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Comments (17)

What did you think about this title?
1 to 17 of 17 items
May 18, 2022beaver1948 rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
I've really enjoyed some of Quindlen's books including Miller's Valley & Still Life with Bread Crumbs. This book does not live up to her great writing skills. It's plot is very thin - predictable - and the unrelenting long-list of…
Nov 12, 2019ArapahoeJulieH rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Quindlen invites us into the lives of the Nora and Charlie and their friends in an upscale Upper West Side NY neighborhood full of “first-world worries” as their kids have coined it. As a recent transplant from NY, this book chronicles…
Sep 19, 2019nancyau12 rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
My least favorite book by this author. Likeable characters were few.
May 11, 2019DorisWaggoner rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Quindlen's writing is always smooth and sophisticated, and this is no exception. But "Alternate Side" is not one of her best. The opening seemed promising, but then it became very hard to get into for a long time. The major incident that…
Apr 02, 2019darcy_lynn rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
One of the most boring books I have ever read.
Feb 13, 2019ellenmargaret1953 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Her books are just like talking to a close friend. She pulls you into her family, neighborhood, and work environment. Nora and her friends say what is in your own mind. Do critical events like a birth, death, divorce, accident or trauma…
Jan 12, 2019rodraglin rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
A story about nothing, or about everything and nothing specific Alternate Side by Anna Quindlen is a story about New Yorkers, though not necessarily those native to the city, but those who have become successful and thrive on its energy…
Dec 03, 2018njaneal rated this title 1.5 out of 5 stars
Her other books are much better. I felt the first 240 pages set up the last 40. Nothing really happened in those first 240 pages - nothing to hook you into reading the rest. I did enjoy the last 40 pages - but it took a LONG time to get…
Nov 08, 2018
Recommended by Strib
Jul 11, 2018
This book Pulled me in at the beginning but it left me disappointed and bored toward the end. The set-up was great: an insulated upper middle class Manhattan neighborhood gets shook up when one of their own assaults Ricky, their…
Jun 21, 2018
Quindlen is always fun to read, but I struggled with this one. There is a lot of sympathy here for rich people behaving badly, getting off scott-free with no one really having to face up to the consequences of their actions, beyond…
Jun 05, 2018fashiongirl rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Loved it, quick, and easy read for the summer! City dwellers can relate to a few of the daily dramas of city living described in the book.
Jun 01, 2018bronteside rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
The dead end street of this novel is metaphorical And oxymoronic : while dogs , neighbours and marriages die- There is life leaving it. Everything that happens here - happens everywhere else. The only difference? In the end Almost…
Apr 27, 2018AnneCarolineDrake rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Not Anna Quindlen's best. The tension between have's and have not's is a bit trite. Yet, the book redeems itself with an honest portrayal of family and neighborhood dynamics in NYC. I read it in one day and didn't want to put it…
Apr 09, 2018ehbooklover rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
What at first seems to be an exploration of a New York City neighbourhood actually morphs into an examination of a disintegrating marriage. I loved the characters, flaws and all. And as always, I really enjoyed Quindlen's writing style.
Mar 19, 2018darladoodles rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
A big thank you to Random House and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I wanted to like this book and at times I did enjoy it. NYC is a compelling setting for a book and I did appreciate that…
Mar 01, 2018carolefort rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I must admit that I am a fan of Ms. Quindlen's writing, be it fiction or non-fiction. This particular novel tells the story of Nora and Charlie Nolan, who live on a dead-end upper-crust block in NYC which provides them with close…