ndfan19's review against another edition
mother/daugher/ snowy owl; surfing; u-boat that sunk. Good
goodcook07's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this book enough to stay up all night reading it. I kind of expected the ending, but I enjoyed getting there.
mipa_jt's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
nee223's review against another edition
3.0
This book was OK. Some of Luanne Rice's other books were much better.
reesiereads's review against another edition
4.0
Probably more like 3.5 stars but I liked it overall. Nothing spectacular but it was a good winter read for me. Probably a bit cheesy and sappy for some but that didn't bother me with this book.
coffeemasterj's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
gertyp's review against another edition
5.0
I just love all of Luanne Rice's books. I love the settings, the characters and the story lines.
thepoemreeder's review against another edition
2.0
The O'Casey men have a history of war tragedy in their family. Mickey and her mother Neve have a history of disappointment and hurt when it comes to Mickey's alcoholic, undependable, irresponsible father. Shane has a history with the water, getting his love of surfing from his father, who passed away after drowning while surfing when Shane was very young--and was watching from the shore. The tie that binds all of these characters together is their mutual love for nature, birds, and preserving history through the U-823 submarine that rests off the shore of Tim O'Casey's wilderness. When a big shot wants to move the sunken WWII German sub, it causes their worlds to collide together, and while they all bond over how to save the ship (that Tim's father actually sunk himself), love blossoms.
The characters were likable, and the storyline was okay, but it wasn't something I could personally connect to or invest in for some reason. I didn't always think the writing rang true, and sometimes it could be a little cheesy, especially the parts dealing with any affection. Dialogue didn't always sound realistic to me, either. There were some parts that were well-written, but overall, the book felt somewhat generic. The conflicts that arose between characters seemed to be settled too easily, like a half-hour sitcom from the 90s, so that there was never much real tension to build, leaving the plot feel flat.
The characters were likable, and the storyline was okay, but it wasn't something I could personally connect to or invest in for some reason. I didn't always think the writing rang true, and sometimes it could be a little cheesy, especially the parts dealing with any affection. Dialogue didn't always sound realistic to me, either. There were some parts that were well-written, but overall, the book felt somewhat generic. The conflicts that arose between characters seemed to be settled too easily, like a half-hour sitcom from the 90s, so that there was never much real tension to build, leaving the plot feel flat.