The Almost Moon - Alice Sebold

After reading other, less favourable reviews on this book, I beg to differ. In fact, after reading these reviews, I was almost put off opening this book; I am so glad that I did read it. The hook that pulls you into the book, 'After all is said and done, killing my mother came easily' cannot be faulted; it leaves you desperate to find out what happens next. The Author -------------- Alice Sebold is the author of the spectacular bestseller novel, 'The Lovely Bones'. She lives in California. Plot ----- The narrator, Helen, is a middle-aged woman who, as an only child, has struggled with her relationship with ...  Read the complete review

The opening paragraph is bound to pull anyone in to this book - "When all is said and done, killing my mother came easily." I certainly was no exception, and after reading the "Lovely Bones" and "Lucky" by the same author, I was looking forward to another excellent read. This is the story of Helen Knightly, a fifty something mother who decides to kill her own eighty-eight year old mother. The reasons by behind it at the beginning of the book seems to be that Helen had an unloved and almost brutal childhood in the hands of her mother and has finally had enough of her mother's nasty ways. All is to be revealed about why she ...  Read the complete review

First and foremost, my biggest problem with Alice Sebolds "The Almost Moon", was that I couldnt relate to the books *heroine* at all. I found her to be selfish, self indulgent, arrogant, and utterly focused upon her own gratification. Im not sure this is what the author was aiming for, and I am sure other readers would disagree with me, but I found all of her actions utterly disgusting, poorly thought through, and motivated solely by the heroines own selfish needs/wants. "The Almost Moon" begins with whats meant to be a shocking first sentance. "When all is said and done, killing my mother came ...  Read the complete review

I was given this book for Christmas having previously read both The Lovely Bones (charming, witty, sympathetic and gripping) and Lucky (graphic, hard to read and shocking but not a good read) so I really did not know what to expect from this book. From the opening line "When all is said and done, killing my mother came easily" you are plunged straight into a story. The lead character Helen kills her mother in chapter one. Not to ruin the plot - you literally are told this from the start. Ok - now why would a fifty something woman kill her 88 year old mother - Clair? Well the first suggestion that you are given is that the ...  Read the complete review

Alice Sebold is an author I know very little about and I acquired this book - The Almost Moon - in a very unexpected way as it was my Secret Santa present at my work's Christmas meal. Somebody obviously knew that I liked reading and I have to admit it makes a change from the crazy ideas or sexy undies that I normally seem to receive. It looked as though it was going to be quite an absorbing book too especially as the blurb on the back cover promised much! It starts off by saying that: 'Helen Knightly has spent a lifetime trying to win the love of a mother who had none to spare'. This made it sound just like my sort of read and I fully ...  Read the complete review