Not Logged in.
Book Jacket

The Sometimes Daughter


Sherri Wood Emmons, acclaimed author of Prayers and Lies, explores the complex ...
More about this book
Author Biography

Overall, what are your impressions of The Sometimes Daughter?

Created: 02/24/12

Replies: 24

Posted Feb. 24, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert

Join Date:

Posts: 0

Overall, what are your impressions of The Sometimes Daughter?

Overall, what are your impressions of The Sometimes Daughter?


Posted Mar. 12, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
sarahd

Join Date: 10/16/10

Posts: 84

RE: Overall, what are your impressions of The Sometimes Daughter?

I enjoyed this book, and I was fascinated by Cassie and her choices. I also thought that Woods did an excellent job of capturing what it means and how it feels to be a teenager.


Posted Mar. 12, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
joyces

Join Date: 06/16/11

Posts: 410

RE: Overall, what are your impressions of The Sometimes Daughter?

I found the book a fascinating read with all the characters really well defined and believable. Though it was not a page turner in the sense of being suspenseful it was pretty good at keeping me reading into the wee hours of the morning. Having been in highschool and college in the sixties I was pretty familiar with the mind set of Cassie and her type but fortunately was more like Judy's Daddy and did not get too wound up in that scene.


Posted Mar. 13, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
tillieh

Join Date: 04/28/11

Posts: 71

RE: Overall, what are your impressions of The Sometimes Daughter?

I loved the book. I didn't want to put it down. When I put it down to deal with other life issues, I was continually drawn back over and over. I think Woods was able to capture the feelings Judy dealt with regarding her absent mother. Putting myself in Judy's shoes, I would definitely have felt the same way and perhaps even decided earlier that my mother just wasn't a person I really wanted in my life. I just wish that Dad had started dating earlier and brought a strong mother figure in earlier in Judy's life. But not having that happen, I think Judy was portrayed in a very realistic manner.


Posted Mar. 13, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Pepper

Join Date: 04/14/11

Posts: 12

RE: Overall, what are your impressions of The Sometimes Daughter?

Hooked by the promise of a story beginning with a child born at Woodstock, I eagerly jumped in to the pages of this book. But had I not acquired The Sometimes Daughter as an early reviewer, I would have abandoned it before finishing. It reads like it was written by an novice, or a student, perhaps--so much so that I had to double check to see if it was written for Young Adults. I can't remember the last time I read such weak dialogue. Entirely forgettable. I honestly can't imagine what the other reviewers found so "deeply poignant" or "intriguing". I was extremely disappointed. I read a great deal of fiction, both for myself and for my teenage daughters. I thought this story lacked character development and cohesion. I was glad to close the book and move on to something that held my interest.


Posted Mar. 13, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
sharon54220

Join Date: 08/11/11

Posts: 5

RE: Overall, what are your impressions of The Sometimes Daughter?

I totally loved this book. From the moment I started it till I finished it. This was the type of book that once you started you didn't want to stop. The father stayed strong thoughout. I'm glad that he finally started dating and remarried.


Posted Mar. 13, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Julie Ann

Join Date: 03/13/12

Posts: 2

RE: Overall, what are your impressions of The Sometimes Daughter?

This book did not impress me at all. I thought the subject matter would be interesting, but I felt the story ended up being too simplistic with little character development and overall just not very well written. If I had not recieved this book for this discussion, I would have not finished it. I have read too many well written, thought provoking novels for this one to hold my attention. I would not recommend this book to anyone who reads alot.


Posted Mar. 13, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
jenniferb

Join Date: 12/29/11

Posts: 3

RE: Overall, what are your impressions of The Sometimes Daughter?

I really enjoyed this book. I fell in love with the characters and couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next.


Posted Mar. 13, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
CoventryReader

Join Date: 08/04/11

Posts: 27

RE: Overall, what are your impressions of The Sometimes Daughter?

This is perfect timing because I just finished the book last night! I loved it; like joyces wrote, I ,too,grew up in the sixties so I was also able to identify with Cassie and her flightiness. I don't think the author is old enough to have lived during that time personally, but it's an indication of what a good writer she is. Every thing rings true in this book; it all is believable. Judy is a wonderful character:she has lots of spunk but she's a good kid at heart. She and Lee Ann are true to one another, right to the end. I really enjoyed this book and I think it was a good choice for a book club. I've never done an online book club before and I know I'm going to enjoy it.


