"The Leftovers" Review

The Leftovers

by Tom Perrotta

5/10

My Synopsis:

What would happen if one day people just vanished from the earth?  Not all people, just some people.  There is no rhyme or reason to the taking – just random like a lottery.  What will happen to the people who are left behind?  They try to make sense of what has happened and go on with their lives.  Kevin is lucky.  His whole family was left in tact.  That is until his wife leaves him to join the Guilty Remnant, a newly formed cult-like group, and his son takes off to follow Holy Wayne, a modern day prophet.  He and his daughter Jill still have each other, unlike Nora who has lost her whole family.  How will life in the small town of Mapleton go on?

My Opinion:

The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta is an interesting idea.  I love the concept of a Rapture that isn’t THE Rapture.  But that’s about where the fondness ends for me.  Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t dislike the book.  I just didn’t particularly like it either.  It was just kind of – eh?  I was confused because I don’t often feel that way about a book.  For me it’s either a love or hate deal.  This time though, I read about the characters but wasn’t really interested in where the plot would take them.  I felt indifferent about the whole story.  The book read easily enough.  It was just lacking that spark.  Not much really happens.  No one really stands out.  It just kind of is what it is.  A book.  The whole thing was a bit lackluster for me.  I was expecting more I guess.  I don’t regret having read it like some of the books I have forced myself to get through.  The ending was nice.  It didn’t really leave me frustrated and wondering “What happens then?” like I often do, but that could have been because I really didn’t care what happened next.  I wasn’t expecting much by that point.  I have another book by Mr. Perrotta in my mile-high “To Read” pile and I don’t know whether to look forward to it or not.  That’s why I am scoring this one middle of the road.  Not good, not bad, just a book.  Feel free to give it a try, but as for me I was a wee bit disappointed. 5 out of 10.