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jess_mango's review against another edition
3.0
Hmmm. I selected this book based on the blurb describing it as an #ownvoices/multi-cultural interest novel. At its core though it is really a romance between Luna and Lucien, two rather introspective and intense young people living in California. Luna was raised most of her life, by her grandmother in Hawaii. At her grandmother's house was a large mango tree that never bore fruit. The family liked to sit in the plentiful shade of this mango tree (hence the title!). Luna is given a journal at the a Moleskine journal while in high school and spills her soul into it. Luna later moves back to California to live with her parents and siblings. There she also goes to college to study Literature. One day she forgets her journal at a coffee shop where it is found by Lucien, a young architect. Lucien reads the journal and becomes fascinated by Luna. The two later meet and so the story goes...
I was a bit lukewarm on this one. I didn't particularly like either character and honestly it seemed like 2 different books: one about Luna and Lucien and their connection through the journal and the other about Luna's time in Cambodia as part of the Peace Corps. It just didn't quite click with me though the author did have some wonderful descriptions in the book. A good chunk of the book was written as journal entries or emails, this gave it more of an introspective quality and there was less of the characters actually interacting with each other.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
This book counts towards the Popsugar 2021 Reading Challenge Task #36: Read a book with fewer than 1000 reviews of goodreads (only has 19 other reviews at the time of my reading)
I was a bit lukewarm on this one. I didn't particularly like either character and honestly it seemed like 2 different books: one about Luna and Lucien and their connection through the journal and the other about Luna's time in Cambodia as part of the Peace Corps. It just didn't quite click with me though the author did have some wonderful descriptions in the book. A good chunk of the book was written as journal entries or emails, this gave it more of an introspective quality and there was less of the characters actually interacting with each other.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
This book counts towards the Popsugar 2021 Reading Challenge Task #36: Read a book with fewer than 1000 reviews of goodreads (only has 19 other reviews at the time of my reading)
hugbandit7's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not sure what genre to place this book in. Part of it is a romance, part family, and part is a young woman's journey to find herself.
The book starts with a flash of the future, and from this prologue, it seems like it will be more like a suspense novel. That is not the case since Luna's character doesn't end up in Cambodia until very close to the end. However, it does set up an intriguing scenario that is fully revealed later.
Luna has struggled for most of her life. She grew up with her grandmother for many years, which forged a close relationship between the two. I loved how they were like two peas in a pod and seemed to understand each other better than the grandmother's daughters. I loved the mango tree in the backyard and how it was the grandmother's refuge. There is a lot of symbolism that could be derived from those thoughts.
Lucien had his issues as a younger man, but when he stumbles across Luna's journal in the coffee shop, it opens up a new world for him. It isn't that she had exotic travels or adventures, but the heartfelt words she shared touched him. He felt like he knew her before he ever met her. I enjoyed watching their friendship unfold. It takes courage to create a journal that details your life and share it with someone you have just met.
This novel is about finding yourself in this crazy world. Many struggle with discovering their place in this world, but sometimes it is easier with someone by your side walking the same path with you. I felt immersed in their lives as I read the journal entries and had a better grasp of who Luna and Lucien were as people. Everyone has their own journey and story to tell. It is all about finding the right person to share it with.
We give this book 3 1/2 paws up.
The book starts with a flash of the future, and from this prologue, it seems like it will be more like a suspense novel. That is not the case since Luna's character doesn't end up in Cambodia until very close to the end. However, it does set up an intriguing scenario that is fully revealed later.
Luna has struggled for most of her life. She grew up with her grandmother for many years, which forged a close relationship between the two. I loved how they were like two peas in a pod and seemed to understand each other better than the grandmother's daughters. I loved the mango tree in the backyard and how it was the grandmother's refuge. There is a lot of symbolism that could be derived from those thoughts.
Lucien had his issues as a younger man, but when he stumbles across Luna's journal in the coffee shop, it opens up a new world for him. It isn't that she had exotic travels or adventures, but the heartfelt words she shared touched him. He felt like he knew her before he ever met her. I enjoyed watching their friendship unfold. It takes courage to create a journal that details your life and share it with someone you have just met.
This novel is about finding yourself in this crazy world. Many struggle with discovering their place in this world, but sometimes it is easier with someone by your side walking the same path with you. I felt immersed in their lives as I read the journal entries and had a better grasp of who Luna and Lucien were as people. Everyone has their own journey and story to tell. It is all about finding the right person to share it with.
We give this book 3 1/2 paws up.
jasminegalsreadinglog's review against another edition
3.0
Trigger warning: Suicide
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this novel.
This novel is hard to be categorized as a romance novel though it does have a sweet romance at the heart of the novel. The journey of Luna as a young woman is fascinating to read and especially her journal is very insightful. I loved the author's writing. The novel deals with some tragic events which makes it heavy at the end of the book. I did enjoy reading parts of the novel.
3 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this novel.
