"The Almost Moon" Review

The Almost Moon

By Alice Sebold

 6/10

My Synopsis:

The Almost Moon is the story of a twenty-four hour chunk of time in the life of Helen Knightly.  She is the sole caregiver of her agoraphobic elderly mother and this has taken a huge toll on Helen.  The idea of mental illness being hereditary is presented in this fictional tale.  Remembering her childhood and struggling with her mother’s care, Helen teeters on the breaking point.  Her relationships are strained by her actions and her choices are not always grounded in consequence.  She longs for normalcy in a world that is beyond her control and as that world closes in, she wrestles with loving and hating herself.    

My Opinion:

I was expecting a lot from this book having read Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones and was hooked immediately when I read the first sentence.  Starting off at what for many stories would be the climax, The Almost Moon focuses on what comes after and internal reflection more than an action packed plot.  Helen is a well developed character with whom I had a varying relationship.  One minute I pitied her, the next minute I loathed her.  She has a love/hate relationship with herself as well as with her mother.  I had a love/hate relationship with this book.  There were points where I didn’t want to put it down waiting for what came next and there were points were I didn’t want to go one for fear of death from boredom.  It is a stark portrayal of mental illness and its different manifestations.  Ms. Sebold manages to build to another climax and I was all geared up for the end but was left disappointed.  The story lacked the closure I desire in a book.  It is a good cliffhanger if that’s what you like but I prefer reading an actual ending.  A big hook, a so-so story and a crappy ending – not my favorite by any means.  The Almost Moon was almost worth it but just didn’t quite work for me.  If you want to read something by this author, read The Lovely Bones.  6/10