My Thoughts: Generational stories are often among my favorites, as are books about women and those about dysfunctional families. With this trifecta of qualities that appeal to me, I’d expected A Cloud in the Shape of a Girl to be among my favorites for 2018, and there was certainly much I truly enjoyed. As the novel evolved I admired the way Jean Thompson created three unique women, while maintaining many parallels between them. Two found themselves pregnant by men they weren’t married to, each having their own interesting circumstances. Two only softened toward their mothers as the end of life approached. Two found themselves involved with men more interested in computers, TV or video games than in relationships.

“When she walked in, Ray was sitting in front of the television with his laptop open. He was playing World of Warcraft and watching SportsCenter. Incredible. When has men decided to stop growing up?”

And sadly, all three catered to the men in their lives.

“Although she had promised herself never to do so, she had ended up with a man just like her father, at least in all the ways that counted.”

This was exactly where A Cloud in the Shape of a Girl began to break down for me. I found almost all the men horrid, and grew weary of the women who made it so easy for the men to be that way. Laura, the middle of three women in this story, proved to be the most guilty by putting her entire life second to both her husband and her son. She just continued to take it, to play nice and to forgive. I know this is a common flaw in women, but as a story I simply got tired of it. In the end, Grace left the reader with a bit of hope, but by then I’d stopped caring. Grade: B-

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Simon & Schuster, in exchange for my honest review. Thank you!

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing this book for review.

Although I am aware of Jean Thompson's reputation in the literary world, I have not read any of her other books, and I'm not sure I will. This particular book, A Cloud in the Shape of a Girl, is one of the most depressing, heart-rending books I have ever read. I was crying for a good part of it. The three women who are described are each so unhappy in the situations where life has led them and decide to stay where they are. The family of Gabe, Laura, Grace, and Michael live lives of such misery of which there is not one happy moment mentioned or portrayed in the book. These were not people living in poverty or abuse or mental illness. When a crisis actually comes, the result is not surprising. I can't recommend this book for the substance, but the writing itself is excellent. I only finished it hoping for a ray of sunshine...

I looked forward to reading Jean Thompson’s A Cloud in the Shape of a Girl. I enjoy reading multiple generational stories. Set in a small town we meet Evelyn who is a college professor during WW II, her daughter, Laura who has an unhappy marriage who raised two children Grace and Michael, a drug addict. Laura is pulled in many directions as she deals with settling the affairs of her mother after she died, her son’s addiction, and an unfulfilled marriage. Grace tries to deal with her mother and brother while trying to figure out her own dreams.

I found myself getting bogged down in the story and could not connect with the characters. Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Shuster for this ARC.

"What if your life sneaked up behind you, tapped you on the shoulder, and said, Guess what, I'm already here."

A Cloud in the shape of a girl follows the story of three women, Evelyn, Laura, and Grace. Three generations of women from one family and their lives, their loves, their choices and the men in their lives. Each woman has something she is dealing with ranging from marital issues, infidelity, heartbreak, addiction, dysfunction with the family, secrets, longing and coming to terms with death.

"I have lived my life sandwiched between two angry women."

Each of the women in this book are stuck in their lives. Stuck with the choices they have made, being too comfortable being uncomfortable. The book deals with many issues/themes - addiction, infidelity, pregnancy, illness, dying, and heartbreak to name a few. I found this to be a bleak book with very little happiness. I think one must be in the mood to read such a book. The writing is very good and some of the characters may be relate-able. Evelyn gave up her career aspirations for a family - for children that she struggled to bond with. Laura is her daughter and she lives in an unhappy marriage with a husband who drinks way too much and a son who is in and out of rehab. Grace is Laura's daughter and she keeps her family at arm's length. She also makes poor choices in terms of who she lets in her life and the reader is left to wonder if Grace will in fact, break free from the cycle and find a way to live a satisfying life.

This book felt like a character study on sadness. It shows how patterns can be repeated, how not having a healthy relationship to use as a model, that children may grow up to repeat their parent's patterns and about relationships. This book shows how choices, no matter how big or small can affect and change one's life. There is a lot to think about in this book, which would make this book a good book club choice.

Very well written somber story about three women in one family.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

3 stars Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the chance to read this novel. Published on October 9, 2018.

This was a book that I probably would have set down, if it were not that I was reading it with a group. But because I was, I forged on, and am now happy that I did.