Posted Mar. 13, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
shelbyl

Join Date: 05/19/11

Posts: 22

RE: Overall, what are your impressions of The Sometimes Daughter?

The premise of this book seemed so promising but after a few pages it seemed to be written for a young adult reader. There was little depth in the character development, no understanding of why they behaved as they did. I found them very one dimensional although a book club might have a good time discussing why each character was so stuck in their initial charaterization.
If it wasn't such a quick read I would have put it down, but I had hope and plodded on. My disappointment never changed.


Posted Mar. 13, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
terriej

Join Date: 07/28/11

Posts: 422

RE: Overall, what are your impressions of The Sometimes Daughter?

I loved this book. I read a lot and this book really captivated me...I couldn't wait to see what was coming next.


Posted Mar. 14, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
irisf

Join Date: 01/16/12

Posts: 136

RE: Overall, what are your impressions of The Sometimes Daughter?

I had high expectations for this book and was somewhat disappointed. First of all, the title of the book should have been The Sometimes Mother. Sweet Judy was always a daughter even to Cassie who randomly came into her life at whim. In the beginning, thoughts coming from Sweet Judy were far too sophisticated for a young child so they didn't ring true. I think the book would have had more depth if it had been written from the standpoint of the various characters at various times during the book. The characterization of Cassie's mother was a one dimensional stereotype and this was supposed to explain away Cassies's shortcomings as a mother. I found this too simplistic and convenient an explanation.


Posted Mar. 14, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
KAM9232006

Join Date: 12/03/11

Posts: 8

RE: Overall, what are your impressions of The Sometimes Daughter?

I really enjoyed the book, started reading it the day I got it and ended up finishing it the next day. The story line kept me interested and I could really relate to some of the things Judy went through. My only complaint was that sometimes the book would jump time periods and it wasn't entirely clear how much time had passed. Plus there were some grammatical errors (which I love finding) but I figured that was probably only because it was a pre-press copy of the book.


Posted Mar. 14, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
lisa2543

Join Date: 03/14/12

Posts: 6

RE: Overall, what are your impressions of The Sometimes Daughter?

At first I found the book nostalgic since I lived in Indiana in the early 1970's but found myself being so disapointed with Cassie's behavior that I did not really enjoy the book. I felt sorry for Judy being torn between missing her mother and hating her until the part where she started selling pot and then I felt like she let her family down and me too . I was not surprised at all about Cassie's confession as to why she felt worthless. The book made me sad and I don't think I would recommend it to my book group. It glossed over the hard choice of abortion which I also found frustrating.


Posted Mar. 15, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
dianec

Join Date: 03/15/12

Posts: 22

RE: Overall, what are your impressions of The Sometimes Daughter?

I enjoy coming-of-age books that capture the changing perspective of the young person as they mature. This novel did that well. The reader felt Judy's adoration for Cassie gradually morph into angry disappointment, and a deep-seated feeling of rejection. I did think the character of Cassie was a bit over-done, even as I recall the many Cassie-like women I have met in real life.


Posted Mar. 15, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Suzanne

Join Date: 04/21/11

Posts: 281

RE: Overall, what are your impressions of The Sometimes Daughter?

The book kept my interest if only to see where it was going. And for quite a few pages I thought this was a good book for my 16-year-old granddaughter. But then Judy and Lee Ann began their shoplifting. As I finished the book, there wasn't a mention that they ever atoned that spree. Not a good sign for a teen to read about. And then Judy began selling drugs... Oh oh. The reason why this happened was never mentioned. Was money so important to buy things or was there an underlying psychological problem? So, all-in-all, I feel there needed to be more thought on the writer's part to make this a more believable story.


Posted Mar. 15, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Hulananni

Join Date: 06/13/11

Posts: 52

RE: Overall, what are your impressions of The Sometimes Daughter?

I enjoyed the book but really didn't like the 'father' character. Seemed spineless. Ready to allow a negative incluence back into the home. That bothered me.


Posted Mar. 21, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Denise B-K

Join Date: 01/19/12

Posts: 26

RE: Overall, what are your impressions of The Sometimes Daughter?

