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obsidian_blue's review against another edition
1.0
I did not finish this book and only read 25 percent of this book before I pulled the plug.
This book was boring. I seriously got to 25 percent and decided that I was not going to waste one more second reading about this absurd town and plain as vanilla main character.
I got excited about the synopsis because:
That last line should have given me pause about how this book would be set up. But nope, I bought it, and instantly regretted it 10 minutes into this book because once again I am going to say for those who maybe skipped over this earlier, this book is boring.
I mean boring to the point that you want the corn that the author keeps going on and on about in the first 25 percent to come alive and choke the life out of all of the people in the town and the main character Sara. I would say children here, but there appears to be no children in the town of Broken Wheel, Iowa.
I think at 25 percent if the storyline is boring you to tears then it's just easier to put aside the book rather than forcing yourself to read it.
Broken Wheel sounds like a fictional town that would not exist anywhere outside of books because as fun as we find places like Sars Hollow and Sunnydale, we know most cities/towns are not like that. So reading about a town in Iowa that is much dead for all purposes where when a stranger from Sweden comes to town (Sara) and is instantly invited to the funeral of the woman she came to visit (Amy) and is instantly embraced somewhat by most members of the town made me roll my eyes.
Sara reads like someone with a social anxiety disorder and having her prefer to hide in books and not really interact with other human beings until Broken Wheel just made me sigh. Why do books do this? Not everyone that loves/reads books is some person who despairs of their own reality and prefers men like Mr. Darcy (hey I like him too but he acted like 3/4 of an ass throughout Pride and Prejudice) or can't form sentences to other human beings without acting scared.
I can't tell you too much about the other characters because I called them cliche #1, #2, #3, etc.
The writing really didn't jibe with me at all. Since this book was translated from Swedish to English I bet that is some of the problems I have with connecting to the book. It feels very flat to me as a reader. No one comes alive to me at all and the author seems fixated on corn and birds and trees and a whole host of other things that are not moving the plot along. Breaking up the chapters with letters from the now dead Amy to Sarah doesn't happen. Those letters read flat to me too and also a touch judgmental about certain topics.
I can guess the ending without even reading it at this point. I bet that somehow Sara will open a bookstore that is someone going to turn around Broken Wheel's fortunes. That the town will rally and come alive again. And Sara will stay and fall in love with cliche #3 though he acts like he hates her and wants her to fly back to Sweden.
This book was boring. I seriously got to 25 percent and decided that I was not going to waste one more second reading about this absurd town and plain as vanilla main character.
I got excited about the synopsis because:
"This is a book about books. All sorts of books, from Little Women and Harry Potter to Jodi Picoult and Jane Austen, from to Stieg Larsson to Joyce Carol Oates to Proust. It’s about the joy and pleasure of books, about learning from and escaping into them, and possibly even hiding behind them. It’s about whether or not books are better than real life.
That last line should have given me pause about how this book would be set up. But nope, I bought it, and instantly regretted it 10 minutes into this book because once again I am going to say for those who maybe skipped over this earlier, this book is boring.
I mean boring to the point that you want the corn that the author keeps going on and on about in the first 25 percent to come alive and choke the life out of all of the people in the town and the main character Sara. I would say children here, but there appears to be no children in the town of Broken Wheel, Iowa.
I think at 25 percent if the storyline is boring you to tears then it's just easier to put aside the book rather than forcing yourself to read it.
Broken Wheel sounds like a fictional town that would not exist anywhere outside of books because as fun as we find places like Sars Hollow and Sunnydale, we know most cities/towns are not like that. So reading about a town in Iowa that is much dead for all purposes where when a stranger from Sweden comes to town (Sara) and is instantly invited to the funeral of the woman she came to visit (Amy) and is instantly embraced somewhat by most members of the town made me roll my eyes.
Sara reads like someone with a social anxiety disorder and having her prefer to hide in books and not really interact with other human beings until Broken Wheel just made me sigh. Why do books do this? Not everyone that loves/reads books is some person who despairs of their own reality and prefers men like Mr. Darcy (hey I like him too but he acted like 3/4 of an ass throughout Pride and Prejudice) or can't form sentences to other human beings without acting scared.
