EDITED: I’ve edited this review a bit from my original because folks seem to think it was too long. This is essentially the same review but tidied up a bit:
I have been anticipating the publication of this book and have had it on preorder for a while now. I read Abramson’s first book, Unsaid and I liked it. I read all the vine reviews (those lucky folks who get books before everyone else) and was disappointed and underwhelmed. But I was also particularly bothered that so many of those reviews were just a rehashing of the plot line. Not helpful. And some reviews spoke about parts of the book that are difficult to stomach if you are an animal lover. I was worried about, but as it turns out those difficult parts were fine for me. And for the record, I’ve never read a really good book that is devoid of tension or pain in some way. Just like real life.
I am not going to rehash the plot line here.... you have countless vine reviews as well as the book’s own synoptic description that give you all you need to know to decide whether you want to read it. I hope you do choose to. It’s a very good book though I see that there are some reviewers that disagree. I’m not sure why.
I consider myself an “animal person.” I love animals, share my home with a few, volunteer a fair amount of time at animal shelters and specialize in animal photography. I am one of those folks who can’t bear reading about or seeing animal cruelty. I cry like a baby at movies in which animals die or are harmed. After reading some of the initial reviews I was concerned about what I might encounter in this book but it turns out my concerns were unfounded. Yes there were a couple of dicey paragraphs but seriously, they are almost parenthetical to the plot and none of the dicey parts have glued themselves into my psyche. Typically awful images sere in my brain for years. Not so with these. If you are on the fence about reading this book I would say get off the fence and try it. It really is a good read.
I have given this five stars because to my mind it’s a good book and I really enjoyed the characters. They were interesting and at times, fascinating to me. A couple of reviewers felt that they were way too angry or too odd or not believable. I didn’t find them too angry. That makes no sense to me whatsoever. They are challenged in many ways but not angry in the way I usually think of anger. Odd? Yes, I suppose so. I do photography for many animal shelters, so I am frequently around shelter staff and volunteers and animal folks in general. So so so many of the people I come in contact with are out of the box types. Interesting, passionate, quirky, fragile, loving, devoted and yes, often in some sort of emotional pain and often with an angry edge. Abramson seems to innately understand this and has created characters that to me WERE believable. Believable, engaging and endearing. Some I liked more than others but overall they seemed to be a fitting cast of characters to carry this storyline. The bad guys in this book were pretty one dimensional and while that is one of my quibbles with the book, I often find that “bad guys” ARE one dimensional. Think about it. If your neighborhood jerk was more two or three dimensional s/he might actually be able to see their behavior and correct it. I know a lot of bullies who are so predictable in their one dimensionality.
The book progresses with plot and character development which I enjoyed. I like passionate and quirky people. Like any good book it all built to the last third or so of the book which is a taut read. Suspenseful and agonizing (in a good way) as the plot lines come together. In many ways this was super exciting and had me on the proverbial edge of my seat. I read it well into the night but saved the last 40 or so pages for the next day because I didn’t want to be too tired to absorb what was going on. And there was a lot going on. The ending, while satisfying because it tied up many loose ends, was perhaps a bit to tidy. Too tidy, yet I liked how it all came together and I hadn’t been able to guess the ending at all while I was reading.
When all is said and done, I liked the characters. I felt at home with them and comfortable. I wished there was a samantha who ran a no kill shelter near my home.... I would be heading over there right now to hang out with her motley crew of misfits and take pictures of all the dogs in her care.
BOTTOM LINE: A good book with a believable bunch of misfit characters. This book is not without its flaws but in the end I enjoyed spending time with it and so while vacillating between four and five stars I ultimately decided to go with five because I’d really like to see this book succeed.
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Reviews with images
It is never Just Life!
Neil Abramson has done it again. Just Life was an amazing read! I was sucked into the lives of each character, was made to feel like I was living this adventure. As a veterinarian, medical director of an animal shelter, daughter of a father who had Alzheimer's Disease and was a medicinal chemist there are so many facets of this story that pulled me in. The story is Real Life and proves that nothing and no life is Just Life! Thank you Mr. Abramson !!
Top reviews from other countries
Bonnie S.
Not for the soft hearted sensitive reader
Reviewed in Canada on March 23, 2019