This novel is hard to be categorized as a romance novel though it does have a sweet romance at the heart of the novel. The journey of Luna as a young woman is fascinating to read and especially her journal is very insightful. I loved the author's writing. The novel deals with some tragic events which makes it heavy at the end of the book. I did enjoy reading parts of the novel.
3 stars
catreader18's review
5.0
Wow! This book will take you in a journey with Luna as she suffers a loss in her family, gets her heart broken, and decides her path in life. The story is told in sections and also in journal form. I loved the journal entries because it is a unique way to write. This book is a little out of my normal genre but I was interested from the first chapter. Luna’s journal is found at a cafe by Lucien. He initially turns it in to the cafe employees but when no one claims it the next day he feels compelled to keep it safe and find the owner. This story also covers a horrible time in a non- US culture that I was not aware of. I’m glad I was able to learn about this time from this book as the only way we can not repeat our past is to learn about it and from it. One of the blurbs said this book was for fans of Nicholas Sparks and I could not agree more.
the_sassy_bookworm's review against another edition
2.0
⭐⭐ -- Not an awful story, just not a good fit for me.
This one was just okay for me. I've been putting off reviewing it because I don't really have much to say about it. From the blurb, I expected it to be something different. It is mainly a romance, and that is not really my jam at the moment.
This one was just okay for me. I've been putting off reviewing it because I don't really have much to say about it. From the blurb, I expected it to be something different. It is mainly a romance, and that is not really my jam at the moment.
kookie9200's review
1.0
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to review this book.
I'm going to be honest, I didn't finish this book. The blurb sounded so interesting but the book itself just never took off for me. Plus, the whole man reading some random journal he finds plot was odd, at best. I wanted more of Luna's life in Hawaii and HER story, not her story as seen through the eyes of some man. It made me lose interest until I didn't actually care if they met or not.
I'm going to be honest, I didn't finish this book. The blurb sounded so interesting but the book itself just never took off for me. Plus, the whole man reading some random journal he finds plot was odd, at best. I wanted more of Luna's life in Hawaii and HER story, not her story as seen through the eyes of some man. It made me lose interest until I didn't actually care if they met or not.
jasminegalsreadinglog's review
3.0
Trigger warning: Suicide
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this novel.
This novel is hard to be categorized as a romance novel though it does have a sweet romance at the heart of the novel. The journey of Luna as a young woman is fascinating to read and especially her journal is very insightful. I loved the author's writing. The novel deals with some tragic events which makes it heavy at the end of the book. I did enjoy reading parts of the novel.
3 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this novel.
This novel is hard to be categorized as a romance novel though it does have a sweet romance at the heart of the novel. The journey of Luna as a young woman is fascinating to read and especially her journal is very insightful. I loved the author's writing. The novel deals with some tragic events which makes it heavy at the end of the book. I did enjoy reading parts of the novel.
3 stars
emmasbookishself's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The Shade Under The Mango Tree follows Luna’s life in the years she spent growing up with her grandmother in Hawaii, the year she faced the loss of her grandmother and the years she spent afterwards grieving and trying to find her way.
This was a bittersweet read full of the moments that shape us. This book battles grief and trauma and how those emotions greatly effect us. It had elements of self discovery as well as finding our place/meaning in this world. The extent of a family’s complexities is showcased throughout this book both in Luna’s own family, as well as culturally.
I enjoyed how the book came full circle with the mango tree. I feel in a way that tree was as much of a character as the actual people. I liked how letter writing was an important role in this story.
Thank you @netgalley for this ARC.
This was a bittersweet read full of the moments that shape us. This book battles grief and trauma and how those emotions greatly effect us. It had elements of self discovery as well as finding our place/meaning in this world. The extent of a family’s complexities is showcased throughout this book both in Luna’s own family, as well as culturally.
I enjoyed how the book came full circle with the mango tree. I feel in a way that tree was as much of a character as the actual people. I liked how letter writing was an important role in this story.
Thank you @netgalley for this ARC.
thesassybookworm's review
2.0
⭐⭐ -- Not an awful story, just not a good fit for me.
This one was just okay for me. I've been putting off reviewing it because I don't really have much to say about it. From the blurb, I expected it to be something different. It is mainly a romance, and that is not really my jam at the moment.
This one was just okay for me. I've been putting off reviewing it because I don't really have much to say about it. From the blurb, I expected it to be something different. It is mainly a romance, and that is not really my jam at the moment.
klbradley's review
4.0
This book reads just like a real-life adventure would play out. The main character is desperate for some adventure and some change in her life after some unimaginable heartbreak that takes a devastating toll. She's sick of the ordinariness that she has become accustomed to and wants something more. I definitely got the new life vibes while reading this one, and maybe a bit of an itch to seek some adventure on my own. The adventure that she seeks though, could be much more than she had imagined, and not necessarily in a good way. The main character in this story was a great example of a resilient female lead who will strive for more no matter what the cost is. There are some cultural exchanges in this story too, which is something I can certainly appreciate now more than ever.