It was artistically abysmal and I would not have finished it if it weren't for the library book club I read it for. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. The Deep End of the Ocean (Cappadora Family, #1), The Deep End of the Ocean (Cappadora Family #1), Jacquelyn Mitchard. The author says The Deep End of the Ocean is loosely based on the story of the abduction of Steven Stayner, the boy who saved Timothy White. I enjoyed this book. This best-selling novel looks at how Pat and Beth Cappadora handle the disappearance of their child Ben. It was really hard to wrap my head around all the characters and the central story. Refresh and try again. In this case, however, the coincidence is more of a result of a "what if" question, rather than a "how can I loop this all together" scenario. Yes, sometimes it is a pain. The book won numerous awards including the 2013 Locus Award and the 2013 Specsavers National Book Award for Book of the Year. I don't have children so it is hard to imagine the heart break of having one kidnapped. Lord knows I have done it enough with my 3 girls. I tried skimming a few pages, but when I got to the part where they had to identify a small child in the morgue, I put the book down. Maybe it was that even though his brother was supposed to watch him and didn't, there was never any real attempt made to tell the brother that it was really NOT his fault. And I strongly disliked Beth. Ben does not remember his birth family. .. What if all the legends you’ve learned were wrong? I could actually say I have a lot in common with this book being. Three three characters saved this book average rating, so that is always a good thing. MOM could have held on to him while they checked into the hotel. I really didn't want to be reading a book about a child being kidnapped and killed or abused. I get lost in the sorrow I feel for this family. Filled with compassion, humor, and brilliant observations about the texture of real life, here is a story of rare power, one that will touch readers’ hearts and make them celebrate the emotions that make us all one. This is a well-constructed story about the effects a certain tragedy had on one family. MOM was the adult. The Deep End of the Sea. A few years after the kidnapping, Pat and Beth luckily cross paths with Ben, and they all begin the process of healing. Don't forget to print your list of official Oprah’s Book Club selections and mark the ones you’ve completed. As the product of an Italian-Irish union I found the extended families entirely relatable, and I thought the character of Candy was especially great. “The End of the Ocean” is a story that follows a 70-year-old woman, Signe. ), “And it was that, the beyond-grief, the sealing-up of a mind still expected to produce order and plans, which she dreaded.”, “It was that palpable sense of presence shoved up against the reality of absence, like hot against cold, that really threatened to buckle the whole mass.”, Hi Lisa, I have been meaning to read The Deep End of the Ocean but might skip it based on our rating. MOM could have held on to him while they checked into the hotel. | ISBN 9781101199565 I felt like it was not about him anymore. A… More about Jacquelyn Mitchard, Sign up for news about books, authors, and more from Penguin Random House, Visit other sites in the Penguin Random House Network. There were times when i didn't really understand Beth's behavior. Family completely falls apart & remaining kids are neglected. Lord knows I have done it enough with my 3 girls. The plot left unpleasantly dangling threads in several places where the author would take us to a location or revelation and then stop talking about it - including a pointless affair that did not contribute to the overall plot in any way. I just can't do it. This book was a bit depressing, but ultimately I found it well worth reading. As the product of an Italian-Irish union I found the extended families entirely relatable, and I thought the character of Candy was especially great. Maybe it was that Beth was shallow and so empty inside and that seemed to be her before Ben was kidnapped. And that's not what it was at all, so rest assured. I'm traumatized. I related most with the brother that didn't watch his brother like the mother asked. Everything you need to understand or teach This is quite possibly one of the worst books I have ever read. The story of a family in the wake of a tragedy. I did not really care for this one. It is a story about a family who lose a child. In THE DEEP END OF THE OCEAN, her debut novel, Jacquelyn Mitchard takes readers on this sad, fist-shaking journey. For the main character that we followed in the book, that is not a good thing. We’d love your help. Sam/Ben I liked, as well, but, since we did not really get to know him too well, this was a minor interest for me. It's been a while since I first read this but I read it on a trip to visit my mother, finished it at her house and flung it across the room. You just don't sit the. The characters really weren't that developed (and for me to notice that is saying something). Buy. 2.5 stars. Mitchard invites comparisons to Picoult, who is by far the superior author. The topic may not be a real draw for some readers, but life really does throw people under the bus sometimes and their lives are forever impacted. The story follows... Few first novels receive the kind of attention and acclaim showered on this powerful story—a nationwide bestseller, a critical success, and the first title chosen for Oprah's Book Club. This book was just ok. Are there other books that follow?