The first half of this book was frustrating. I felt the characters were shallow and basically portrayed people who I try hard not to associate with. The story tells of three generations of women. First Evelyn, who was forced to conform and marry, when it was not what she wanted. Second was the peace maker Laura, who blamed herself for everyone else's problems. Lastly came Grace, who having no self confidence, was trying to find her place in life. I actually think the author did a good job in portraying these women, because I had such a visceral dislike for them.

In the second half of the book there was sadness. More sadness than even in the first half. Due to two deaths more intermediate people were brought into the story. This half of the story centered mostly on drug abuse and played out the way a lot of families actually go through it. This half also began to resolve some of the secrets and lies that had plagued the story.

This is the first novel I have read by Jean Thompson, so hate to do her a disservice by condemning her book or writing. I will say that even though I disliked her characters, she wrote them well enough to get that reaction from me. I would hesitantly read another novel by Thompson, but would first check it out making sure that it's subject matter was not as bleak and sorrowful as this book.

I usually love the multigenerational plots in books but I have to admit that In the beginning I was struggling to keep the three characters straight in my mind. They each had a multitude of issues/problems they were dealing with, frequently caused by their mother, who was also a character. I never felt that the characters “came alive” within the pages of the book. I do have hope that Grace will find her way out of the depressing issues of her mother and grandmother.
Thank you to Jean Thompson, Simon Schuster, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I’ve read wonderful things about Jean Thompson’s The Year We Left Home, so I was eager to read A Cloud in the Shape of a Girl! What an ethereal and beautiful title, by the way!

A Cloud in the Shape of a Girl is the story of three generations of women in the Wise family. What an emotional story Grace, Evelyn, and Laura have to tell.

At the root of each woman’s life is something we can all probably relate to- feelings of not measuring up. Evelyn, the grandmother and matriarch, did not take easily to motherhood. Laura, her daughter, marries a man who is hard on everyone and conveys to their son that he does not meet expectations. Grace is Laura’s daughter, and she is not able to meet expectations whether they be her own or otherwise.

The focus is on each of these women and the strain they feel, the longing, the desperation. We experience every aspect of their trials and tribulations as they travel through life and time. How do we pass down our own stressors, experiences, and false expectations to our younger generations? Can a woman ever get out from under these harsh expectations?

A Cloud in the Shape of a Girl has a somber, melancholic tone. These women have hard lives emotionally, and they carry their burdens outwardly. It made me think about its important message, and I really appreciate it: how much of my own life has been shaped by the women in my family who modeled for me, who experienced their own trials long before I came to be?

On a personal note, in my maternal family, the women are stronger than the men for the most part. Sorry to my male forebears, but it’s true. The women were the glue holding their families together, the ones who raised children while husbands were off to war, who never complained, never had an ailment, were hardly emotional. I wonder now if this set expectations for me to follow in this same mold (the mold that was firmly cast based on THEIR experiences), and I would say in many ways I have. But at the same time, I don’t meet every standard set for me, and perhaps that does affect my self-worth at times.

That was a little more personal than I typically delve in my reviews, but this book resonated with me. Everyone has “stuff” they carry through life and their own experiences, good and bad. Just how much of our “stuff” is predetermined by the environment we grow up in and the shaping and modeling we receive by those important to us? I enjoyed this self-reflective journey, and I don’t mind a somber read when the message is an evocative one. Thanks to Jean Thompson for the insight.

Thank you to Simon Schuster for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All opinions are my own.

This generation spanning novel feels depressingly authentic as it traces the dissolution of a family. Grace is the last woman standing, and the author goes back in time to the lives and deaths of Grace's mother and her mother’s mother. These were not happy, fulfilled lives; they were functional lives, of women who lived the lives they were given. For most of the book, we might believe that Grace is going to continue in this tradition, with an added helping of self-destruction. But ultimately, Grace seems to be taking steps to move beyond hopelessness into a more optimistic future.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoy broad sweeping family sagas that look at relationship patterns that repeat over generations. I believe that good fiction provides readers with windows into relationships of their own, or at least provides possible explanations for relationships that defy easy understanding. A CLOUD IN THE SHAPE OF A GIRL offers many vantage points and explanations for mothers and daughters who just miss one another in their attempts to connect. Author Jean Thompson has some deeply held views about parents and children and the ways in which timing interferes with intention throughout the lifespan. This tale is vast in scope but surprisingly specific in content. While all families have some pain, few suffer to this extent. I found this book very compelling and could not put it down. I wasn’t sure what would happen next and was eager to find out. I wasn’t disappointed. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

*3.5 stars rounded up.

