The Little Things

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There is something delicious about secrets that you can wheedle out of people, or just uncover through snooping, because then you have influence over them. Really good secrets mean they will do quite a lot for you." My favorite chapter is on change: "Change happens slowly" is a myth. Andy points out that a lot of change -- true change -- actually happens instantaneously. It may take time to prepare to change or to decide to change, but the actual change itself happens fast. Another myth: "A person must want to change." Actually, often change comes to you whether or not you want it. The Little Things covers similar territory to books like Together and Home is Where the Heart Is, with themes of love, tenderness and kindness. Like those books, it also follows a family through an entire day, from sunrise to sunset, which makes this a lovely, calming read for bedtime. He shares the story of how much he hated participating in high school football practice and couldn’t understand why his father was steadfast that he couldn’t quit. Only many years later did Andy find out that his dad privately cried about what he was putting his son through. But his dad’s thinking was that if a person thinks he can quit something as simple as football, it will lead to a habit of quitting more important things.

Arranged in six broad sections – Little Things, Growing Up, People Around Us, Going Places, Love and Loss, and On Words – this anthology will appeal to readers both young and old with poems that are quirky, delightful, sad and reflective. This story is told from two points of view. Rachel the mother and Vivian her daughter. Occasionally there is a snippet from Rachel’s mother. As the book progresses, the character development is very good. This is due in part, I think, to the fact that we are exposed to the events of two timelines – past and present – in quite a lot of detail. We also see the book from the perspective of mother and daughter. They were complex characters with a lot of issues, but this is not to say these were likeable characters or easy to sympathise with. I struggled to connect with them in many ways. Vivian is selfish, depressed and rude, as teenagers sometimes are, but we soon discover this is not a “typical teenager attitude” issue – this is a girl who in many ways, mirrors the behaviour of her own mother, Rachel, and in turn the way Rachel treated her mother (Carol).

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Imagine as a mother, repeating that again and again whenever something strange happens around your child or when your child behaves in an unexpected manner. The suspense builds up gradually and the crimes and events are revealed gradually. Now I have finished the book I can say that I enjoyed it and can appreciate the build up of the story, but around half way I was getting a little bogged down with the book . The voices of the teenage Vivian and her mother do ring true. their relationship is fairly disjointed and you hear from both about this. Some chapters are set in the past and although you know that an event has taken place which preceded the move, it is not until later on that you know what actually happened. Vivian , especially comes to self realisation in the book. Extraordinary achievers do not compare themselves to other people. Instead, they compare themselves to their own potential."

Hell hath no fury like a teenage scorned...and there are some pretty devious ones here! It might be that my teenage years are already far away and a bit fuzzy, but I don't remember teens playing that kind of mind games with each other. I don't like teenagers or teens' stories but these ones made an unnerving read for sure. Where to even start!!! I finished this a couple of days ago but tried to get my head around the whole nightmare scenario. A great debut novel by Sarah Lawton So, what is it that kept me so intrigued you ask? Multiple layers of deceit. The mysterious reasons behind running away from London. The odd stranger that has taken sudden interest into both mother and daughter, Rachel and Vivian. The toxicity seeping through to the surface threatening to infect all around. It’s a slow burn of a story but one that is absolutely worth the cerebral investment. The narrative is really where this story is at its strongest – the feeling of a threatening shadow just creeping into the corners of your vision was palpable. What’s going to be revealed? This is a story that will have to be torn out of your hand to get your attention on something else!

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Did not dig this. Started listening to the audio book & it was just like listening to some chatty guy at the bar spewing his rando personal philosophy to anyone who will listen in a long-winded way...crossed with one of those pop psych books peddling ONE crucial concept as the key to it all. I absolutely loved this story, but I did not love the characters. I felt so bad for Rachel the mother, dealing with a teenage daughter that seems so unable to love or show love or empathy or anything. I really felt for her and could only imagine what that would do to a mother. You love your children more than anything in the world, but what about if that child is so not nice? I loved the first person narration as that really gets you inside a character's head and boy what a character this Vivian was: The book covers a wide range of thoughts, including chapters that will bring peace to your family, and some, when you harness what they teach, can make you a lot of money or turn your team into a winner. There's hardly an exception where I would not prefer to have a book in physical form rather than have the audio version. This is different. I want both the audio and physical book, the last to mark well and refer to.