
A Patchwork Planet (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
3 journalers for this copy...

In my TBR pile from two or three years ago. Sending to a BCer in the mail when I'm finished.

Barnaby and the other cast of characters in this story feel like instant family. Great story. Interesting ending.

I would rate this book a ten, but it's so hard for any work of Tyler's to live up to Breathing Lessons.
I like the fact that the book is different - it's not every character and every setting she's ever done. I like the Rent-A-Back setting and the fact that it allows the character of Barnaby to gain a lot of depth without a lot of tedious narration or obvious plot twists.
I found the whole thing with the daughter to be a little contrived, although I have to say that when Barnaby meets her on the street it brought a tear to my eye.
I think the character of Sylvia is done extremely well. I love the fact that right up to the end it was hard to tell what she really felt about Barnaby. Was she doing it to get back at her mother? Was she really in love with him? I still really don't know.
The ending... not crazy about the ending. Another thing in the book I found a little contrived, the sudden realization that the weirdo isn't so weird. Come on now.
But all in all, one of Tyler's better ones. Possibly not quite up to the Breathing Lessons or Saint Maybe level, but definitely on a par with Ladder of Years, and that's saying something.
I will definitely be passing this book along, I'd love to know what other readers think of it.
Anne
I like the fact that the book is different - it's not every character and every setting she's ever done. I like the Rent-A-Back setting and the fact that it allows the character of Barnaby to gain a lot of depth without a lot of tedious narration or obvious plot twists.
I found the whole thing with the daughter to be a little contrived, although I have to say that when Barnaby meets her on the street it brought a tear to my eye.
I think the character of Sylvia is done extremely well. I love the fact that right up to the end it was hard to tell what she really felt about Barnaby. Was she doing it to get back at her mother? Was she really in love with him? I still really don't know.
The ending... not crazy about the ending. Another thing in the book I found a little contrived, the sudden realization that the weirdo isn't so weird. Come on now.
But all in all, one of Tyler's better ones. Possibly not quite up to the Breathing Lessons or Saint Maybe level, but definitely on a par with Ladder of Years, and that's saying something.
I will definitely be passing this book along, I'd love to know what other readers think of it.
Anne

Passing this on to a newbie bookcrosser who hasn't read any Tyler. :)

I hate to say it, but I just couldn't get into this book. The narrator seemed 'false' -- I couldn't really believe this was supposed to be a man speaking. I still want to try other Tyler books tho. Will drop this off in the book-share bin at work...