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Stacy B's Reviews > Sandwich
Sandwich
by
by
I am the exact target audience for this book. I’m 54 yr old menopausal woman with two grown children who spends lots of time in Sandwich Ma! But this book just did not do it for me. I was annoyed at the places in Sandwich were completely fictional (not that real names of places needed to be used but it’s what makes it fun for locals to read and they did not describe places that actually exist)and a HUGE pet peeve is the audio narrator (who did do a fantastic job otherwise) pronounced Barnstable wrong (it’s more like ‘barn stibel’ not barn STABLE, like horse barn) and if I were the author I would demand that be fixed!
But besides those personal pet peeves, I just found the relationships with her children a little TOO open and there were also comments made that were really over the top, like for shock value, and I am far from a pearl clutcher, but a lot of these seemed really unnecessarily crude.
As for Rocky, the main character, I will say she made me thankful my menopause experience isn’t as bad as hers. She is one angry angry woman on the verge of exploding at any and all times. I almost want to have my husband read it so he knows how lucky he is lol This woman’s husband is a friggen saint. To go with the flow as much as he does.
And although I, as well as many moms, get sentimental about their kids and missing the younger days, she really goes over the top almost to point where it’s creepy.
I did enjoy the ending and it put a lump in my throat but overall, it just didn’t hit the mark for me as a fun beach read.
But besides those personal pet peeves, I just found the relationships with her children a little TOO open and there were also comments made that were really over the top, like for shock value, and I am far from a pearl clutcher, but a lot of these seemed really unnecessarily crude.
As for Rocky, the main character, I will say she made me thankful my menopause experience isn’t as bad as hers. She is one angry angry woman on the verge of exploding at any and all times. I almost want to have my husband read it so he knows how lucky he is lol This woman’s husband is a friggen saint. To go with the flow as much as he does.
And although I, as well as many moms, get sentimental about their kids and missing the younger days, she really goes over the top almost to point where it’s creepy.
I did enjoy the ending and it put a lump in my throat but overall, it just didn’t hit the mark for me as a fun beach read.
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Reading Progress
April 29, 2024
– Shelved as:
to-read
April 29, 2024
– Shelved
June 18, 2024
–
Started Reading
June 22, 2024
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-50 of 95 (95 new)
Thank you for a review I could relate and pointed to the reasons I was dissapointed in this book. As a current 60 y/o in the midst of "sandwich" years, this book missed the mark and I found no relatable sentimentality.
100% agree with your review. I felt the dialogue with her daughter to be so so odd.
I also agree with your review. Thanks for posting.
Yes. What she said^!
YES to this review. Exactly.
Just finished and immediately came here for reviews- I could not agree more. I really expected more from this book
Your review is spot on!
Agree 100%! I am of the same age in the same situation: there was something seriously creepy about Rocky's relationship with her children.
Indydriven wrote: "I liked your review.I am almost 60 so basically through most of the menopause stuff and while I didn’t have children, I did live through several years of having parents that required assistance a..."
Thank you!
Lisa wrote: "Thank you for a review I could relate and pointed to the reasons I was dissapointed in this book. As a current 60 y/o in the midst of "sandwich" years, this book missed the mark and I found no rela..."Thank you!
Paula wrote: "100% agree with your review. I felt the dialogue with her daughter to be so so odd."Thank you!
Lisa wrote: "Agree 100%! I am of the same age in the same situation: there was something seriously creepy about Rocky's relationship with her children."Thank you!
Beth wrote: "Your review is spot on!"Thanks so much!
Kristen wrote: "Yes. What she said^!"LOL Thank you!
Cindy wrote: "Stacy; your review was hilarious :)"LOL Thanks!
Marisa wrote: "YES to this review. Exactly."Thank you!!
Lori wrote: "I also agree with your review. Thanks for posting."Thank you!
Tricia wrote: "I agree!"Thanks!
Claudine wrote: "Just finished and immediately came here for reviews- I could not agree more. I really expected more from this book"Thank you!
Falmouth resident here, I was shocked by the Barnstable pronunciation and wondered if the author was aware it was read this way!
This is EXACTLY how I feel about this book
right? I mean I have no idea how costly it is to redo and perhaps not worth it but it's definitely an irk!!Dori wrote: "Falmouth resident here, I was shocked by the Barnstable pronunciation and wondered if the author was aware it was read this way!"
glad I'm not the only one...so many giving rave reviews and it just didn't hit the same for me!Katherine wrote: "This is EXACTLY how I feel about this book"
This review is hilarious and spot on about most of the issues you brought up. But I disagree. I think the narrator with a weird name is happy. At least as happy as anyone else. This author will grow.
