After rereading the book I had a different opinion than the first read. I remember it being funny and enjoying it. After the second read I think I liked it even more. The story is a little different having the 'healer', GoodNews, but the characters around him were very real, especially Katie. I felt that she said things that most people are thinking but don't want to say out loud, eg, Christopher was not a lovable child. The book generated an interesting discussion about what it means to be good. The discussion group didn't like the ending because it was dismal. I felt it reflected real life: the family was working together and although the sky was dark ahead (although she referenced it as behind David) Katie was going to plow through it. To me it was more that they still had a long way to go to get the life she really wanted. But last time she got what she wanted she regretted it (David's 'conversion'). Becky read that Hornby went through a divorce around the time of writing the book, so we surmised that that could have influenced the dismal ending.

Characters are a bit flat and not particularly likeable.