Review: Silver Linings Playbook

With report cards and annual reviews out of the way, I am finally able to get back to reading, blogging, and playing video games. Yay!  Usually, I have a rule that I try not to read anything that has an overly depressing ending.  I have this rule because I find that I carry the sad ending with me for days and it is hard to shake.  Of course, I have read books like this in the past, I just tend to avoid them.

When someone suggested Silver Linings Playbook, I had no intention of even looking at it because someone had told me the movie was depressing.  However, after reading the on-line reviews and hearing a few other friends rave about it, I decided to dive in and hope for the best.

I was hooked right from the beginning.  The first person point of view drew me in and I felt like I was in Pat's head.  His way of thinking about his life as a movie that was bound to have a happy ending was almost impenetrable.  I found myself laughing and crying with him but also got so angry with him at times for not waking up to smell the coffee.  The book is full of characters who are dysfunctional in so many ways but who make you want to reach out and just give them a hug.  There were also a few moments in the story where I was completely surprised at the turn of events.  I was so sure I was going to end up sobbing at the end and elated when I instead was left with a feeling of hope and faith that the future of Pat, the character I had grown to love, really did have a silver lining.

Read this book!  It is a good one.  :)