I can't tell you too much about the other characters because I called them cliche #1, #2, #3, etc.
The writing really didn't jibe with me at all. Since this book was translated from Swedish to English I bet that is some of the problems I have with connecting to the book. It feels very flat to me as a reader. No one comes alive to me at all and the author seems fixated on corn and birds and trees and a whole host of other things that are not moving the plot along. Breaking up the chapters with letters from the now dead Amy to Sarah doesn't happen. Those letters read flat to me too and also a touch judgmental about certain topics.
I can guess the ending without even reading it at this point. I bet that somehow Sara will open a bookstore that is someone going to turn around Broken Wheel's fortunes. That the town will rally and come alive again. And Sara will stay and fall in love with cliche #3 though he acts like he hates her and wants her to fly back to Sweden.
erin1066's review
3.0
A cute, fun read about a small town with colorful characters and lots of book references. It had a similar feel to "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society", though I never was totally invested in these characters. i enjoyed reading it, but it doesn't have a permanent place on my shelf.
sgsimily's review
4.0
This is a book for readers and lovers of books. I am both and I actually usually hate these types of books, where you might get the impression that the author is name-dropping to appear well-read and it gets old quick. However, here it was done in a way that conveyed a real affection for books (and the characters within them), as opposed to the desire to seem intelligent. I wrote down a few of the books and authors mentioned because now I want to read them. A few classics are spoiled, as mentioned in other reviews, however since they are classics and plots are generally known, I don't see that as an issue. And the point of classics is not entirely the ending, it's also the journey of the story. Very much not the same as spoiling the end to a mystery novel.
I have been reading a lot of dystopian novels, and ones with a lot of twists and darkness, so this was a welcome reprieve. It is charming, uplifting, and lighthearted. If you aren't in the mood for that, don't try it. I think the characters are nicely developed - Sara, Tom, Amy Harris, and Caroline in particular. Some of the other 'townies' might be underdeveloped, but I didn't feel like that made the story lacking. To me, this was a book about a place - the setting was the main character. I enjoyed that thoroughly.
I have been reading a lot of dystopian novels, and ones with a lot of twists and darkness, so this was a welcome reprieve. It is charming, uplifting, and lighthearted. If you aren't in the mood for that, don't try it. I think the characters are nicely developed - Sara, Tom, Amy Harris, and Caroline in particular. Some of the other 'townies' might be underdeveloped, but I didn't feel like that made the story lacking. To me, this was a book about a place - the setting was the main character. I enjoyed that thoroughly.
lisacerezo's review against another edition
4.0
This is a perfectly charming book, itself a bit of a love letter to books. The pace was far slower than I’m used to, and honestly, it was a nice palate cleanse from my deep dive into Caroline Kepnes’ “You” series. A collection of light character studies, a sweet-if-a-bit-predictable plot, and thank goodness for a complete archive of every book and author mentioned throughout. This is a good choice for a cozy escape.
justjoel's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
jennyreadit's review
1.0
Just couldn't slog through it... I gave it 150 pages.. more than my usual -50 pages- and- I -leave -it- or -like it- because of all the good reviews on goodreads. I thought maybe I hadn't gotten to the "good part." After 150 pages of nothing happening, I peeked at a few of the end chapters, figured out how they got to that point without even reading it and moved on to something much more worth my time.
The Readers of Broken Wheel reminds me too much of The Vacationers and I will *NOT* be suckered into spending precious reading time on books that don't hold my interest.
One star because it wasn't atrocious, just boring. In addition, the characters are bland and boring, nothing really * happens and if you haven’t read all the books mentioned throughout the “storyline” the author gives away most of the plots. I DNF’d this.
The Readers of Broken Wheel reminds me too much of The Vacationers and I will *NOT* be suckered into spending precious reading time on books that don't hold my interest.
