Release Date: August 27/2013
Adquired: Print ARC provided by publisher
Goodreads: ADD
Purchase: Amazon
In the year since her husband died, Laura Klein's world has shifted on its axis. It's not just that she's raising two children alone--fact is, Laura always did the parenting for both of them. But now her fifteen-year-old daughter, Darcy, is dating a boy with a fast car and faster hands, and thirteen-year-old Troy's attitude has plummeted along with his voice. Just when she's resigning herself to a life of worry and selfless support, her charismatic new tenant offers what Laura least expects: a second chance.
Darcy isn't surprised her mom doesn't understand her, though she never imagined her suddenly acting like a love-struck teen herself. With Troy starting to show signs of their father's bipolar disorder, and her best friend increasingly secretive, Darcy turns to her new boyfriend, Nick, for support. Yet Nick has a troubled side of his own, forcing Darcy toward life-altering choices.
Exploring the effects of grief on both mother and daughter, Equilibrium is a thoughtful, resolutely uplifting novel about finding the balance between holding on and letting go, between knowing when to mourn and when to hope, and between the love we seek and the love we choose to give.
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The ultimate betrayal. A family thrown into turmoil after a selfish choice, the result of a lifelong sickness. I've read books about loss, but not many about characters that chose to leave their families, that chose suicide as the solution to end their pain. I feel like Equilibrium was a poignant look into the aftermath of such a loss, a family at the edges of grief, even after a year. However, I feel like the book lacked some character-building, so as a result, I couldn't sympathize with their pain as much as I might have.Equilibrium was told from 2 points of view, Laura, the widowed mother, and her 15-year-old promiscuous daughter, Darcy. Along with Laura's 13-year-old son, Troy, the 3 remaining family members of Jack Klein are still feeling his loss in a huge way, even 12 months later. Laura is conflicted with the exhaustion she felt from dealing with Jack's bipolar disorder, and the empty spot her husband left behind in her heart. Add to the mix her constant fear of her children developing their father's sickness, and Laura is close to the breaking point. Help comes in the form of a new tenant, Adian, the man who rents out her late husband's studio apartment, the one Jack used to tirelessly write his novels in. An unlikely connection spurs between Aidan and the Klein family, one that begins to heal each member from the inside out.
I tried to grasp an early connection to one of the main characters in Equilibrium, but failed to do so without some force. The story line was touching, and tragic, but I was more motivated to read on mostly due to small moments of excitement, rather than the feel of the book, as a whole. I was drawn to Darcy, and her endless need to push the limits. She was reckless in way that made sense, considering her loss-her pain more clearly etched into her actions. With Laura, and Troy, I felt like their outbursts were planned, predictable, and without thought to what it was actually related to. The author's thoughts seemed scattered-the writing, and tenses, were confusing at times.
Aside from that though, the story line moved in a direction that made sense. The characters were likable enough for you to make an investment in their stories, and the ending was one that would satisfy the "happy ending" aficionados. If you're looking for a quick read, but one that has a slightly deeper effect on the senses, Equilibrium is definitely one you should check out.
Recommended for Fans of: Contemporary Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction.
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I grew up as an only child in the city of Boston and dreamed of living with a big family in an antique white New Englander, on a quiet street with neighbors who stopped for chats at the stonewall. I also dreamed of writing novels for a living. Let’s just say, if I’d known the power of visualization, I would’ve thrown in a mountain view. I’m working on it.
When my youngest child was three, I decided to pursue the writing dream for real, and got down to the hard work of putting words to paper. Three novels, and a mere ten years later, I got “the call” from my wonderful agent, telling me we had an offer for my debut novel and making my author dream come true.
I now live in New Hampshire with my husband and our three children. When I’m not reading, writing, or hunting for collectibles, they let me tag along for camping adventures, day-long paddles, and hikes up 4,000-footers, so I can get a taste of that coveted mountain view.
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Thank-you to Trish from TLC Book Tours for hosting this tour, and to Kensington Books for sending me a print ARC to review!
What a difficult subject to explore! I like the idea of people healing after something so tragic...so often people just stay broken for years and years and years.
ReplyDeleteThank you for being on this tour.