Customer Reviews

We Are All Fine Here

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

When I first read a review of this book, I thought this is a book I have to have as it sounds interesting and the author lives in the town where I lived for the majority of the 1990s. So when my husband was near a local bookstore a few hours later, I asked him to pick it up for me. I was surprised when he got it home and it was so, well, small. I thought I had wasted my money on this tiny little book that I didn't know much about. I had even thought of returning it.

But this was an amazing little book. It was so full of stark reality and LOL funny in some places. She had a dark sense of humor which I really enjoyed. Basically, Julia is a woman caught between two men - Jim, the one she married after she got pregnant with his child 16 years previously and Ray, her college sweetheart who she has never gotten out of her mind. When he calls her and asks her to accompany him to the wedding of old friends, she jumps at the chance not only to see many people she's lost touch with, but to spend time with Ray-her true love. But when she gets pregnant and doesn't know who the father might be as she also had one of her rare sexual encounters with her husband during this same time, things get, well, complicated.

Mary Guterson, sister of Snow Falling on Cedars author David Guterson, has an acerbic wit, and is often sarcastic as well as blunt as she writes in Julia's point of view. My only complaint is that the book could have been longer and suffered from a few typos that threw me out of the story; but those are minor quibbles in the bigger scheme of things. I will be waiting with baited breath for her next book

I feel so strongly that this is indeed the best book ever, that I used eight exclamation points (one more than the reviewer who deemed it the "worst book ever") in order to convey my enthusiasm. Come on, Ms. Hebert, are you crazy?! The book is so insightful and funny. Where's your sense of humor? Is there a Hebert brother who got all the humor in the family?
Read this book; you'll love it.

This book is actually a 4.5 star read for me ~ there should be 1/2 stars options :)

Julia has been married to Jim for 15 years; they have a son, Chad, who is your typical teenager. Julia yearns for more in her life but not sure what and finds herself thinking about Ray, her college lover, more often than not.

Julia finds herself in a life-changing situation. She becomes pregnant and has an idea who the father of the baby is; you have to read the book to find out more!

Nicely written and funny in all the right parts. The ending surprised me but was beautiful.

I got it at the library on a Carnival Cruise with lots of ports and few at sea days... Well, I started to wish there were fewer port days so I could just sit back and enjoy this delightful read. It really is a great book, full of "naked truths" and "gallows humour" and sometimes I thought the author must have read my mind before she sat down and wrote about it.
It's not very long but less is more, the point comes across, to go on any longer would be superfluous.
Over all, a really good intelligent read!

When I got home from work last night this book had mysteriously appeared on my back porch railing, wrapped in a plastic baggie and weighed down by a big rock. No note with it, but whoever had left it there must know me well because he or she had gotten the author to autograph and personalize it for me and my name was spelled right. I'll have to do some detecting today to figure out which clever friend or relative knew how much I'd appreciate this tasty morsel. Whoever you are, THANKS! I NEEDED THAT! Like most reviewers here, I read it in a single sitting, and did a lot of chortling. Every few pages I'd say to myself, "[Friend] would LOVE this!" until I eventually realized I'd gone through the list of every intelligent woman with a sense of humor in my acquaintance. I'd say that's a pretty good indication of a fine piece of work. Highly recommended.

Just read an advance copy of this book and could not put it down--don't be fooled by a cliched chick lit cover, it's incredibly moving.

I'm always attracted to odd-ball-sized books at my library and when I picked up Mary Guterson's WE ARE ALL FINE HERE I was not disappointed. Her voice, spare prose, and poignant takes on 'oh hell, I'm pregnant and I'm almost 40 and I don't know who the father is' had me hooked. This story could've devolved into a maudlin, whinging pity-party.

But it didn't.

Well done, Mary Guterson. I eagerly await your next novel.

I thought this was a great book. Wonderful writing, very funny, it reminded me a lot of "Good in Bed". What I will remember most about it is the ending, which I think almost every married woman should be able to relate to. I'm waiting for her next one.

Has anyone else noticed how this book's cover is almost IDENTICAL to "Savannah Comes Undone"? Savannah Comes Undone (Savannah) Very odd indeed.

I certainly wouldn't call this book chick lit in comparision to the chick lit I've read.

It's a very real, relateable and laugh-out-loud look at life. I love the stream of consciousness writing and the run on sentences.

Reading this book feels a lot like sitting down with Mary Guterson and listening to her as she rants about a really bad day. Sure it's a bit dark, but it's honest. I love it! I find this a very fun and entertaining book.