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| Plot Summary of Same as It Never Was |
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St. Martin's, Apr 2003, 24.95, 352 pp.
ISBN: 0312312490
UCLA junior Olivia Martin detests her extended family for honoring her with an advance degree in relational cynicism. Her mother is so pathetically immature that Olivia wonders whom raised who. Her father is so bossy, she wonders if anyone else is allowed oxygen when he is around. His second wife always defers to her royal husband on anything no matter how minuscule it seems. Finally, her preschool half sister Celia is so girlish she serves as a reminder for why she loathes anyone who mentions the virtues of families. Beware Dan Quayle.
However, her college haven ends when her father and his spouse die in a car crash. Though inheriting the large LA mansion is not a shock, being named guardian to prissy Celia is. While trying to avoid premature motherhood and continue with her good time lifestyle, Olivia begins to care for her sad ward. Soon Olivia begins to fall in love with the executor of her father's estate, but Dennis Klein expects her to nurture her half-sister beyond turning on the TV and giving the brat sugar. He demands she do the decent thing.
Though poignant, readers will wonder about the girl whom sought freedom at any cost becoming so responsible and dependable not because of her sis' need, but due to the exec's response. Still the characters engage the audience as Olivia struggles with a dysfunctional family before the car accident and even afterward as the ghost of her overbearing dad lingers and her helpless mom tries to “help”. Fans of a coming of age chick lit drama will relish Claire Scovell LaZebnik's tale.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Same as It Never Was |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of story
- Present (2000-2010)
Who:
- sister
Inner struggle subplot
Yes
Struggle with...
- angst over past dead relative(s)
Family focus?
Yes
Family, loving
Yes
Main Male Character
Profession/status:
- lawyer creature
Age/status:
- 20's-30's
How sexual is this person?
- very picky
How romantic is this person?
- somewhat romantic
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Female Character
Age/status:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- wealthy
How sexual is this person?
- very picky
How romantic is this person?
- very romantic
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- California
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
What % of story is romance related?
- 70%
Focus of story
- equally on him and her
How much dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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