What was missing review

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Sign me up. Already have a WordPress. Log in now. Loading Comments However, I was left incredibly disappointed. I also liked Leopold and Andrew very much. Now onto the negatives. I felt very disconnected from the characters, almost far away. It felt as though you were watching them from the outside. There was a lot of ground covered but it was only surface level.

In moments where there could have been emotional depth, the scene either ended or it was from an outsiders perspective. For example; when Henry spent hours in the bathtub or when Costanza wasn't getting out of bed. These scenes could have been met with such incredible emotional connection between reader and character but instead, we got someone else's POV.

The decision making in this book confused and frustrated me to no end. It just didn't make sense and nothing was thoroughly explained. The ending was predictable but just because I expected it, does not mean it felt any less Icky. Whether or not it was done in the manner that Andrew says it was done Was he 18 at the time? Also, I don't understand why the book never once discussed adoption or anonymous donor sperm.

Costanza briefly thought about taking a child from a train but never considered adoption?? Nov 16, Mia rated it really liked it. Those who feel the past on them always, like a shadow, and those who are free. I took my time reading this one and it definitely left me with a real book hangover! At first, it was too slow for me and I had to mentally prepare myself for this one. But then, I found myself getting more and more intrigued about each of the characters, their struggles and their past.

I eventually found myself invested with the story. She then goes through the whole IVF process. However, she definitely has some questionable choices in life but I still rooted for her from the beginning. Another character that unexpectedly stood out for me was grandpa Leopold. I think the author did such a great job developing the characters in this book. Not really sure what to feel about that.

It was a good cozy read, perfect for cold months. The story is definitely different but if you enjoy complex characters and thought provoking stories then this one is for you. Mar 16, Lindsay rated it it was amazing.

A harrowing journey of discovery. I wouldn't say I liked a single character in this book. The book paints privilege with the disgusting brush of reality that whatever the wealthy want, they believe they can obtain, regardless of the outcome.

The characters are ego-driven as oppo A harrowing journey of discovery. The characters are ego-driven as opposed to altruistic. They create their own world of disarray by suppressing the truth and believing they can justify their actions by feigning words of love and connection when all hell breaks loose, and their selfish actions rip apart the souls of the children trapped in their wake.

The ending twists and turns trough turmoil and will leave you with mouth agape. Jan 02, Aunnesha rated it really liked it. Frank does a beautiful job of fully demonstrating each characters and their complexities. Costanza's anxieties, fears, and emotions are portrayed so realistically and are so relatable that we empathize with her deeply.

I appreciate how Frank effortlessly moves between characters. He brings to life secondary but important and rich characters like Leopold and Justin who make the story feel far more complete and far more human. I loved Andrew too. He was written with so much subtlety and caution wh Frank does a beautiful job of fully demonstrating each characters and their complexities.

He was written with so much subtlety and caution which lends itself to many emotions behind and underneath the text. And Henry. Henry may be the story's weakest character, but it feels designed to be that way. His lack of courage, though consistent with his story arc, is saddening and his story feels a bit incomplete.

As for the quiet but dramatic ending of the story, I'm still thinking about it. It felt a bit strange, a bit too unwieldy and large for a such a delicate novel. Though satisfying in some ways, I think that satisfaction is a bit unearned. Dec 18, Tiff fictionaltiff rated it really liked it.

This is a book that exudes elegance and class from its start in Italy and as it continues in New York then back to Italy again. The incredibly descriptive writing completely transports the reader to where Henry and his son Andrew meet the mysterious Costanza and their complex and tragic lives intermingle.

This was one of those enjoyable reads that I loved taking my time with. A budding romance, then the heartbreaking drama that constantly throws life off of its track, Michael Frank masterfully weaves together a great story. It was just what I needed to slow the busy holiday season down a bit. Sep 15, Julia Alberino rated it really liked it. There is much to like about this book, and a bit to dislike too. For me, I couldn't stand the Henry character.

I found him arrogant, deceitful, and just plain unpleasant. Fortunately, he was balanced out by Costanza and Andrew, and some of the minor characters such as Leopold, whom I found truly delightful, and Maria Rosaria, a mother any Italian-American daughter will recognize. For those who don't know much about assisted reproduction, the explanations are easy to follow.

But what made the boo There is much to like about this book, and a bit to dislike too. But what made the book stand out for me were the complex relationships between and among the characters. That's, for me, the author's strength.

I was really interested to see what would happen to each of these characters even Henry. I won't say any more, to avoid spoilers. Aug 09, Rachel rated it liked it. This novel is a morality play for 21st Century genetics. Costanza and Andrew meet cute, in Italy. But Costanza becomes involved with Andrew's father Henry.

The plot moves the story along and the main plot twist became apparent to me well before the author would have wanted it to. The moral dilemma presented made for interesting reading. The full drama of the moral dilemma did not have me invested fully partly because I knew it was coming and partly because Henry did not jump off the page and rem This novel is a morality play for 21st Century genetics. The full drama of the moral dilemma did not have me invested fully partly because I knew it was coming and partly because Henry did not jump off the page and remained a more of a plot device than a person.

Having said that I would be inclined to read another work by Mr. Dec 28, Pencilh rated it it was amazing. I loved this novel. I had been captivated by The Mighty Franks, a memoir, so I already knew what a good writer Frank was; but the characters, and the story, in What is Missing are given to us with such a depth of compassion and nuance, I was further impressed and moved. And a man writing with such thoughtfulness and emotional awareness about a woman, we I loved this novel.

May 23, Heather Harpham rated it really liked it. Beautifully written and sharply observed story of searching for renewal -- of the most essential kind, a baby -- while still working to restore existing ties. Gorgeous glimpses of Italy.

UBER realistic descriptions of the heartbreak and rigors of fertility treatment. An unforgettable grandpa and a winning philosophical young man -- and those are just the peripheral characters. Ending is a surprising wallop but hang in there through last ten pages and it is richly rewarding.

Michael Frank, if you Beautifully written and sharply observed story of searching for renewal -- of the most essential kind, a baby -- while still working to restore existing ties. Michael Frank, if you ask me, is just getting going as a novelist. Apr 18, Mom2nine rated it liked it. Characters are believable, as there were a couple who I liked Leopold and Andrew and two who I found annoying Constanza and Henry.

So, this is my dilemma, I appreciate the midlife love story, with all of the baggage it contains, but didn't care for the two main characters. Also, the sex scenes were too graphic; I will never need to hear the many ways that a penis can be held. The story, though, has depth and deals with the messiness tied to the relatively new ways to become a pare 3. The story, though, has depth and deals with the messiness tied to the relatively new ways to become a parent and what makes one the parent.

But was there much difference between them? Sethe will honor Paul D. But the one story she does not tell him will later drive him away—as it drove away her boys, and as it drove away the neighbors. Before he leaves, Paul D. Finally, the ex-slave community, rebuilding on ashes, will intervene, and Beloved's tortured vision of a mother's love—refracted through a short nightmare life—will end with her death.

Doerr captures the sights and sounds of wartime and focuses, refreshingly, on the innate goodness of his major characters. Doerr presents us with two intricate stories, both of which take place during World War II; late in the novel, inevitably, they intersect. D-Day took place two months earlier, and Cherbourg, Caen and Rennes have already been liberated. He also crafted clever and intricate boxes, within which treasures could be hidden.

Through flashbacks we learn that Werner had been a curious and bright child who developed an obsession with radio transmitters and receivers, both in their infancies during this period. Already have an account? Log in. Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials. Sign Up. Pub Date: Oct. No Comments Yet. More by Michael Frank. New York Times Bestseller.

IndieBound Bestseller.