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There are currently 36 member reviews
for Seven Days of Us
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Karine R. (Highland Mills, NY)
Could I do it?
I was hooked from the first page! It's been quite a while since I've read a book that had me running back for the next page. I found myself wondering if I could survive a week quarantined with my dysfunctional siblings? I truly loved how they all found their way through the pricker laced maze of family dynamics. By the last page I felt a part of the Birch Family and wished I could continue reading their story.
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Cindy B. (Houston, TX)
Not to be missed!
Seven Days of Us starts out slowly but stay with it because it is one of the best books I have read in a while. Told in alternating viewpoints, the Birch family chronicles the seven days they spend in quarantine (or as the patriarch Andrew Birch calls it "Haag arrest") following the older daughter Olivia's return from Africa where she was treating a deadly ebola-like virus called the Haag virus. Each Birch member has secrets that are slowly revealed as the story unfolds. Francesca Hornak masterfully weaves various characters' tales together in a witty and believable manner that kept me laughing (except for one heartbreaking scene) and dying to know what would happen next. The characters are well-developed, and the author delves into the circumstances that create each individual's current circumstance and personality. In doing so, Hornak adds depth to each character, and I found myself more sympathetic to the characters that were not as likeable initially.
On a side note, Hornak delves into the treating of the Haag virus, and I found the required protocols followed by Olivia and her fellow doctors fascinating and somewhat depressing and scary. While humans have made great strides treating various diseases, Olivia's tale is a reminder that we still have a long way to go towards eradicating other maladies. Such detail also made me sympathize with Olivia as she tries to reintegrate into first world society.
I highly, highly recommend Seven Days of Us and am certain it will qualify as a top ten book of 2017 for me. Thanks to BookBrowse for the chance to read this ARC.
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Elizabeth P. (Lake Elmo, MN)
Great, Fun Read!
Seven Days of Us was a super lighthearted yet real & honest take on family life. We all have issues, we all have struggles with our family relationships, and at the end of the day we all love each other and want the best for one another and those relationships. This book realistically portrayed it all in a fun story with a satisfying end - not perfect, but hopeful and authentic. Highly recommend!
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Kenan R. (Liberty, MO)
Fast Fun Read!
I breezed through this book, thoroughly enjoying it and rooting for the characters even when they weren't being particularly likeable! Francesca Hornack does an excellent job of presenting the Birches as a family of archetypal "characters" and then peeling back their layers to reveal their humanity, rendering our preconceived notions moot.
By allowing each character to narrate his own chapters we get a larger view of the entire family while gaining an understanding into each character's true self.
I would recommend this book to anyone and look forward to reading more of her work.
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Audrey M. (Overland Park, KS)
Learning and Understanding
I really liked the book. I felt like I got to know all the characters. Each character changed and grew in their understanding of the others as the book progressed.
Each of the characters learned to accommodate the others and accept the others. Although this is fiction, I hope Emma makes it. It was one of my favorite reads of the year
I have recommended to my book club.
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Millicent G. (Cypress, TX)
A family you will will want to spend time with...
Many books I completed recently have been well written but when finished reading them, I was sorry that so much of my time had been spent with people I thoroughly disliked. Lately, as I get older, I find that I do not care how many awards or accolades have been given to a book. I just do not want to spend hours reading about people who have no redeeming qualities in my opinion. Characters do not have to be perfect, who is? However, there needs to be at least one person in a book whom I can care about in some way.
So it was a delight to find myself falling into this book and coming up for air two days later, sorry to say goodby to the Birch family. Francesca Hornak has beautifully written about real life. Her characters seem like stereotypes at the beginning but as she peels back layer after layer, they come to life with all the messiness of reality surrounding them.
She gives each of the main characters a chance to contribute to the story with her technique of alternating chapters. It works. Their voices are distinct and I became totally immersed in their stories.
Like real family life, the story told is not a fairy tale where all live happily ever after. It is a story of people who make mistakes but keep trying to do their best. Reality.
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Charity P. (Russellville, AR)
Great Read!
I normally read several books at a time, but Seven Days of Us made me drop all the others until it was finished. It was a perfect mix of serious and lighthearted family drama, with an ending that left me feeling satisfied.
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