Book Review: Carry the One by Carol Anshaw

Happy Sunday, readers!

I'm a little behind on my blogging because I've been on a bit of a book binge this week (1 book finished Thursday, 2 read yesterday) so I'll try to get those reviews posted as soon as I can!

I received an advance copy of Carry the One by Carol Anshaw in November from the publisher, Simon & Schuster, Inc. It came out last month, in March. The back cover immediately hooked me into this novel. Here's the summary, courtesy of Goodreads:

I LOVE this cover art!

Carry the One begins in the hours following Carmen’s wedding reception, when a car filled with stoned, drunk, and sleepy guests accidently hits and kills a girl on a dark, country road. For the next twenty-five years, those involved, including Carmen and her brother and sister, connect and disconnect and reconnect with each other and their victim. As one character says, “When you add us up, you always have to carry the one.”

Through friendships and love affairs; marriage and divorce; parenthood, holidays, and the modest tragedies and joys of ordinary days, Carry the One shows how one life affects another and how those who thrive and those who self-destruct are closer to each other than we’d expect. Deceptively short and simple in its premise, this novel derives its power and appeal from the author’s beautifully precise use of language; her sympathy for her very recognizable, flawed characters; and her persuasive belief in the transforming forces of time and love.

Carry the One starts with the action right away. The aftermath of the accident is extremely realistic and shakes the lives of the 20-somethings involved. In spite of following the characters for 25 years following the accident, I never really felt drawn by them. The relationship just hadn't been formed between myself and any of the characters, so I found myself going along for the ride, not living the experience as though I was there, too. All characters have their downfalls and shortcomings, but I feel Anshaw highlighted those more with these characters and didn't highlight their "good side" enough, if at all for some of them. The storyline itself was fantastically original and exciting, but Anshaw definitely fell short in character development.


I recommend this novel for anyone who does not need to feel an extreme bond with characters in a novel, but is looking for a pretty decent storyline.

FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of this novel from the author or publisher in exchange for an honest review.


This is my progress for the year:
Carry the One by Carol Anshaw
Rating: 3/5
Pages: 269
2012 Reading Goal: 6,508/15,000


Be on the lookout for the rest of my reviews! :)