his struggle over property he inherited through the lineage of Hawaiian royalty.
The book covers the span of only a few days. Matt is attempting to gather family and friends to say their final goodbyes to Joanie. He decides that this group of people needs to include his wife's lover. He takes his daughters on a journey to find him. The journey becomes one of self-discovery and of reconnection with his daughters and his heritage.
I really liked this book because the characters elicited an emotional connection and reaction. I felt sorry for Matt, who is trying to do the best he can in a really bad situation. I wanted to protect and shelter Alex and Scottie as they struggled through. Joanie is in a coma; yet I wanted to ask her why. Even the other characters like Alex's friend Sid and Joanie's lover had interesting stories.
The tone of the book also came across as honest and real. I am not sure many people would go looking for their dying wife's lover, but regardless the book came across as real. Perhaps because people in extreme circumstances sometimes make extreme choices. The characters were believable as was the story itself. Maybe I should see the movie. Wonder if it would ruin the book for me or improve on it?
I wasn't crazy about this book. I thought it was written well; I just didn't like the characters. I especially found the 10-year old daughter irritating. I admire the main character for wanting to do the right thing and allow his wife's lover to say goodbye to her on her deathbed, although I'm sure there was lots of morbid curiosity mixed in. As far as being young adult reading level, it seems like awfully mature subject matter for teens but then, I don't have children so maybe I'm as clueless as the main character.
This sounds like it would be a depressing book but somehow it is not. I fell in love with Matthew and his quiet way of trying to make everyone happy until he realized that he couldn't.
