BookHounds

For three these three women, getting older mean contemplating you life and figuring out what you are missing and whether or not it needs to be obtained. This type of midlife crisis story has been well documented in women's fiction, but here the words make all of the difference in how that story is conveyed. The story centers around:Andrea - single and with a teenage daughter, sister of Marissa. She wonders why love passed her by and even though she is barely getting by, she knows she should be thankful for what she has. She is the one I rooted for the most.Marissa - married with a gay teenage son and a terminally ill daughter. She wonders why God is punishing her with such a hard life which she approaches with much grace and fortitude. I connected with her struggles the most. Marissa's son Shane is a breathe of fresh air and shows that his mother is trying to raise him right.Holly - Andrea's best friend with the *perfect* life of a wealthy husband and three kids but now wants *more*. The least likable character since she seems to ignore her family in pursuit of pleasure and Marissa and Andrea are a bit jealous of her. She decides she want to be an erotic author and uses this as an excuse to have extramarital affairs. These three characters and their stories overlap through interactions with each other and their children in a typical fashion with catty remarks that are actually the truth about what is bothering them in their own lives. In her own unique way, Hopkins cuts right to truth about what makes these women tick. Their heartache is poured out on to each page in a very honest fashion. These are very believable characters and their actions credible since you can easily imagine them involved in the PTA at your children's school. For some reason, I didn't expect Hopkins novel for adults to be written in verse, it just didn't occur to me that she would write her first adult novel in this form. I am so glad she did since this style of writing is truly one of my favorite. I am amazed by authors who can pull this off since the craft seems much more difficult than traditional story forms. Every word needs to count and in this story every word counts double. I found myself quickly reading this one and then savoring certain passages. I truly enjoyed the recap poems at each chapter. This is a much needed breathe of fresh air to women's fiction. If you want to try other verse books, check out Lisa Schroeder and Sarah Tregay.