Reviews for Breakdown Lane

The average rating for Breakdown Lane based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2013-11-17 00:00:00 Norm Weagant This was a very good read, and it probably would have gotten 5 stars if the ending wasn't so out of left field. The book is told through the journals of Julieanne and her son, Gabe, a teenager who has problems with school-learning but has a gift of writing. When we meet Julieanne, she has quite the enviable life--a posh pedigree, a handsome, high-earning husband, loving in-laws, and two great kids, plus another one on the way. But then her husband Leo, tells her he needs to go on a hiatus to "find himself," and his sporadic contact soon turns to no contact as he disappears from their lives. The family is stunned, of course, but they're dealt an even bigger blow as Julieanne is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. I liked this book because the author didn't feel the need to make Julieanne into a saint because she was sick. She was haughty, arrogant, and a bit self-centered before she was diagnosed, and her flaws remained after she got the doctor's news. So because of this, her kids' reactions seemed very real, not just the actions of spoiled teenagers. Leo, on the other hand, seemed very one-dimensional to me--pretty much the exact definition of a cad. I couldn't see any redeeming qualities in him. My only issue with the book was that the ending didn't do it justice. The book is about struggle, hardship, and reality. And not to give anything away, but the ending deviated just a bit too much from that for my liking. Still, I really enjoyed this book, and look forward to trying the author again.

Review # 2 was written on 2009-04-07 00:00:00 Jose Marquez If you are a person angry at any man in your life, this might not be the right time to read this book because my overriding sense was that I was so infuritated with the husband/father character I wanted to strangle him. The Breakdown Lane, in my opinion, is a story of a 15-year old boy who has to grow up quickly to care for his quickly deterioriating family. I felt every emotion imaginable for this young man, Gabe. I wanted to reach through the pages of the story and give him a hug. His normal teenage angst of girlfriends, school and acne are buffers to what he endures as caretaker of his baby sister and ill mother. When he's angry, I was angry, when he was glib, I would smile wryly at his self-deprecating humor. When he stood up for his family, I was as proud of him had he been my own son. The story, too, centers around a woman unexpectedly facing a life-altering disease and her frustrations at suddenly having limits on her physical and mental capabilities. It is about a friend, who stays by her side, without question, without being asked. Strong characters, strong emotions, a strong story, very well-written. Quite the ending, too. I recommend it.