The Summer We Fell Apart

I couldn't put it down!

Once I got into this book I couldn't put it down. I wanted to find out about their lives past and present, to feel what they felt. Robin Antalek captured all that. I felt like I knew each member of the Haas family and couldn't wait to see what happened next. It gave me an insight to the struggles that I myself and my own family members have dealt with. It was written with such detail that I could smell and feel the surroundings. I felt like I was there watching the story unfold. It left me wanting more, I didn't want it to end! I hope there will be more about the Haas family soon! Well written and very enjoyable!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great First Novel

Antalek did an outstanding job with her first novel. I loved her characters and their struggles thorughout their lives. I especially enjoyed reading from the four siblings' perspectives. In this novel, Antalek takes us through the lives of four siblings who were basically left to raise themselves while their parents pursued their own interests. Despite the hardships that are faced throughout their lives, these children were able to overcome them and find meaning in life. Their journey is one that grabs the reader's interest and keeps it until the end. The book ends with an epilogue written in the voice of their mother, which nicely wraps up the story. Anyone who found Wall's The Glass Castle or Welch's The Kids Are All Right interesting would also enjoy this book.

I think this would be a great book for book clubs. I think a comparison of this book to the two prior mentioned books would make for excellent book club discussion.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Can't Put Down Read

I blazed through this book in one rainy afternoon. The writer has divided the book into 4 easy to read parts from each of the characters perspectives, and one part easily leads into the other as you follow each of the characters through struggling to find out who they are and how they feel about each other. The book captures a lot of the feelings and difficulties that sibligns feel as they grow up and grow apart and then try to come back together during trying and difficult times.

Great Summer Read

This book was so easy to get through, so real, and so enjoyable...Great first book for this author. I can not wait for this author to create another book...Loved it !!!

Loved This Book

I read this book in a couple of days. Really enjoyed how it was divided into each of the main character's perspectives.

The Summer We Fell Apart by Robin Antalek

Robin Antalek is a student of human nature. She portrays the characters in this story of disfunction and sibling relationships in a realistic loving way. The siblings' peersonalities unfold in an interesting way and invite the reader to love or hate the characters as they are put before us, flaws and all. There are moments that invite us to laugh, cry, and sympathize with the characters. We see ourselves in the passages. This is a good book that leaves the reader askin for more at its conclusion!

Great book

I enjoyed this book so much that I am writing my first review. I absolutely fell in love with the characters. I loved the passionate love story centered around George. I empathisized with the loneliness and despair felt by , well, most of the characters, but especially Kate and Finn. It was just a great book with fantastic characters displaying how family can hurt and save you at the same time.

Riveting Family Drama

In The Summer We Fell Apart, Robin Antalek follows the grown children of a dysfunctional marriage. The Haas marriage was renowned in theatrical circles. The father was a Tony-award winning playwright, but his career stumbled badly after this honor. The mother is more successful, still getting acting roles in her fifties and sixties. The question is why these two ever married and had children. The children seem to be nothing more than an afterthought, and the marriage revolved around the headgames and the serial adultry of each parent.

Now that the children are grown, they have entered adult lives of their choices. Kate, the oldest and the father's favorite, is a hard-charging corporate lawyer, full of to-do lists and lots of projects but little time for emotions. Finn, the mother's favorite, has had alcohol issues and stumbles from rehab to rehab. George is a swim coach at a private boy's school and provides the most emotional support for his siblings. Amy is the youngest and is an artist, living in New York with her boyfriend.

The book follows the children in their lives, especially in the time immediately following the death of their father. Antalek explores how we grow up, what sibling relationships mean and what we owe to our nuclear families once we grow up and make separate adult lives. The writing is immediate and real, and although the topic could be depressing, it doesn't weigh down the book. This book is recommended for readers who enjoy books about how we relate to each other and the world.

Please, Robin, write more novels

This is a wonderful book, from page one. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it - I'll be first in line for her next book. Beautifully written, interesting characters, believable, touching. Thanks, Robin!

fascinating look at a dysfunctional family

Their dad was a famous playwright who died when his career declined. Their mom was a wannabe actress who became a cult favorite for her B roles. Their four offspring growing up never felt they had parents as the so called adults in the Haas family of six neglected their children.

The youngest Amy hated the constant tension as all she wanted was a normal life like those on TV. George wanted to love and be loved so in any dispute especially after his father died, he always supported their mom. The oldest Kate found escapism and solace in her studies as she became a lawyer mostly as a reaction opposite to her artistic parents. Finally the oldest son Finn turned to alcoholism and addiction to provide him a haze of avoidance.

This is a fascinating look at a dysfunctional family from the perspective of the four children as the adult may neglect their offspring but the child becomes the adult. The story line is character driven as the demons that haunt each of the foursome and how each copes with them is deeply explored by Robin Antalek. Mindful of Family Pictures by Sue Miller and This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper, readers will enjoy this profound look at family relationships as seen by the children looking back as adults.

Harriet Klausner

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