I may be in the minority, but I thought this was terribly written. Fun plot twists and quick read? Yes, but the writing style itself and flat characteI may be in the minority, but I thought this was terribly written. Fun plot twists and quick read? Yes, but the writing style itself and flat characters left me wanting way more. And I'm pretty sure the author and cover artist never had a conversation....more
So, so good. Loved reading this with my ten-year-old. The theme of light overcoming darkness had so many real world applications. Delightful characterSo, so good. Loved reading this with my ten-year-old. The theme of light overcoming darkness had so many real world applications. Delightful characters and magical setting. We both were sad to finish this one....more
4.5 stars. I finished this a couple days ago but have continued to think about the ending and it's implications, so I had to come back to write a revi4.5 stars. I finished this a couple days ago but have continued to think about the ending and it's implications, so I had to come back to write a review.
Disclaimer: I'm a sucker for an unlikely hero, the humble protagonist who doesn't realize how much he's loved, who operates on the fringes of his community and the norms. Virgil Wander is that. Needless to say, I liked him almost immediately, so I was easily drawn into his story.
Enger spins a great tale complete with mysterious strangers, missing persons, and a creepy antagonist. Short chapters kept the pages turning. What brought me back to write this review was that after reading the final chapter, I closed the book and thought, "Wait! Did that just happen?!?" And have since continued to think through the ending. As a prolific reader, most plot lines feel predictable, so I was pleasantly surprised by this modern-day fable. Highly recommend!...more
3.5 rounded up to 4. A sweet romance with a twist. Kate travels between reality and a dream world of what might have been had tragedy not intervened 13.5 rounded up to 4. A sweet romance with a twist. Kate travels between reality and a dream world of what might have been had tragedy not intervened 12 years ago. Yet this dream world is lined with too many elements of her current reality to be merely coincidence.
What I enjoyed: trying to unravel the mysterious message and relationships of her dream world with how they intersected with her reality. This is what kept me turning the pages.
What I didn't enjoy: the supporting characters are all a bit flat (a best friend who conveniently is walking the same road of grief, a new love interest who is shockingly similar to her deceased husband, a fiance who might as well be a cardboard cut out, a sister who offers nothing but platitudes) . Not surprisingly, her deceased husband who appears to her in her dreams seems to only speak to her in quote-worthy material. It becomes cliche and a bit nauseating after awhile.
Also, there were times when the author's research and knowledge are blatantly shared and don't blend into the narrative. I appreciate the work she did to understand the Deaf community and music therapy, but it felt at times that she lifted a line of research and plunked it into the story, just even in using Andrew's lecture to inform the reader what she had learned about lower case deaf vs. Deaf. Several other examples as well... Just felt superfluous.
Overall, a sweet story about dealing with grief and recognizing the gift of the moment, not taking our days for granted....more
Loading...
