Lydia, a self-made millionaire at 29, is a loner, distrustful of human interaction after a depressing childhood with a miserable father. Dean is 21, a new father who is unemployed and smokes too much pot trying to escape tragedies he can't face. Robyn, 18, is a vivacious medical student with a novelist boyfriend and an apparently perfect life. On the surface, the three protagonists of Lisa Jewell's The Making of Us have little in common--except that they are all remarkably attractive. But then, separately, they make an astonishing discovery: they were all fathered by the same French sperm donor. This knowledge sends each of them on a voyage of self-discovery that will lead them to their father, to each other, to their mysterious fourth sibling--and ultimately to a better understanding of themselves.
Jewell brings these characters to life: exploring their complicated visions of themselves and the way learning about their siblings changes each of them. Though the story threatens to veer toward soap-opera melodrama, Jewell skillfully steers it back to a more believable scenario. The stories of Lydia, Dean and Robyn are each engrossing on their own; combined with the over-arching storyline of their father, they make for an irresistible read. Anyone who has ever pondered the nature of family or imagined finding a long-lost sibling will be captivated by The Making of Us.I sat down and read this whole book in one evening, which is pretty rare for me. I was just so intrigued by the siblings' journeys of self-awareness, and their finding of each other. It was fascinating. And, since I wanted to give you guys a few giveaways during my Blogiversary Week, I immediately thought back to this book, and contacted the publisher to see if they'd be willing to give one of you a copy. And they were! Scroll down for details.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Should I recommend this to my grandma? Maybe. There was were a few rather sexy scenes.
I originally wrote the main part of this review for Shelf Awareness.The image is an affiliate link.
WIN IT! One of you will win a copy of The Making of Us. (US addresses only, no PO boxes please). To enter to win, just leave a comment below, letting me know if you've ever imagined discovering a long lost sibling.
UPDATE 9/6: Winner is Amanda. Congrats!
