Marieke (mariekes_mesmerizing_books)'s Reviews > The Guncle Abroad
The Guncle Abroad (The Guncle, #2)
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I don’t want to feel this way. I imagined being delighted and laughing out loud and so happy after reading this sequel. But even though I liked the story to a certain extent, it was not the fantastic blast I was expecting.
The Guncle was one of my favorite 2021 reads. I loved Patrick, Maisie, and especially ‘being mythelf’ Grant, who helped each other deal with their grief. I loved what a lighthearted read it was despite all the sadness. But while reading The Guncle Abroad, I missed Patrick’s caftans, his skin-rejuvenating masks, his Mimosa’s, the trouple living next to him, and Grant’s lisp (I know I shouldn’t miss it, but I really did …).
I also didn’t care much about the traveling part. It might be because I’m European and have seen all the places Patrick visited with Maisie and Grant. Those places felt too one dimensional, even cartoonish sometimes: The Sacre Coeur in Paris, Family von Trap in Salzburg, the gondolas in Venice, George Clooney living at Lake Como.
This doesn’t mean I didn’t like the story at all. I loved the first chapter, I adored the ending, and Emory is, this time, my favorite. I treasured the way Patrick taught the kids about love and how Maisie and Grant stood up for Emory. And there’s a Launt!!!!
The last third of the book was actually really good and I felt like I was reading The Guncle again. But that’s not enough to gush about a book, right?
Maybe I was just in the wrong headspace to read this one. I don’t know. What I do know is that I long for a third book with Emory in the lead. Not just a few pages but a full story. I imagine Maisie being a twenty-one-year-old college student who just beats her uncle in their conversations because she actually always knows better and Grant being a moody sixteen-year-old because of the hormones running through his body. So, Steven, could you please give me that book? One that I could rate five stars again?
Thank you so much, Penguin Group, Putnam Books, and NetGalley for one of my most anticipated 2024 ARCs!
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The Guncle was one of my favorite 2021 reads. I loved Patrick, Maisie, and especially ‘being mythelf’ Grant, who helped each other deal with their grief. I loved what a lighthearted read it was despite all the sadness. But while reading The Guncle Abroad, I missed Patrick’s caftans, his skin-rejuvenating masks, his Mimosa’s, the trouple living next to him, and Grant’s lisp (I know I shouldn’t miss it, but I really did …).
I also didn’t care much about the traveling part. It might be because I’m European and have seen all the places Patrick visited with Maisie and Grant. Those places felt too one dimensional, even cartoonish sometimes: The Sacre Coeur in Paris, Family von Trap in Salzburg, the gondolas in Venice, George Clooney living at Lake Como.
This doesn’t mean I didn’t like the story at all. I loved the first chapter, I adored the ending, and Emory is, this time, my favorite. I treasured the way Patrick taught the kids about love and how Maisie and Grant stood up for Emory. And there’s a Launt!!!!
The last third of the book was actually really good and I felt like I was reading The Guncle again. But that’s not enough to gush about a book, right?
Maybe I was just in the wrong headspace to read this one. I don’t know. What I do know is that I long for a third book with Emory in the lead. Not just a few pages but a full story. I imagine Maisie being a twenty-one-year-old college student who just beats her uncle in their conversations because she actually always knows better and Grant being a moody sixteen-year-old because of the hormones running through his body. So, Steven, could you please give me that book? One that I could rate five stars again?
Thank you so much, Penguin Group, Putnam Books, and NetGalley for one of my most anticipated 2024 ARCs!
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Reading Progress
August 24, 2023
– Shelved
August 24, 2023
– Shelved as:
to-read
December 9, 2023
–
Started Reading
December 9, 2023
–
0.0%
"So excited to be back with GUP, Maisie, and Grant again! A bit nervous to start reading, though, because will it live up to its prequel???"
December 10, 2023
–
12.0%
"Telling kids they’re lucky they’re not in a country where they eat boiled potatoes and cabbage, Steven? It’s called ‘stamppot’ here and it’s actually quite nice (but kids here also prefers pizza to stamppot 😭)."
December 11, 2023
–
26.0%
December 11, 2023
–
30.0%
December 12, 2023
–
62.0%
December 13, 2023
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-44 of 44 (44 new)
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~Nicole~
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Dec 13, 2023 07:20PM
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Yeah, I agree. It's just like there's just one thing those places are familiar of (like George Clooney and Lake Como....).
Thanks, Nicole! I adored The Guncle and now I hardly laughed about the story. I really expected this to be at least a four star read. Maybe I should reread it in the summer.
You should definitely read The Guncle someday, Angelika! It's fantastic!
😂😂😂 I want to apply too! There are just too many books and there's too little time!
I hope it will pick up for you! Curious about your thoughts when you've finished it!
Sorry Nicole, I just found out you commented on my review. Thanks anyway! and yeah, if you didn't like The Guncle, I don't thing you'll like this one either.
Yeah, I hated that I didn't like this book as much as I loved the prequel. But somehow, I still long for a third book because I want to feel again what I felt after that first one.
I did really like the end of the book though
Sorry it was a bit underwhelming for you too, Kelly. The Guncle is such a great book, though!
I did live the part where they were dancing around the fountain on their Sound of Music tour …