Oh my gosh, my feelings exactly! I have to go to a book club discussion on it tonight and I think everyone else liked it! :(
Spot on. I felt the same and kept trying to remember this is a fictional character and her fictional personality. But…it also felt like the author chose the words purposefully, thinking it would be funny all the way through. I was tired of it around 30% of the book. I almost gave up at 50%. I did finish it just now and liked the ending. It would have been entirely enjoyable if the crass-factor had been dialed back. Rocky would have been much funnier that way.
I’m glad to see my reaction about the main character and her relationship to the husband and kids was shared. I did like the book more mainly because of some truly terrific observations
I’ve only read rave reviews about this and being a Barnstable resident myself, I had to dive in! My God I hated this book!!! It should’ve been titled Nauset. There are no trams to beaches, no shark sightings in Sandwich. And I was dying for Nick to leave her in the end. So much I disliked!
I didn’t really rate this book either - I’m glad to find I’m not the only one! I didn’t even finish it as I got bored with around 40 pages to go and there were other books nagging to be read. Found Sandwich a bit silly, too nostalgic and generally not my cup of tea. This is despite also being target audience ish with older teen/young adult kids and parents approaching the needy years.
I thought this book was AWFUL. So unrealistic and so silly. None of the characters, all unlikeable, rang true. I couldn’t listen to this horrendous woman one more minute!
Love this comment and the responses!
46 been going down the Cape all my life and this book was not it for so many reasons. Very disappointed.
Thanks!!Suzanne wrote: "This review is hilarious and spot on about most of the issues you brought up. But I disagree. I think the narrator with a weird name is happy. At least as happy as anyone else. This author will grow."
oooh!! How'd that go?!Joanna wrote: "Oh my gosh, my feelings exactly! I have to go to a book club discussion on it tonight and I think everyone else liked it! :("
Agree!Amy wrote: "Spot on. I felt the same and kept trying to remember this is a fictional character and her fictional personality. But…it also felt like the author chose the words purposefully, thinking it would be..."
Thanks for commenting!Jennifer wrote: "I’m glad to see my reaction about the main character and her relationship to the husband and kids was shared. I did like the book more mainly because of some truly terrific observations"
LOL!! Thanks for commenting!!Susanna wrote: "I’ve only read rave reviews about this and being a Barnstable resident myself, I had to dive in! My God I hated this book!!! It should’ve been titled Nauset. There are no trams to beaches, no shark..."
Oh wow...40 pages? lol the ending was the part I enjoyed the most but life's too short to spend time reading things you're not enjoying!!Amelia wrote: "I didn’t really rate this book either - I’m glad to find I’m not the only one! I didn’t even finish it as I got bored with around 40 pages to go and there were other books nagging to be read. Found..."
LOL!!Jeanette wrote: "I thought this book was AWFUL. So unrealistic and so silly. None of the characters, all unlikeable, rang true. I couldn’t listen to this horrendous woman one more minute!"
YUP!! Thanks for commenting!Kristina wrote: "46 been going down the Cape all my life and this book was not it for so many reasons. Very disappointed."
Me too!!Mollypputnam wrote: "Love this comment and the responses!"
To all my fellow Cape residents mad about the title and geography: it's never explicitly said that they're staying in Sandwich, MA. I looked after reading this review. It's not there. The title refers to being in the generation sandwiched between adult kids and aging parents.
Sandwich is referring to the time in life when you are sandwiched between your grown children and the changes there and you aging parents and the responsibility we have for them.
I get the double entendre but don’t tease us locals likes that
I agree with ALL of this (except the local quibbles; since I'm in PA those did not register for me). I'm 50 years old and SHOULD relate to this story, but Rocky and especially her daughter were extremely odd and annoying to me. It almost felt like a satire of what someone things a menopausal woman feels...
I agree with your take on Rocky-although she seems grateful at times, I’ve never seen someone who is angrier over normal experiences. How about some sense of appreciation for your husband? And stop being so egocentric! Geez…there are people with real tragedies and problems in the world. I’m not into reading negativity over third world problems.
Never thought the words “probing fingers” would make me gag, until now…
I am almost 60 so basically through most of the menopause stuff and while I didn’t have children, I did live through several years of having parents that required assistance and a period of dealing with my mother’s dementia while I worked full time in a busy job. I have to say that I thought the menopause stuff was just a little bit over the top. I have yet to meet a woman who has had these extreme symptoms; was there a time when she wasn’t crying? I agree with you that her husband was a saint. I also thought that the mother needed Stronger boundaries, especially with her daughter. There is sharing information that is helpful to another person, and then there is over sharing. To be honest, I was quite disappointed in this book. I was expecting a more literary read, and this wasn’t it.