This is the story of three generations of the women of one family but broadens towards the end to deeply examine the family dysfunction of the last generation--father, mother, son and daughter. The father has a drinking problem and mentally abuses his children, most especially his son who cannot live up to his father's expectations and turns to drugs. The daughter is belittled by her father but more often feels ignored for the most part. The mother is the peacekeeper, trying to keep everyone happy, hoping they can all play nice and get along. The husband tends to blame her for coddling the son and causing his problems; she hopes family counseling will help. Too little, too late?

Yes, this story is wrenching but so well written! Thompson makes you feel what these people are going through. I am thrilled when a novel helps me examine something about my own actions, thoughts and beliefs. Years ago, when my daughters were young, I had that role of family peacekeeper, trying to make everyone happy. It's a truly thankless job!

My husband was not abusive at all to our children but was old-school: strict and demanding. It was a family joke that my husband was lucky he never had sons because he was hard enough on the girls. But I had an aha moment while reading this story--were we implying that less was expected of our daughters because they were not boys?

We always told them they could be whatever they wanted to be--just to follow their passion and the money will follow. But is that strictly true in today's economy? in this story, the son has talent and a passion for music but can't seem to support himself with it. And the daughter loves English literature but with her degree, she might as well have 'unemployable' tattooed on her forehead, according to her father. The story examines the reality of the job market for this latest generation, how hard it is to find a job that pays a living wage.

Another part of the plot that is wrenching is dealing with the dying process of our mothers, both during and afterwards. I have lived through that myself and this story brought back many painful memories.

This is a book to be read slowly and mulled over. Are you like your own mother or have you gone in the other direction?

I received an arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review. Many thanks. I look forward to reading more of this author's work. She's a very fine writer.

What if the friends from Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants grew up, got married, and life almost tears them a part? That is exactly the question I was thinking when reading A Cloud in the Shape of a Girl. The Wise sisters Evelyn, Laura, and Grace are immediately relateable creating an instant connection. The struggles they all went through with starting a family of their own to ending up taking care for one another shows the bond and love they have for one another and it is very inspiring.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. We will definitely consider this title for our Fiction collection at the library. That is why we give this book 4 stars.

Jean Thompson’s writing is undeniably lovely—she has a striking talent for sound and rhythm, and I found this book very aesthetically pleasant to read. Unfortunately, the narrative itself did not grasp my attention as effectively as the writing. The pacing is slow and the characters are a bit dry for my taste, so reading the novel became tedious as I plodded toward the ending. Not for me, but I’m sure many readers will adore Thompson’s latest!

2.5 I had a very negative reaction to this story. Don't get me wrong, the writing is extremely well done, but the book was just so, well for me, a Debbie downer. Three generations of women, unhappy families to the extreme. Nary a glimpse of joy. Never connected with the chsrscters, so I didn't feel sorry for the as did my wonderful reading partners, Esil and Angela. To me, they were like cardboard characters, so obvious and stereotypical. Unhappy, martyr like women, drugs alcohol, infidelity, surprise pregancies and illness. What more could be thrown in?

There were a few surprises near the end, and even a glimpse of hope that this cycle could be broken. I just had a hard time absorbing this much unhappiness. I loved her previous book, and will read her next because she is a fine writer. Plus, not everyone reacts the same way to a story, and you may be in s completely different reading mood. Best that in mind.

ARC from Netgalley.

3.5 stars

Let’s face it. There’s probably a little dysfunction in all of our families, and I’ll admit to my own, but I have to say up front, the dysfunction here with a cast of miserably, unhappy characters, unhappy with each other and with themselves, was more than I could relate to. The novel focuses on three generations of women. Evelyn is dying and we learn that she’s led an unsatisfying life, resentful that she gave up her dreams and ambitions when she marries and has children who she never really has a motherly bond with. Her daughter Laura, is also in an unhappy marriage, giving her all to her family, but her family is dealing with alcoholism and drug abuse, later an illness, and a distance between her and her daughter. No matter how hard Laura tries, she is not able to keep her daughter Grace from wanting to get away from all of them. No character is without flaws and we learn of secrets held by both Evelyn and Laura.

