Reviews

An Awfully Big Adventure by Shawna Woodland

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emurick's review

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4.0

I need the rest of the story... asap. Thank you, kindly.

leahscreations21's review

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adventurous funny hopeful inspiring mysterious relaxing fast-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

5.0

zoevjester's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I dropped this from a 4 because it ended on a cliffhanger and it absolutely didn't need to be one.
This book is under 400 pages. You can sandwich parts 1 and 2 together to create one story, but instead this book dragged on whimsically in a beautiful way to a conclusion we never had.
The start of the book opens with Molly wanting to find her passion, imagination, and her spark again. Desmond is thinking about running away and asked Molly to accompany him and the time line for that is a few weeks - which we got in the story, but we never got to the point of the plot that's established in the beginning, in the very first chapter.
So...because there's no cliffhanger...where's the plot? Where's the point of the story? Where are the threads of the sub-plots going and what's with this character and that character? Some things are definitely hinted at - Desmond not being Harold Prescott's son, for one, is definitely shadowed.
But, what? This book is all questions, no answers, and apparently book 2 will have them but it's annoying to read a whole book that doesn't tell you anything about where the story is going.
I'm disappointed in this one.
It was beautifully written and the characters are flushed and full and layered, they're a joy to read. The chapter headings are beautiful too, the art is stunning.
But the plot has pissed me off and I'm not reading the sequel.

chaptersbyindia's review against another edition

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5.0

Thanks to the amazing world of Bookstagram I met a wonderful new friend named Shawna and discovered her book "An Awfully Big Adventure". Now, this isn't a book I would consider my "Normal" read only because it is set in the early 1900's. However, that is exactly why I wanted to pick up this book. I needed a palette cleanse and a romance that was not only different than my normal Contemporary reads but something that would bring my heart all the good feelings. I found everything I had been needing and more in this story. HINTS the highly earned 5 star rating (CLAPPING for you Shawna, this was an incredible adventure in deed!)

Let me share a little bit about this story with you all and then I would love to dive into my reasons for rating this book 5 stars.

The story is told from multiple characters, beginning with sweet Molly and her best friend Desmond and then later on a few (very appreciated) chapters from the beloved and morally grey, George. We get the hints that this story is a romance with it's whimsical feel of the early 1900's and the swoony way people talked, dressed, and danced in the time period. But it is so much more!

It's about finding yourself. Falling in love with YOU before giving your heart to anyone else. And so much more within it's pages. I feel like with a story like this, there is something for everyone. It will find a magical way to touch your heart and leave an imprint on you to carry forever. It was An Awfully Big Adventure indeed.

Because it was such a unique read for myself and I loved the moral behind each character and their personal growths, I just fell over heels in love with this book. Shawna amazed me with her ability to write with beautiful words, shining her heart within each character and story line. I was swooning, I was laughing, and even at parts my eyes had tears. It holds so many emotions that makes for an epic ride in a novel.

I connected with Molly the most. She taught me to find the sparkle in the everyday. The Earth is a magical place and we often loose our sight and wonder. This book is a wonderful reminder to search for the things that bring you love and joy and to always find adventure. It also reminds you to love yourself. It's your greatest adventure in life.

I highly recommend this book to everyone. Especially my daughter, whom I have a copy for when she discovers her own love of reading. Thank you Shawna for being a wonderful friend and for sharing this story and these wonderful and colorful characters with the world. I am looking forward to Book 2!