On a typical 5 star rating scale, in my opinion, The Sometimes Daughter is a 2 meaning "it was ok." Agree with "irisf" that Cassie's mother, Pat, was a one dimensional stereotype, but extend this opinion to her father, John, also. The authoritarian/emotionally absent mother married to a passive father creates another dysfunctional generation. In addition, do not believe that Cassie's joining The People's Temple was necessary to convey her psychological need to create an alternate family definition & the negative effects this had on Judy - concepts were already covered with her move to the commune.


Posted Mar. 21, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
melissak

Join Date: 10/30/11

Posts: 2

RE: Overall, what are your impressions of The Sometimes Daughter?

I truly enjoyed the book. I felt very frustrated with Cassie at so many times, and wanted to shake her for her irresponsible behavior. I found Judy's father, Kirk, to be compassionate and the solid foundation that kept the book realistic. Children today face similar situations with parents daily. Often without one solid parent (Kirk) to depend upon. I would read more by this author, but would not recommend for my book club as I see it as more of a "fun read" and don't think there was enough substance for a good discussion by my group.


Posted Mar. 21, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Hulananni

Join Date: 06/13/11

Posts: 52

RE: Overall, what are your impressions of The Sometimes Daughter?

I didn't find Kirk dependable nor solid. He continually brought Cassie back into the picture and that must have confused Judy.


Posted Mar. 22, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
pennyp

Join Date: 03/22/12

Posts: 353

RE: Overall, what are your impressions of The Sometimes Daughter?

I enjoyed it. I received it late and read it in a day so found it to be an easy read. I found it to ring true. I used to work with children that had be abused/neglected and removed from their homes. In almost every instance, no matter how horrible the natural parents were, the child wanted nothing more than to return to the natural family/parent. Also, almost every parent I dealt with promised to change and become a responsible parent. Sadly to say, most of them were not able to make those changes.


Posted Mar. 26, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
sandrak

Join Date: 12/14/11

Posts: 1

RE: Overall, what are your impressions of The Sometimes Daughter?

I have had a hard time becoming a fan of this story. I did not understand the father's (Kirk) patience with Cassis when he knew she was having other relationships. I wondered if there was something compelling that the reader did not know about Cassie but nothing was revealed. She really seemed to not take any responsibility for her family in relationships or for its economic well being. She just wanted to be taken care of. There is too much dialog with little purpose throughout the the 3/4s I have read. Kirk did become a stronger father as Judy grew and once he took over as her main parent. I don't see Cassie as ever wanting to make a change in herself. Judy seemed to hold a romantic fascination for her mother which is sad. It is not a story that I look forward to reading, that is why it is unfinished as yet.


Posted Mar. 27, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Hulananni

Join Date: 06/13/11

Posts: 52

RE: Overall, what are your impressions of The Sometimes Daughter?

I finished the book but was lamenting the seeming approval of Cassie being brought into the family and allowed to interact with Judy. Weak fathering kept me from truly enjoying the book.


Posted Mar. 29, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
carols

Join Date: 04/14/11

Posts: 1

RE: Overall, what are your impressions of The Sometimes Daughter?

Although I enjoyed this book somewhat, I only stuck with it because I was traveling and it was the only book I had with me that I hadn't already finished. After reading just a dozen pages I started to wonder if this was written for young adults. I agree with "irisf" that in the beginning Judy's thoughts were far too sophisticated for a young child. Also, there didn't seem to be enough plot development to explain why Judy started selling pot.


Posted Mar. 29, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
jennab

Join Date: 01/14/12

Posts: 4

RE: Overall, what are your impressions of The Sometimes Daughter?

I really enjoyed this book. Could not put it down in fact. But there were some parts that seemed to be thrown in just for the space it would take. Example would be Judy selling pot there was no lead in just all of a sudden she was a teen selling pot. A little more development in that area would have been great, as other responders have already said. The book ended with alot of questions hanging. Did Judy's mother really turn her life around and become a mother to her 2 children, did Judy really adapt to her father marrying someone else and having another baby in her life. I felt like the book could have maybe had an epilogue set in the future that wrapped up all the loose ties. Overall, though very enjoyable and I am recommending it to my friends.


Reply

Please login to post a response.