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megstro's review against another edition
5.0
I received a free advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks, Netgalley!
I am always struck--sometimes pleasantly, sometimes not--by books whose contents don't really match the synopsis. This book is sort of one of those examples, but in this case, that's totally okay with me. I liked the synopsis, and I liked what the book ended up being. The book, really, is about fighting: to save a town, to save a friendship, to save the bonds that are broken when the community is lost. While most of the fighting to save the town is left to Keeley's dad and most of the fun-planning is left to Keeley's boyfriend, that's not to say that Keeley herself has an easy time of things. One thing I really liked about this book is that Keeley makes some pretty terrible choices and does some pretty terrible things. That might sound funny, but I like getting mad at my protagonists. It's all too often that I read otherwise really good books with obnoxiously faultless protagonists. Keeley isn't faultless, and I like that a lot. Another thing I liked, though it made me uncomfortable, is the timeliness of this book. As the world becomes wetter, how many more difficult decisions are we going to have to make? Will there be any instances in which a town is sacrificed for the good of the other, more prosperous towns downriver? I don't know if the author intended this at all when she set out to write this book, but it's definitely something that struck me. And as someone with a legal background, I knew the answer to a painful question posed in the book: can citizens do anything when the government wants to take their town? Nope. No, they can't.
I can say that this is a book that's going to stick with me. I look forward to recommending it to people when it's officially released.
I am always struck--sometimes pleasantly, sometimes not--by books whose contents don't really match the synopsis. This book is sort of one of those examples, but in this case, that's totally okay with me. I liked the synopsis, and I liked what the book ended up being. The book, really, is about fighting: to save a town, to save a friendship, to save the bonds that are broken when the community is lost. While most of the fighting to save the town is left to Keeley's dad and most of the fun-planning is left to Keeley's boyfriend, that's not to say that Keeley herself has an easy time of things. One thing I really liked about this book is that Keeley makes some pretty terrible choices and does some pretty terrible things. That might sound funny, but I like getting mad at my protagonists. It's all too often that I read otherwise really good books with obnoxiously faultless protagonists. Keeley isn't faultless, and I like that a lot. Another thing I liked, though it made me uncomfortable, is the timeliness of this book. As the world becomes wetter, how many more difficult decisions are we going to have to make? Will there be any instances in which a town is sacrificed for the good of the other, more prosperous towns downriver? I don't know if the author intended this at all when she set out to write this book, but it's definitely something that struck me. And as someone with a legal background, I knew the answer to a painful question posed in the book: can citizens do anything when the government wants to take their town? Nope. No, they can't.
I can say that this is a book that's going to stick with me. I look forward to recommending it to people when it's officially released.
gruyere3's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
lana_taylor23's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
silver_anchor4's review against another edition
2.0
this took me an incredibly long time to read. It wasn't bad, but I lost interest in the book pretty early on. I didn't like any of the characters and just... it was not for me.
But it was well written and not so bad... so I get why so many people like it.
But it was well written and not so bad... so I get why so many people like it.
jemau11's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a fun coming of age story, and what I liked most about it was the setting. The author really captured the essence of small town life. It wasn’t romanticized; there was a balance of the good and the bad that comes from living in a place lagging behind the rest of the country. Aberdeen felt like a real place, and for the most part the characters felt like real people.
The book’s main flaw was the ending. It felt a little rushed, and some of the characters’ actions (particularly Morgan’s) didn’t make a lot of sense and felt like they were mostly done to move the plot along. Still, the main character was flawed but likable, and the book was enjoyable as a whole.
The book’s main flaw was the ending. It felt a little rushed, and some of the characters’ actions (particularly Morgan’s) didn’t make a lot of sense and felt like they were mostly done to move the plot along. Still, the main character was flawed but likable, and the book was enjoyable as a whole.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
janewhitehurst's review against another edition
2.0
This book started out strong, but by about 2/3 of the way through, it completely lost my interest. I feel like the storyline was interesting enough- town floods, government offers a "buy out" for mostly poor town residents, conspiracy theories fly, girl falls in love...- but it was just too long. It needed serious editing. I forced myself to finish the book since I was already more than halfway through, but it didn't pay off.
alyestoya's review against another edition
4.0
Ok. TBH I am kinda disappointed with this one, I enjoyed reading the book but I am not satisfied with it.
books4susie's review against another edition
5.0
Raced to the end of this one to see just who the last boy would be to Keeley's last girl. Loved the ending and the openness of imagined futures as our main character learns to "grow up", let go and move on. Definitely will have to read more from this author.