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cphunter's review against another edition
3.25
Mixed feelings about this book. Wanted to like it but didn’t enjoy the writing.
I was really put off by the threesome, I could r figure out the ages of the 3 of them but having placed Jude at 23-ish, Sofi at 21-ish, and Pip at 15/16-ish, it made me rally uncomfortable. The second half of the book then just felt so lost and pointless, I couldn’t keep track of characters and locations, and just found myself skimming and waiting for something to happen. It felt like a few short stories tied together.
chelsea_jack's review
4.0
This is a book that cries out for a book club. It's a discussion book. There's an elegance to the earthiness of this tale - it's a very literary mainstream novel that bobs quietly from moment to moment. And let me be very clear - this is a series of moments tied together with deliberately vague impressions of the time and space that links them together.
The book succeeded at drawing me in and making me participate in the storytelling process. I had an understanding - not necessarily the "correct" one, but one nevertheless - of what might have happened over the course of the idyllic summer in Sark. I could piece together what went on between that summer and the years and moments that followed - and because I wanted to know more about these characters, I was eager to pick up on and extrapolate from the clues in the book.
In the end, I don't think this was a 'fun' read - it had me thinking and analysing and wanting to discuss the heck out of it. The ending wasn't what I had hoped for, nor was any of the book nearly as solid or straightforward as I might have liked for a piece of pure entertainment. Instead, this is a different kind of reading experience - one that improves and expands the more time you spend thinking about the book, or discussing it with friends.
I recommend it, but only if the above sounds like something you'd enjoy!
See my complete review at: ToEachTheirOwnReviews.com
The book succeeded at drawing me in and making me participate in the storytelling process. I had an understanding - not necessarily the "correct" one, but one nevertheless - of what might have happened over the course of the idyllic summer in Sark. I could piece together what went on between that summer and the years and moments that followed - and because I wanted to know more about these characters, I was eager to pick up on and extrapolate from the clues in the book.
In the end, I don't think this was a 'fun' read - it had me thinking and analysing and wanting to discuss the heck out of it. The ending wasn't what I had hoped for, nor was any of the book nearly as solid or straightforward as I might have liked for a piece of pure entertainment. Instead, this is a different kind of reading experience - one that improves and expands the more time you spend thinking about the book, or discussing it with friends.
I recommend it, but only if the above sounds like something you'd enjoy!
See my complete review at: ToEachTheirOwnReviews.com
comet_or_dove's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
missmelia's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
ka_t's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
A slow start but altogether a very nostalgic book. Reminded me a lot of geographical descriptions of Jersey. Story is filled with detail and nostalgic memories of a summer spent with people you love. Not a very fulfilling conclusion, but one that fits the tone of the book, life moving on in it’s own way.
hk848's review against another edition
3.0
Started out slow but good, loved the middle, hated the ending and the random changes to first person.
misslaurenreads's review
emotional
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book was seriously so boring! The beginning started strong but about halfway through the plot just seemed to stop. The first half of the book was written in first person past tense with Jude being the narrator. The next section was a mix of first and third person, which really interrupted the flow for me. The author also had different characters narrating in the second part but she didn’t make it clear who was being followed until halfway through any given chapter. All in all very confusing. The book should have ended after the first part, I would have given it closer to 4 stars. The descriptive language was nicely done, though!
exurbanis's review
2.0
I included this in my reading because of the setting on Sark, one of the Channel Islands, from which my mother-in-law’s family emigrated,(Guernsey), and because it has lovely cover.
The story follows three teenagers over the course of a summer on Sark. It’s beautifully written but the plot ends about halfway through and then the book drones on and on.
2 stars
The story follows three teenagers over the course of a summer on Sark. It’s beautifully written but the plot ends about halfway through and then the book drones on and on.
2 stars
carmenghia's review
2.0
This book is more of a series of descriptive captures of moments and emotions than anything else. That part is pretty cool, but what I struggled with was a complete lack of plot or direction or for those moments and emotions to add up to anything.
The first half is a sort of manic pixie dream girl bromance, and I thought, well this isn't really my bag but okay. Then there's a threesome between the three mains and that's probably the best part of the book because it trashes the love triangle trope and gives all the characters everything. The book could have ended here.
The second half of the book was an absolute disaster. The author is purposely vague about which characters are in a scene or which are being referenced when others speak, and there's a lot of time jumps, a completely meaningless death of a toddler for no story-driven reason, and I'm supposed to believe that in a world with text messages, emails, and social media that these three just can't reconnect despite their great melancholy need to do so. The last half of the book was really awkward and meaningless.
The first half is a sort of manic pixie dream girl bromance, and I thought, well this isn't really my bag but okay. Then there's a threesome between the three mains and that's probably the best part of the book because it trashes the love triangle trope and gives all the characters everything. The book could have ended here.
The second half of the book was an absolute disaster. The author is purposely vague about which characters are in a scene or which are being referenced when others speak, and there's a lot of time jumps, a completely meaningless death of a toddler for no story-driven reason, and I'm supposed to believe that in a world with text messages, emails, and social media that these three just can't reconnect despite their great melancholy need to do so. The last half of the book was really awkward and meaningless.