The Descendants
Ratings9
Average rating3.9
15
Ratings9
Average rating3.9
Narrated in a fearless voice full of bold hilarity and set against the lush, panoramic backdrop of Hawaii, The Descendants is a stunning debut novel about an unconventional family forced to come together and re-create its own legacy...A descendant of one of Hawaii's largest landowners, Matthew King finds his luck has changed. His two daughters - Scottie, a feisty ten-year-old, and Alex, a teenage recovering drug addict - are out of control; his thrill-seeking, high-maintenance wife, Joanie, lies in a coma after a boat-racing accident and will soon be taken off life support. Suddenly the King family must come to terms with this tragedy - and with the shameful sense of freedom that comes with it.As Matt gathers Joanie's friends and family to say their final goodbyes, a difficult situation is made worse by the discovery that one person hasn't been told - the man with whom Joanie has been having an affair. Forced to examine what he owes not only to the living but also to the dead, Matt takes to the road with his daughters to find his wife's lover on a memorable journey of painful revelations and unforeseen humour.
Reviews with the most likes.
Satisfying and reflective novel putting the inner thoughts of a father and husband dealing with his wife's comatose state and impending death, while trying to help his two daughters accept and battle with grief and loss. Secrets revealed about the less-than-perfect relationships bring more guilt and shame to the situation, but most of the issues are transformed into growth and acceptance.
I liked the way the author used dialogue to create authentic characters and situations. The father, Matt King, became very real to me simply through reading the thoughts he had about his wife, being a parent, dealing with his extended family, etc. I found myself smiling when Scottie, the youngest daughter, would make her awkward remarks and show herself to have so much more going on inside than what she shows to the outside world. All this done simply through Matt's thoughts and conversations with her.
I'd recommend this book to people interested in a beach read, but without lame romance plots or predictable thriller plots. I can see why the book was made into a movie because the setting and pacing of the book seems made for that format. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I want to now because I enjoyed the book.
I really should've read this before the movie...for the first 100 pages or so, I heard Clooney's voice in my head narrating this. I did eventually get over it, and even before that, it stopped distracting me.
This is a tragic tale of a man losing his comatose wife while realizing he'd lost her months (at least) before the accident that left her in that state. About him finally becoming the father he should be to two very messed up daughters (tho' one's far worse off than the other, and it's not the one he thought was worse).
It's a story told with warmth, sadness (not moroseness–thankfully), touches of humor, and humanity. I laughed, I got misty, I got warm fuzzies. Really, really great book.
