• 5 Star Reads
  • Audiobooks
  • Books on Screen
  • Children’s Books
  • Christian
  • Fiction
  • Giveaways

5 Minutes For Books

  • Home
  • About
    • Who Are We? Reviewer Bios
    • 5 Star Reads
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
    • About Us
  • Join In
    • 5 Minutes for Books Bookclub
    • Children’s Classics
    • Kids’ Picks
    • What’s on Your Nightstand
  • Link To Us
  • Contact
    • Advertise

Start Without Me

October 17, 2017 by Dawn

5M4B disclosure

Oh, Thanksgiving– the holiday known for copious eating and, too often, family strife. Most folks I know can relate to the stress that comes with large family gatherings, but I am absolutely thankful that none of my Thanksgivings have ever resembled the one holiday experienced by the two protagonists in the new novel Start Without Me by Joshua Max Feldman. Dysfunctional families, a wavering sobriety, and a recent marital indiscretion are among the troubling factors of this particular holiday.

The novel starts off innocently enough, with Adam back home for the first time in years, finally sober and ready to rejoin the family circle. Or so he thought. Unfortunately, he ends up screwing up as usual, and he hightails it out of there.

Marissa is a flight attendant on her way to her in-laws’ house in between flights, but not with a ton of enthusiasm. Her husband’s family has never truly embraced her, and her marriage has a growing fragility about it that leaves Marissa wanting to simply wait at the airport for her evening flight instead.

Adam and Marissa, strangers to each other at the beginning of the day, end up spending Thanksgiving together in a series of unpredictable situations that draw them together with understanding and empathy, even as they each feel comfortable giving the other realistic feedback about their choices. Somehow, this man and woman connect in a completely non-sexual manner and seem to almost immediately be able to read the other and see to their true selves.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel, especially the frequent narrative technique that had each character imagining elaborate scenarios that would logically follow their actions but did not actually take place. These characters are both very much in their own heads, and the amount of self-doubt they each possess, along with the consequences of that doubt was extremely relatable to me. Reality is messy and complicated for these characters, making for a novel fraught with loss and disappointment, but perhaps some small rays of hope, too.

tlc-logo-resized

For more perspectives, check out the TLC Book Tour for Start Without Me. 

Purchase Links: HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Author Links: Website, Facebook, and Twitter

Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed. Follow us@5M4B on Twitter or on Facebook. Pin away with us on Pinterest.

Filed Under: Dawn, Fiction

« A Little Book About a Big Problem — Anger
Ban This Book »

Comments

  1. Patti Smith says

    October 19, 2017 at 11:43 am

    “Somehow, this man and woman connect in a completely non-sexual manner and seem to almost immediately be able to read the other and see to their true selves.”

    I was sooooo relieved that this was the case! I think if they had had an intimate relationship or been attracted to each other in any way, the book would have been ruined. It was a much better story without any added drama I thought 🙂
    Enjoyed your review 🙂

  2. trish says

    October 20, 2017 at 2:58 am

    I love the idea of elaborate scenarios that would logically follow actions but don’t actually take place. I like that because I often think of elaborate scenarios based on actions I myself might take. It’d be interesting to see that executed in a book.

    Thank you for being on the tour!

Connect with us

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Welcome to 5 Minutes for Books. We are a team blog dedicated to sharing reviews and information about children's lit, fiction, memoir, and more. Read More…

Reviews

5 Minutes for Books

Jennifer Donovan
Managing Editor

MEET OUR TEAM



Connect With Us


Pinterest

Community

Cybils Logo Draft 3

Disclosure:

Find out about our relationships with publishers and affiliate networks in our full disclosure statement.

Recent Posts

  • Death and the Conjuror
  • The Drowning Sea
  • The Catch Me if You Can
  • Remember Whose Little Girl You Are
  • How to Draw Cool Stuff

Categories

Privacy Policy    |     Disclosure Policy
Terms & Conditions
© 5 Minutes for Mom

Let’s Socialize

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Pinterest is Our FAVORITE!

Find and Follow Us at
pinterest.com/5min4books

Copyright © 2022 · Tasteful theme by Restored 316