Sunday, March 8, 2015

RI Author Feature: Review of Every Sunday by Peter Pezzelli

Read for: RI Authors & Mount TBR
 
My Review: "In Providence, Rhode Island, everybody knows Nick Catini. Street smart, with a quick wit and a larger-than-life personality, Nick is the go-to guy, the owner of Catini's Hardware who's there to score friends tickets to the big game or fix his daughters' problems. Every Sunday, Nick presides over the family dinner, dishing out sauce and advice with equal abandon. It is a time for family, for grandchildren, for men watching football in the living room while the women gossip and plan in the kitchen. It is a time to remember what matters most in life. Sunday is the best day of the week, and nobody can imagine it without Nick.

But when Nick is suddenly gone, that is exactly what they have to do--go on without him. For his girls--Maria, Nina, and Gina--it means learning to stand on their own feet while arguing about whether or not their mother, Teresa, can date again. For Teresa, it means trying somehow to keep her family together, even as she wonders what it would be like to find love again. And for her carefree son, Johnny, it means making good on his father's last request, a secret with the power to heal Johnny's guarded heart, if it doesn't destroy his family in the process.

Now, as the first leaves of fall stick to the wet streets of New England, as the winter snow melts into the pastel hues of spring, and everything seems new and different, the Catinis will be tested and changed as never before. For what seems like an insurmountable loss just may be the beginning of the best part of their lives...

At once both funny and heartwarming, with one of the most unique, unforgettable narrators to come along in years, Every Sunday is a warm, winning novel rich in hope, wisdom and the surprising strength of second chances."



My Review: This is a little bit of an unusual viewpoint, the whole story is narrated by the deceased character Nick as he follows his family for some time after he has passed. I must admit at times it was a little creepy. I did find the dynamics of the family to be very familiar and comforting, I am not from a big family but this one still felt very homey. I also really enjoyed watching as Johnny grew and developed after shouldering the responsibilities of the family and business while trying to find his way in life. It has moments of comedy, sadness, warmth and love. It is really a well rounded story that keeps the pages turning with the full personalities of the characters.
  
 
My Rating: I enjoyed the family connections, and while I found some of the discoveries about Nick to be a little uncomfortable and nothing I could condone, they did lend to an interesting story. I give it a rating of Three Paws.

2 comments:

  1. The way this one is narrated reminds me of The Lovely Bones? Did you read that one?

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    Replies
    1. I have never read that one, I will have to check it out.

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