One star because it wasn't atrocious, just boring. In addition, the characters are bland and boring, nothing really * happens and if you haven’t read all the books mentioned throughout the “storyline” the author gives away most of the plots. I DNF’d this.
allysther's review
3.0
This book had two actual stories. One (the actual plot) was predictable and syrupy sweet, but the other (not even a sub plot, just a character) was perfect. If you enjoy chick-lit and/or books about book lovers, you will enjoy this book.
Side note- how have I read so many books from Swedish authors this year?
Side note- how have I read so many books from Swedish authors this year?
cheerbrarian's review
2.0
I am two for two with the local library book club this year in finding the book selection to be subpar. In fact, I am on the fence whether I liked this one, or Everything I Never Told You the least. This one was just predictable and eyeroll worthy, whereas the other made me downright angry, so I think The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend will land the distinction of being not quite as bad as the book I liked least this year.
Sara Lundqvist is a young-ish Swedish woman who travels to America to try to have some sort of adventure. She lives a droll existence in Sweden, and recently fired from her job as a bookstore clerk has nothing really going on in her life. In recent history she had become the penpal of Amy, an older woman in Broken Wheel, Iowa, a mostly nondescript one diner town, and decides to take Amy up on her invitation to visit, read books, and enjoy small town life. But, and not really a spoiler, this is in chapter one, when Sara arrives, Amy has died. Womp. In fact, she shows up during the funeral. So, she is invited by some of the town people to stay in Amy's house for free, and stay for the planned two months. Totally normal, amiright?
From here, she decides to use Amy's substantial library to open and operate a bookstore for the town, and she is basically adopted by the townspeople, where she finally finds somewhere to belong. (Insert soaring heartstrings). And its pretty adorable at times, there is a fun scene when they watch her read for hours, she not noticing, and basically throw a quiet street party to watch her (it's less creepy than it sounds).
Overall, reviews were mixed among book club members. We all sort of agreed that this book was predictable, superficial, and fluffy, but whether or not that was agreeable to you was where we differed. I was frustrated because I felt like the story had good bones and potential, but Bivald wrote about American small towns in caricature and there was no character development, or anyone more than one dimensional. In fact, there was barely any conflict to speak of. There is a single woman with nothing going on in her home country, and a handsome single dude. Literally nothing stopping them from getting them together. Instead of "will they/won't they" the only question was, "why don't they get on with it?"
It was not the worst I have read this year (as detailed in my opener) but just too paint by numbers for my taste. But if you are looking for some brain candy and are a reader at heart, then you may find this sentimental and heartwarming.
Sara Lundqvist is a young-ish Swedish woman who travels to America to try to have some sort of adventure. She lives a droll existence in Sweden, and recently fired from her job as a bookstore clerk has nothing really going on in her life. In recent history she had become the penpal of Amy, an older woman in Broken Wheel, Iowa, a mostly nondescript one diner town, and decides to take Amy up on her invitation to visit, read books, and enjoy small town life. But, and not really a spoiler, this is in chapter one, when Sara arrives, Amy has died. Womp. In fact, she shows up during the funeral. So, she is invited by some of the town people to stay in Amy's house for free, and stay for the planned two months. Totally normal, amiright?
From here, she decides to use Amy's substantial library to open and operate a bookstore for the town, and she is basically adopted by the townspeople, where she finally finds somewhere to belong. (Insert soaring heartstrings). And its pretty adorable at times, there is a fun scene when they watch her read for hours, she not noticing, and basically throw a quiet street party to watch her (it's less creepy than it sounds).
Overall, reviews were mixed among book club members. We all sort of agreed that this book was predictable, superficial, and fluffy, but whether or not that was agreeable to you was where we differed. I was frustrated because I felt like the story had good bones and potential, but Bivald wrote about American small towns in caricature and there was no character development, or anyone more than one dimensional. In fact, there was barely any conflict to speak of. There is a single woman with nothing going on in her home country, and a handsome single dude. Literally nothing stopping them from getting them together. Instead of "will they/won't they" the only question was, "why don't they get on with it?"
It was not the worst I have read this year (as detailed in my opener) but just too paint by numbers for my taste. But if you are looking for some brain candy and are a reader at heart, then you may find this sentimental and heartwarming.