What do readers think of The Two-Family House by Lynda Cohen Loigman? Write your own review.

Despite the fact that the family "secret" is easy to discern early on in the novel, I found the book quite enjoyable. The many interactions amongst the family members kept the story fast-paced and readable. Some facets of Rose's depression might have been better explained. However, most of the characterizations were quite believable.

Although I did enjoy the book, I thought the writing could have been better, a little more literary for this type of book. this is a story that would have been wonderful had it been written by Richard Russo. I love the premise of the book but could tell where the story was going right from the start primarily based on the comments of Judith,Rose's daughter. Once I was into the book(about a third of the way),the pace and plot kept me wanting to read more to see what happened to the each of the family members that were highlighted. In that sense the writer did a good job of making me care for the characters.

One could tell from the beginning, the trajectory of the story to come, Little positive could come from this premise. The main characters were drawn with a broad stroke: negative or positive. The death in the middle was gratuitous to me, Just a way to make the characters more unhappy. The pain was doubled because of the family dynamics, I admit I cried for the mothers. I truly admired Rose and the decision she made. Thar was my attitude toward the entire book. Without Natalie to create a positive ending, I would have abandoned them to their fate. I don't have to have a happy ending but I do need to feel that the resolution is not just tying loose ends.

The premise of this book was fascinating and it should have made for an engrossing family saga. It moved very quickly through the years, to quickly in my opinion. At the end of every chapter I felt like part of the story was missing. I would have enjoyed the book more if it had been twice as long and more developed. The author just skimmed the surface and I was left wanting to know more. It felt like I had read a rough draft. A great idea for a book was wasted.

The idea of two families (husbands and brothers and own a business together) living in the same house raises "red flags" right away. The way these families interact makes for some interesting situations. However, I found most of the book to be rather depressing. The characters needed to get a better attitude about their lives.
Although the author shows how children inherit certain traits and inclinations from their parents this is somewhat overdone.

The overall theme of the book was worth reading, the last quarter of this story saved it, so if you start it, it is worth finishing.

Mostly because of the negative tone, I gave it only three stars.

The premise of this book is interesting. I really wanted to see how the author fleshed out the two brothers and sisters in law living in a two flat.But they seemed like caricatures. Easy going fun loving brother and the stern, angry bitter brother. Of course the sisters-in-law get along better than the brothers. Something had to be cohesive regarding the families. I have to say that I immediately disliked Mort and got very tired, very quickly of his character. The big "Secret" was no secret at all. I knew right from the beginning what was going on. It's better to show than tell. The decline of one of the sisters in law was not dealt with very well as it didn't delve into the pathology of what was going on with her enough. The other side story seem to be an add-on. I know some people love this book but I wasn't one of them.

Lynda Cohen Loigman's debut novel The Two-Family House is a candid look at families. The story will sound familiar to many because often families experience very complicated situations.

The story is driven by two sister in laws Helen and Rose. Once extremely close their friendship deteriorates over a unfortunate decision they make. This not only alters their lives but the lives of their families.

The author makes a valiant effort with this story. However, for me I found it not enough. The "secret" is all too obvious from the very start and what develops because of it expected. It was simply an average story.

This book was a very slow read for me. From the beginning of the book you knew what had happened with the babies. If that information was told later in the book , the book would of been more interesting. But maybe not. I did not find any part of this book that I liked.