the_novel_approach's review
3.0
I was super excited when I saw Thirty-One Days and Legos come up on Dreamspinner’s site. The cover is adorable, and I had missed out on reading Ranger Station Haven, S.A. Stovall’s Christmas story from last year. So, seeing this one was a follow-up, it gave me the opportunity to read both. Unfortunately, I didn’t connect with Ranger Station Haven. I felt like I was dropped into the middle of a story I was missing huge pieces of. There was very little background or character development for Carter and Owen, and Carter’s first-person narrative felt stilted and lacking depth. Fortunately, though the beginning of this second story was still a bit lackluster for me, the second half of Thirty-One Days and Legos really charmed me and turned things around.
Carter and Owen, married park rangers at a huge national park in Minnesota, have decided to adopt two of the boys they rescued in last year’s short—brothers, Luke and Edmund. The enthusiasm they showed for becoming new parents was pretty cute, taking classes and everything. The two MCs are night and day as far as displaying their emotions goes, though. Owen is the only one who outwardly shows any excitement, with Carter keeping things very close to the vest. Carter is still the same grumpy fucker we met in Ranger Station Haven, but, I’ll tell you what…he grew on me in this book. We finally got more of a glimpse into why he is the way he is, and he shared some significant bits of himself with thirteen-year-old Luke, which I loved.
Because we only get Carter’s POV the whole time, in both stories—which is kind of a bummer, because I would have liked to get into Owen’s head more—his is really the character in the forefront. One thing totally bothered me about how Carter’s character was portrayed: There were several scenes where Carter would be having an exchange with someone, and he’d have some quick, often snarky, line of dialogue, which would then be immediately followed by some really insightful or valid ‘internal thought.’ And each time I thought it was such a shame that he didn’t voice those thoughts out loud. Here is one example, from Carter’s conversation with Luke’s middle school principal, where Carter suggests they take Luke to therapy. The first line is the principal’s…
Why not have him say that to the principal? It felt like such a wasted opportunity for Carter to show that he really cared for Luke, and to show his dedication. And, this happens time and again in conversations with both Owen and the kids. He comes off as much harsher than perhaps Stovall intended, because he keeps the best parts of himself hidden.
I enjoyed Luke and Edmund very much. Stovall did a great job with making their characters realistic. You know how somehow kids in books don’t read as anywhere near the age they are supposed to be, or otherwise don’t behave realistically? That didn’t happen here. Luke is every bit the middle schooler, and Edmund definitely seems like a six-year-old. And, their backstory and portrayal as foster kids also felt very genuine.
So, things weren’t perfect in this book… I definitely made many what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-him faces about Carter, or wanted to give him a kick in the ass. Ha! But, there were some funny moments, some heart-warming moments, and some genuine Christmas spirit that shone through in the end, making it an enjoyable read after all.
Reviewed by Jules for The Novel Approach
Carter and Owen, married park rangers at a huge national park in Minnesota, have decided to adopt two of the boys they rescued in last year’s short—brothers, Luke and Edmund. The enthusiasm they showed for becoming new parents was pretty cute, taking classes and everything. The two MCs are night and day as far as displaying their emotions goes, though. Owen is the only one who outwardly shows any excitement, with Carter keeping things very close to the vest. Carter is still the same grumpy fucker we met in Ranger Station Haven, but, I’ll tell you what…he grew on me in this book. We finally got more of a glimpse into why he is the way he is, and he shared some significant bits of himself with thirteen-year-old Luke, which I loved.
Because we only get Carter’s POV the whole time, in both stories—which is kind of a bummer, because I would have liked to get into Owen’s head more—his is really the character in the forefront. One thing totally bothered me about how Carter’s character was portrayed: There were several scenes where Carter would be having an exchange with someone, and he’d have some quick, often snarky, line of dialogue, which would then be immediately followed by some really insightful or valid ‘internal thought.’ And each time I thought it was such a shame that he didn’t voice those thoughts out loud. Here is one example, from Carter’s conversation with Luke’s middle school principal, where Carter suggests they take Luke to therapy. The first line is the principal’s…
“Therapy is expensive.”
“Everything’s fucking expensive these days.”
And, you don’t put a price on a kid’s emotional well-being. Of course Luke would be upset. Who wouldn’t? He needs some time to sort it out, and maybe talking to a professional will help with that.
Why not have him say that to the principal? It felt like such a wasted opportunity for Carter to show that he really cared for Luke, and to show his dedication. And, this happens time and again in conversations with both Owen and the kids. He comes off as much harsher than perhaps Stovall intended, because he keeps the best parts of himself hidden.
I enjoyed Luke and Edmund very much. Stovall did a great job with making their characters realistic. You know how somehow kids in books don’t read as anywhere near the age they are supposed to be, or otherwise don’t behave realistically? That didn’t happen here. Luke is every bit the middle schooler, and Edmund definitely seems like a six-year-old. And, their backstory and portrayal as foster kids also felt very genuine.
So, things weren’t perfect in this book… I definitely made many what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-him faces about Carter, or wanted to give him a kick in the ass. Ha! But, there were some funny moments, some heart-warming moments, and some genuine Christmas spirit that shone through in the end, making it an enjoyable read after all.
Reviewed by Jules for The Novel Approach
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