I especially liked the writing in the beginning. While most of the narrative is in chapters named for these three women, the opening chapter is told without names. I thought that it laid out Evelyn’s story really well, the time in this country around the war, what is happening as Evelyn is dying and what Laura is going through without even mentioning their names. While I was hard pressed to find a character that I liked, there were moments when I felt for them and moments when I was heartened by their actions. I read and loved Thompson’s [book:The Year We Left Home|8979518] and I remember feeling more of a connection with those characters. In spite of my reservations, I thought she did a commendable job of depicting some realistic, relatable issues and emotions : alcoholism, drug addiction, Illness, death, grief, and heartbreaking family tragedy. The lingering question throughout is whether Grace will be able to break from her mother and grandmother’s lives filled with dissatisfaction. Anyone who read this will have to decide for themselves.

I read this with Diane and Esil as our monthly buddy read.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Simon and Schuster through NetGalley.

Three generations of Wise women, in a small midwestern town, with their various ambitions and stifled longings, are keenly portrayed in this story. I often enjoy stories that often don't have page turning qualities but are based in character development which Jean Thompson has done so wonderfully. From WWII to present day, the story of Evelyn, Laura and Grace transcend generations, with many life expectations and longings the same, yet the characters think they are different. Does history repeat itself, does each generation handle marriage indifference, infidelity and dis-harmony differently? I think each woman reading this book will look at herself, and her relationship with her Mother and see many similarities, empathy and compassion. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy for an honest review. This book will be released October 9th.

Jean Thompson's new novel resonated in my subconscious, a place I try not to visit too often. Three generations of women in the mid-west are deeply unsatisfied with their lives. The story begins during WWII when Evelyn manages to secure a job teaching at a university because there is a shortage of men. Evelyn falls for an older professor of law and begins a life of academic privilege with two children and many events on the arm of her esteemed husband.

Evelyn's daughter, Laura, tries very hard to be happy and does want to marry, not fully absorbing her mother's unhappiness in a lackluster career, one where she didn't accomplish much. Evelyn loved her family but was not a warm, affectionate mom. Laura wanted more of a storybook family and used all her efforts to find it.

Laura's life produced two children, Grace and Michael. Her husband, Gabe, is a nasty piece of work. We only learn about her life when Grace is taking care of her when she becomes ill. Michael is a constant source of pain and grief as he fights with his father and never manages to hold down any job or finish school.

Grace is the smart one, but she isn't moving away from the dull midwestern town either. She takes her responsibilities seriously, and they continue to be her father and her brother.

The pressure to be something you are not and to feel locked into a life that isn't at all what you wanted was a resonating force for me. Women must free themselves from the unhappiness of doing what is expected, even in this century. We can no longer endure the sadness and disappointment that society serves up cold as we mature into young women.

I received an advanced copy of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.

A melancholy, honest novel of 3 generations of women, with under fulfilled lives. Eloquently written and well portrayed feelings of sorrow and entrapment of toxic family bonds. Thank you NetGalley, author and publisher for the early edition e-reader copy. All opinions are my own.

I suppose anyone who is a daughter, or a mother, or has lost a mother, will be able to find something to relate to in this book. I know I did. It is true that women have always been the glue that holds a family together, sometimes joyfully, other times not so much. This is the story of 3 generations of unhappy, dissatisfied, women who did the best they could with the hand they were dealt, and lived as best they could with the choices they made. It was not exactly a tear jerker although it was depressing at times. I wanted to remind each of these women that life is what you make of it. I wish someone had done that for them.

Writing: 4 Characters: 3.5 Plot: 3

This (well-written) book could easily be subtitled: “Three Generations of Unhappy Women.” Evelyn — the matriarch — gave up the intellectual life she craved to marry a man she didn’t love. Her daughter, Laura, became a “pleaser,” working constantly to smooth tensions between her mother, her husband, her troubled son, and the rest of the world. Laura’s daughter, Grace, struggles to free herself from family binds but can’t seem to make much progress.

The book is 336 pages of pure drama — unwanted pregnancies, extramarital affairs, alcoholism, cancer, drug addiction and rehab, and just plain old meanness fill the pages giving the characters the opportunity to experience grief, angst, anger, and numbness in a raucous merry-go-round of emotions. While it is very well done — a real page turner — I found it a little annoying that most of these problems (the cancer excepted) were of their own devising and fully under their own control to fix. There was little insight, revelation, or determination brought to bear on the various situations. I personally did not identify with, or even particularly like, any of the characters.  That’s just me — I’ve read some of the other early reviews and people seem to really like the emotional intensity of the story and identify with the troubles these people face — maybe you will too!

Jean Thompson, as always, paints such a beautifully detailed and true picture of midwestern family life. This book deals with current topics of feminism and addiction, woven seamlessly into a sad but real multigenerational tale.