Celine Keating

In a Nutshell: A character-oriented contemporary fiction based in the Hamptons. Has great potential and themes, but gets bogged down by too many details and excessive length. Still, could work well as a mood read.

Story Synopsis:
When a friend invites Clancy, a thirty-six-year-old claims adjuster, to a party in Montauk, he doesn't realise that he will soon have the power to change the fate of the community by deciding what happens to the last piece of undeveloped land in Montauk.
Several characters are involved in the ongoing drama – a bartender whose house is affected by coastal erosion, a motel owner who is also an artist and an environmentalist, an old man who is trying to reconcile with his family, a young couple who is struggling to hold on to their property.
The story comes to us through all their perspectives in third person.

Bookish Yays:
😍 The representation of Montauk and its natural beauty. The author clearly knows the region well or has done her research well.
😍 The characters, representing various age groups and behaviours. All main characters are sketched realistically, being more complex than straightforward. This works well in the character-oriented story.
😍 The small town vibes, complete with community spirit as well as internal clashes. Seeing many of the events from Clancy’s outsider perspective adds to the appeal.
😍 The tackling of environmental issues created by climate change as well as corporate greed. Loved the authentic representation of how small communities suffer when greed overrules common sense.

Bookish Mixed Bags:
😐 Quite a few impactful themes such as climate change, foster homes, parental abandonment, sexual abuse, juvenile delinquency, and many more. Some of these are apt for the plot as they connect with the core premise. The rest, while relevant in general, just clutter the book. Of course, this means that the novel will be a good choice for book club discussions. (There is a list of book club questions at the end of the novel.)
😐 The writing style is quite poetic and descriptive. Every scene is written in such a lyrical way as to bring the setting to life. However, I am not that fond of too much of descriptive prose in fiction, so this approach dragged my experience downwards.
😐 The story comes to us from multiple character perspectives, though Clancy’s pov, as the common thread, is the dominant one. This helps us know the characters well. But the constant shift in perspectives gets annoying after a while, especially as each character is tackling a separate personal problem in addition to the joint issue of safeguarding their homes.

Bookish Nays:
😒 The pacing is terribly slow, mainly due to the excessive descriptions and the extensive character build-up at the start.
😒 The blurb made it sound like the environmental angle was the main one, but the story goes all over the pace, with every character having hidden secrets and issues to be resolved. The focus was missing from the plot development with such an overreaching approach.

All in all, I did like the core story, but the meandering manner in which it unfurled was not to my reading preferences. I might have enjoyed it more had I picked it up at a more relaxed time, but in this busy period, the roundabout development and constantly shifting character perspectives just bogged down my reading flow.

Recommended to readers who would enjoy a slow-paced character-oriented story with multiple contemporary themes.

3.25 stars.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author through the Library Thing Early Reviewers Program. This review is voluntary and contains an honest opinion about my reading experience.… (altro)

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review*

I remember when I first started reading this novel thinking I wouldn't enjoy it. I worried it would be too plain or flat. However, I gobbled up The Stark Beauty of Last Things.

What I love about the novel is that it gets deep enough into the characters for us to feel depth and to connect with them but not so deep that the story gets lost or rambles too long. When an author chooses to spotlight multiple viewpoints, it's incredibly easy to create spaghetti. This novel felt like a Dickenson novel without the dryness or incredible length. It highlights more nuanced, day to day issues around a community of people... Nothing in the book is terribly exciting or climatic. You get a slice of life. I resonated with several aspects of each character. My life moments were mirrored back to me just enough to create pause and reflection.

I'm not sure who I would recommend this novel to which is an interesting feeling. I will read it again in the future regardless. If you enjoy multiple viewpoints, done at an excellent pace, with excellent detail to the landscape surrounding the characters then I think you'll enjoy this novel. You may resonate yourself with adapting to change especially change enforced by others. Or maybe you like a novel that is cozy to read with just enough insight to make you think.… (altro)

I was really hoping there would be some other reviews by the time I got this up. My moms family is from Long Island, not as far out as Montauk, but nevertheless I’ve been out and spent many summers on the beaches. The stories were, impactful, but distant to most readers, even ones with ties to LI. It’s hard to sympathise with anyone going against affordable housing or environmental reclamation. Reading a book like this it just did not grab me, I had such high expectations. And the plot holes — the sexual assault went unresolved. The Deus ex machina. It’s just an unfortunate ending. All of this, it’s just unsatisfying.… (altro)

Lily’s story opens with Lily and her husband, Stephen, dropping their only son, Colby, off at college. Lily isn’t ready for an empty nest; Stephen is. Stephen has his work as a planner for the city of Manhattan. Lily creates educational and business videos for a small Manhattan firm. She struggles with her newly empty life.
Colby invites his mother to a James Taylor concert. Lily jumps at the chance to be with her son. However, it’s the opening band that changes Lily’s life forever. The guitarist is able to reach down to the bottom of her soul and reawaken her passions and her desires for more creative outlets. I can’t remember the name of the duo, but lead singer Blaise and guitarist JJ, especially the way JJ plays, opens her heart and soul as they haven’t been opened in years.
Lily finds herself seduced by JJ’s playing; she begins to follow the band and catch their shows wherever they are appearing. She feels stupid for her desire to hear JJ play as much as she possible can. Then she gets the idea of creating a documentary about the pair. One she gets Blaise to agree, Lily goes on the road with them. Although it’s only for a week, Lily knows this is the most important thing she has ever done.
As they travel through New England and into Canada, Lily realizes she is endangering her marriage. At first, Stephen thinks it’s a fantastic opportunity, but as the phone calls home become less and the conversations strained, he begins to wonder what is really happening.
Keating does a wonderful job in exploring what many women go through: the re-identification of herself after the kids are grown and gone. The story built both slowly and quickly. Blaise’s initial outburst when she discovered Lily taping one of their concerts seems over-the-top, but as the story progresses, readers understand her action. A fast read, the story grabbed hold of me from Page 1 and never let up until I reached the conclusion. Keating left enough wiggle room at the end for a sequel, and I hope she is writing it.
I give Play for Me 5 out of 5 stars.… (altro)