Summary:
Claudia, single mother of two young children, pines for her past independent life. Her ex, after all, has moved on to a new wardrobe, a new penchant for lattes--and worst of all, new adult friends. But in Claudia's house she's still finding bananas in the sock drawer and cigarettes taped to wrestling figures. Then Claudia receives the unexpected news that her mother has died.Shared through the hilarious, honest, and often poignant perspective of a single mother, Roost is the story of a woman learning about motherhood while grieving the loss of her own mother. And as she begins to mend, she's also learning that she might be able to accept her home--as it is.
Release Date:
April 1, 2013
Age Group:
Adult
Source: Review copy from author
Reviewed By: Kelli
Review:
Roost is a subtly written, yet emotional, character-driven story. Claudia is a single mother of two kids, working hard to create a life for herself after her divorce. Roost's main conflict is the unexpected death of Claudia's mother. Claudia navigates her grief while remaining strong for her kids, as well as her father, who does not cope well after his wife's death.
I liked that Roost is a character-driven story. I empathized with Claudia's struggle and the way she keeps on going, as mothers do, for her kids. I liked that Claudia is an every-woman kind of character; which made her very easy to relate to. I also liked the ending, which provided closure but was realistically open.
What I didn't love about Roost is that the minutiae of daily life with kids was spelled out to the smallest detail. Since I'm a stay-at-home-mom, I already know all about life with small children and didn't need the detail. However, if I were a mother to older children, I probably would have appreciated the finer points of Claudia's day-to-day existence. The other thing I didn't love about Roost was that it had an air of quiet desperation about it. I can't really say that it was a truly uplifting story; however it was hopeful in the end.
Overall, I did enjoy Roost and would recommend it to fans of women's fiction and contemporary fiction. I liked Bryan's writing style and would read her work again.
Roost is a subtly written, yet emotional, character-driven story. Claudia is a single mother of two kids, working hard to create a life for herself after her divorce. Roost's main conflict is the unexpected death of Claudia's mother. Claudia navigates her grief while remaining strong for her kids, as well as her father, who does not cope well after his wife's death.
I liked that Roost is a character-driven story. I empathized with Claudia's struggle and the way she keeps on going, as mothers do, for her kids. I liked that Claudia is an every-woman kind of character; which made her very easy to relate to. I also liked the ending, which provided closure but was realistically open.
What I didn't love about Roost is that the minutiae of daily life with kids was spelled out to the smallest detail. Since I'm a stay-at-home-mom, I already know all about life with small children and didn't need the detail. However, if I were a mother to older children, I probably would have appreciated the finer points of Claudia's day-to-day existence. The other thing I didn't love about Roost was that it had an air of quiet desperation about it. I can't really say that it was a truly uplifting story; however it was hopeful in the end.
Overall, I did enjoy Roost and would recommend it to fans of women's fiction and contemporary fiction. I liked Bryan's writing style and would read her work again.
Great honest review. I like the cover. Not sure it's for me either.
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