2024 the best cast review

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2019 Foreword Indies Finalist in Adult Fiction—General 2018 IPPY Gold Medal Winner in Popular Fiction 2018 International Book Awards Finalist in Best New Fiction
Twenty-five years ago, a group of ninth graders produced a Saturday Night Live–style videotape to cheer up their ailing friend. The show’s running time was only ninety minutes, but it had a lasting impact: Becca laughed her way through recovery, and the group—Jordana, Seth, Holly, and Lex—became her supporting cast for life. On the silver anniversary of Becca Night Live, the friends reunite over the Fourth of July to celebrate Becca’s good health—but nothing goes as planned. The happy holiday card facades everyone’s been hiding behind quickly crumble and give way to an unforgettable three days filled with complex moral dilemmas and life-altering choices. Through humor, drama, and the alternating perspectives of five characters, The Cast explores the power of forgiveness, the importance of authenticity, and the immeasurable value of deep, enduring friendships to buoy us when life plays out differently than expected.

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0787TNRG4
Publisher ‏ : ‎ SparkPress (August 14, 2018)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 14, 2018
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2243 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 312 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1943006725
Reviewer: Long-ago NYU student
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A wondrous novel
Review: I loved reading the book, “The Cast”, written by a truly gifted new novelist, Amy Blumenfeld. I can’t further embellish the glowing accolades given in the other reviews here. I can, however, favorably compare this compelling fictional book to some previous important literary and cinematic works of art.The structural outline of “The Cast” somewhat parallels that of the captivating 1983 movie “The Big Chill”. (written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan). In that film, forty-something former college classmates (played by Glenn Close, William Hurt and others) reunite at the South Carolina seaside home of one of their comrades (Kevin Kline) where conflicts and drama arise from old wounds. At the same time, some hilarious scenes of joy and mirth are woven into the mix. Similarly, in “The Cast”, we find childhood friends in their forties, re-uniting at the Berkshire mountains’ summer manse of Jordana, one of the core members of a close-knit group of five New Yorkers known as the “Cast”. Many dramatic happenings occur during this critical and eventful weekend. As in “ The Big Chill”, there are some funny, even musical scenes interspersed with the drama.So, the engaging structural premises of“The Big Chill” and “The Cast” are, therefore, very much akin.As for character types, “The Cast” can be compared to another literary work—Mary McCarthy’s early 1960s novel, “The Group” (later adapted into a film directed by Sidney Lumet). “The Group” centers around a group of Depression-era Vassar College girls (played by Candace Bergen, Joan Hackett and others in the film). The fictional work follows their lives after their 1933 graduation from that elite “Seven Sister” school. Similarly, “The Cast” follows the enduring friendships of five Queens, New York students beginning in their teen years. As time proceeds, these bright youngsters earn their way into top, mostly Ivy League schools. Like the upwardly mobile, mostly-WASP women in “The Group”, the Jewish high achievers of “The Cast” struggle to find their way in the world after college. As an added twist, they have to go through catharsis dealing with their original trauma resulting from the childhood cancer experienced by the central character, Becca. New problems arise along the way, and climax at the mountaintop Reunion.Lastly, I found many of Blumenfeld’s crisp and witty observations similar in feeling to those of the acclaimed fiction/screen-writer, Nora Ephron( “When Harry Met Sally”, “Sleepless in Seattle”). Like, Ephron, Blumenfeld has an excellent eye for the minutia of everyday life. Additionally, the way she describes smart, young New Yorkers as they struggle through a myriad of life’s challenges, is thought-provoking, exhilirating and tempered by humor.This novel was tremendously engrossing. Though the story related in “The Cast” is unique, it manages to call up memories of my own life. It has served to remind me of the the fun, the struggles and the love I have shared with good friends and family over the decades.

Reviewer: Genevieve
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Very enjoyable read
Review: I really enjoyed this book. Each chapter is written in the first person for each of the main characters. I found that a little tricky at first but on the whole it worked really well. The characters are interesting and believable if not a little quirky at times! I also loved that one of the couples were devoted ultra orthordox jews and it was so interesting to see how that looks for someone in their day to day life. I also liked the way that their friends simply respected and supported their decisions, and it was no big deal.A lovely read that it happy, sad and enjoyable.

Reviewer: Linda Knight
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Review
Review: A little slow reading. Unfortunately I got bogged down frequently with all of the different character’s “issues”. Still a nice read for summer about lifetime friendships and loyalty

Reviewer: Lisa Barr
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Fab Debut -- Here's to The Cast
Review: How many times can a person cheat death? Talented author Amy Blumenfeld’s debut novel THE CAST is not only captivating, but also thought-provoking and a page-turner. She explores the traumatic scenario of what happens when one of your besties has cancer, and she is only fifteen. Of course—if you’re a kid, you make her laugh. Becca’s posse, a group of high school freshmen, produced a “Saturday Night Live”-style videotape that would have an enormous impact on her life and theirs for the next twenty-five years. “The Cast” – as they came to be known, decides to commemorate Becca’s silver anniversary of being cancer-free with a weekend spent together. The novel is very Big Chill-ish – the reunion itself is no longer about teen trials and tribulations, but about adults dealing with marital issues, divorce, affairs, parenting, career changes, religious differences, love and loss. The story is skillfully told through cast members’ alternating points of view, and it is seamless. Each character navigates the impact of Becca’s cancer on his and her own life. The one unbreakable weaved through it all is the power of friendship. This is a wonderful book. Blumenfeld has a gift for compelling character development, handling the deep issue of childhood trauma and the adults born out of it with sensitivity, humor, and spot-on nuance.

Reviewer: Heather Frimmer
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Getting the band back together
Review: I have to admit that I'm a sucker for the "getting the band back together" genre of books and this one delivers. I love the "cast" of characters. Each one is interesting and real with unique challenges to face during the course of the story. Blumenfeld's writing brought me right in to the the lives of the cast and the touches of humor kept the story from getting bogged down during the tragic moments. I really enjoyed this debit novel and I look forward to more from Blumenfeld.

Reviewer: Boston Boy
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A fine debut by a very talented writer.
Review: I very much enjoyed Amy Blumenfeld's moving novel about a woman's experience with cancer and the effect it has on her circle of friends and family. The book centers on a weekend in the Berkshires that challenges the protagonist Becca and the five friends who have come together to celebrate her life. The daunting subject of cancer is treated with compassion and, at times, humor. The technique of using each character's point of view in separate chapters is skillfully handled. Becca's relationships with her husband and friends are complex and compelling. This is an excellent first novel and it deserves a wide readership.

Reviewer: Chuck in NC
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great Read
Review: Loved the story and the people, except for Nolan. The author handled Becca and Nolan and their story beautifully. However. Once a jerk always a jerk. If he was my husband, I would have sent him on his merry way. The only other thing that really bothered me was the emphasis on Becca's breast cancer being caused by previous radiation she had. I am a cancer survivor and have been radiated a number of times. Reading that is scary for many survivors. While I know it is possible to get cancer from radiation, it is not probable. Wish the author had chosen something different. You get as much radiation on a flight from NY to London as you get from a cat scan . Pilots do that frequently.

Reviewer: Letty
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Encouraging
Review: Cast of characters. Pun intended. Well done from a different direction.