As a matter of fact, every situation in It’s Not All Downhill From Here, is actually uphill. We go along for the ride with Lo as she pushes, prods, and pedals slowly to gradual solutions for everyone ... The book’s chapters are short and brisk. With all the family and friends oscillating on the pages, it might be hard to keep up as to which story is going to leap out as the frontrunner ... Good news doesn’t come fast enough. But when it comes, it feels like the last supper. We’re finally at the turning point where we relish going downhill—and swiftly ... To know that Loretha Curry has come full circle with no regrets makes us all a bit more grateful for our own ups and downs. There’s a reunion of sisterhood that feels well deserved. There are relationships born and love found.
McMillan’s writing is smart and witty, throwing readers right into the action, and her dialogue is coated with humor that breathes life into her characters ... fans will flock to McMillan’s first novel in four years.
... hilarious, poignant and bighearted ... McMillan has no trouble creating a crowd-pleaser—even her 'unlikable' women redeem themselves in the end—but she also promotes radical self-love for her characters, whether it’s through taking care of their bodies, minds and spirits, deciding who to love or deciding, indeed, whether to live at all. This is another winner from McMillan.
Best-selling author Terry McMillan has spent the past 30 years creating strong female characters who know what they want in life. In her latest novel, It’s Not All Downhill From Here, McMillan introduces a new group of women who also fit that mold ... McMillan proves once again that she is a skilled master at writing dialogue for strong, intelligent women who know how to laugh in the face of tragedy instead of being consumed by it.
... perceptive ... McMillan writes with a staggering depth of feeling, credibly capturing the characters’ emotions as she unpacks their interpersonal conflicts. This delightful novel balances inspiration for renewal with the hard facts of aging.
