I received this book from First to Read, using my points, based solely on the plot synopsis. Siblings coming together to kill their father. Well, planning to at any rate.
Review:
Stars: 4
Wow is one word to describe this book.
Set just 5 years from now (April 2022), Tell Me How This Ends Well tells the story of the Jacobson family, a jewish family living in an America that is slowly turning into a Nazi Germany-lite. They aren't being dragged off to camps but they are dealing with an increase in attacks against them from suicide bombers (yes, in the US) to have slurs written on their homes to discrimination in a number of ways. The family is gathering for Passover, the first time they've been together in a while as the youngest son of the Jacobson clan has being living Germany for a few years.
Told in 3 very long chapter (100 plus pages each), one slightly shorter chapter (about 50 pages), and one normal sized chapter (about 15 pages), we follow each of the Jacobson children, Moses, Edith, & the unfortunately named Jacob Jacobson (seriously, who does this?) and their mother, Roz as they each navigate a weekend that will ultimately change their lives.
The children have all gathered to not only be together in what may be the final days of their mother's life but to kill their father. Yes, they want to kill their overbearing unloving father. Reading some of the memories of life with their father and even seeing how he treats them now, it isn't too surprising they want to end his life. Each of the children has their own reason and their own doubts about what they want to do.
The Jacobson are not perfect people. They are flawed, each in their own ways mostly due to the treatment they received at the hands of their father and husband. He treated, or rather mistreated, them all differently. Did he deserve their wrath? Yeah, probably.
While I did enjoy this book, I think it would've benefited from being broken down a bit more. Within each section (each one following a different character though never in the first person) there are flashbacks as well as moments in the present and I feel it would've helped with the flow and understanding if these were split up into separate chapters.
Its frightening to imagine a world like the one depicted in the background this book, where a select group of people are terrorized but it seems like we are heading more and more down that road each day as people allow hate to rule them and they turn to violence to show their hatred. You see it in the news every day and while it may not be based on religion, racial violence seems to be taking over our country. In fate, as I was reading this book, a terror attack happened in London. Can we ever hope to live in a world were people don't want to kill? Doubtful but it would be nice.
Recommend to: anyone who likes dysfunctional families or who has one and maybe wants to see one that could be worse
This book will be released on April 4th and can be purchased here. Enjoy!
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