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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
A Walk Along the Beach is a beautifully written, heartfelt story of family and love. Willa, the main character, and her family have to help each other in times of trouble. But will Willa let someone else besides a family member into her life? Sean sure wants to be there for her…if she’ll let him in.
Positive messages: 3/5
Family and friends surround and uplift other characters in times of trouble. Characters learn that they can cry on a family member’s shoulder and learn to trust others.
Positive role models: 3/5
Willa is very kind and compassionate, but also worries constantly and seems unsure. However, her family members help her through her uncertainty. Harper, her younger sister, lives life to the fullest and is brave even when her doctor’s report is awful. Sean seems controlled by his work at first and married to it but soon he finds out how to be honest and put others before himself.
Drinking/Drugs: 2/5
Willa, Harper, and Lucas all worry about their dad drinking and going to casinos all the time. They find empty bottles of liquor in his house.
Language: 1/5
‘Damn’ is used very little. Other than that, none is present.
Violence and Gore: 1/5
No violence, but some might find that the description of Harper in the hospital is too much for them to handle, especially if they have had friends, family members, or even themselves that have had cancer.
Sex, Romance, and Nudity: 3/5
When Willa is taking care of Sean he mentions, “this is not how I expected to draw you to my bed” or “care to join me?” as a joke. I skipped two sexual scenes. One where they both go to Sean’s apartment (just skip ahead three pages) and one towards the end of the book where things start to get heated. As long as you skip them, though, the book is completely closed-door and clean for young teens.
What Parents Should Know:
If you have a responsible 13 year old who will skip ahead pages if things start to get heated, then this book is totally age-appropriate. Super sweet romance with some positive messages! It does cover difficult topics, though. Cancer and death are prevalent in this heartfelt tale and will most likely have you in tears by the end. It may trigger some people who have experienced or know people who have experienced going through chemotherapy and what it is like in the hospital fighting cancer. ‘Damn’ is used about twice but no cursing words worse than that, which is surprising for a novel like this one.
Age Range Recommendation: 13+ YA/A
Reading Level (by grade): 9th-12th
Positive messages: 3/5
Family and friends surround and uplift other characters in times of trouble. Characters learn that they can cry on a family member’s shoulder and learn to trust others.
Positive role models: 3/5
Willa is very kind and compassionate, but also worries constantly and seems unsure. However, her family members help her through her uncertainty. Harper, her younger sister, lives life to the fullest and is brave even when her doctor’s report is awful. Sean seems controlled by his work at first and married to it but soon he finds out how to be honest and put others before himself.
Drinking/Drugs: 2/5
Willa, Harper, and Lucas all worry about their dad drinking and going to casinos all the time. They find empty bottles of liquor in his house.
Language: 1/5
‘Damn’ is used very little. Other than that, none is present.
Violence and Gore: 1/5
No violence, but some might find that the description of Harper in the hospital is too much for them to handle, especially if they have had friends, family members, or even themselves that have had cancer.
Sex, Romance, and Nudity: 3/5
When Willa is taking care of Sean he mentions, “this is not how I expected to draw you to my bed” or “care to join me?” as a joke. I skipped two sexual scenes. One where they both go to Sean’s apartment (just skip ahead three pages) and one towards the end of the book where things start to get heated. As long as you skip them, though, the book is completely closed-door and clean for young teens.
What Parents Should Know:
If you have a responsible 13 year old who will skip ahead pages if things start to get heated, then this book is totally age-appropriate. Super sweet romance with some positive messages! It does cover difficult topics, though. Cancer and death are prevalent in this heartfelt tale and will most likely have you in tears by the end. It may trigger some people who have experienced or know people who have experienced going through chemotherapy and what it is like in the hospital fighting cancer. ‘Damn’ is used about twice but no cursing words worse than that, which is surprising for a novel like this one.
Age Range Recommendation: 13+ YA/A
Reading Level (by grade): 9th-12th
The two sisters are more than friends and go into a situation where a sister's cancer comes back full force. The book had me ugly crying and giggling. I definitely recommend this book.
I’ve read a few Debbie Macomber books that I really enjoyed but found this one frustrating to read, not because of the story but because of the writing itself. There was much more “telling” of the story than “showing,” and the “telling” included an abundance of tired cliches. There were a few parts that did draw me in, and that is why this gets 2 stars instead of just 1. Overall, though, the writing seemed rushed and lazy, something I would not expect from a respected writer with over 200 million books in print. A disappointment for sure.
This book had me in tears. It pulls at the heart in a major way. I loved all the characters except Willa. I can’t wrap my head around how she’s not Calle don’t on her selfishness. She means well yes. But she’s very self absorbed. It always me me me. I had to do this. I had to do that. This nearly killed me. She seems to forget that other people are effected also. An the way she treated Sean. She doesn’t deserve him in my eyes at all. Whew.
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Why was this written in first person past tense, which is so annoyingly dry and passive? All of the dialogue was overly formal. “I phoned her” no you didn’t, you called. Blah.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was a hard one for me to rate. I settled on 3 stars. Good but not great.
This book doesn’t feel like a seasoned writer’s work. Is this really Debbie Macomber? Parts read like a research paper followed by simplistic sentences. The relationship development between the female and male protagonists was lacking. The book is told from first person dual point of view. Expectations were a little high for a new relationship while communication was really low. While some of the communication issues were due to Sean’s job involving working in remote places, some of the main issues developed from Willa just not picking up the phone or responding to texts. I liked the supporting characters, which was exactly what Willa needed, though their presence almost seemed superfluous. In addition, I had some serious issue with certain points in the story. Maybe it’s because I was a career woman and have a husband who is extremely passionate about his career.
