Ms. Neffenegger made an invested reader out of me! I was unable to put this book down until the very end. Through her clean, un-flowery prose, she manages to convincingly convey the happiness and sorrow that comes from living, and loving… and loss. I cried and laughed simultaneously at some crucial points in the novel. I also felt dread and horror over something that happens to one of the main characters. Through my horror I am amazed at the author’s courage/guts – to take away something so v... (show more)

Ms. Neffenegger made an invested reader out of me! I was unable to put this book down until the very end. Through her clean, un-flowery prose, she manages to convincingly convey the happiness and sorrow that comes from living, and loving… and loss. I cried and laughed simultaneously at some crucial points in the novel. I also felt dread and horror over something that happens to one of the main characters. Through my horror I am amazed at the author’s courage/guts – to take away something so vital makes her an unflinchingly cruel but really terrific writer all at once.

I also loved that she expressed time in terms of a Möbius Strip. It’s a theory which in essence proposes a continuity of time that allows the future to affect the past just as much as the past impacts the future. I won’t get any more technical than that, but there is more to the concept. The author makes it easy to understand the leaps in this circular plot by starting off each new section with the dates and ages of her main characters, which immediately gives you a sense of what is happening. Kudos to her for that!

Now that I’ve finished reading, I’m excited about seeing the movie! I happen to think Rachel McAdams will make a wonderful Clare. (show less)