Scan barcode
A review by leahgustafson
Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I picked this one up because I needed something lighter and was really in the mood for something to fuel my excitement for summer. The Midwest, summertime, Up North vibes were spot on and made my heart so happy. Also, knowing and having been to the places referred to in a book always makes the reading experience more fun for me.
•
I am a fan of books with multiple narrators and nonlinear timelines, and I read a lot of them. Unfortunately, the changing of perspectives and timelines in this one felt like we were really jumping around and did not flow cohesively. This format seemed to make the story more confusing, rather than adding perspective.
•
There are some BIG, tragic events that occur in this book—be sure to check the content warnings. To be honest, I’m not sure they are all necessary to get to the heart of this particular story. Some of them just felt throw in. A few of the big themes/events are never fully developed and just sort of fall off. These feel like they could be ideas for other, separate books.
•
Finally, some of the characters didn’t seem to match personality-wise with previous versions of themselves. Of course, people grow/change over time, but I didn’t find this kind of development well demonstrated.
•
I know people have absolutely loved J. Ryan Stradal’s other books, and I’d be willing to give those a try. If you’ve read this one or any of his others, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
•
Check out what I'm reading next on Instagram @LeahsLitReview!
•
I am a fan of books with multiple narrators and nonlinear timelines, and I read a lot of them. Unfortunately, the changing of perspectives and timelines in this one felt like we were really jumping around and did not flow cohesively. This format seemed to make the story more confusing, rather than adding perspective.
•
There are some BIG, tragic events that occur in this book—be sure to check the content warnings. To be honest, I’m not sure they are all necessary to get to the heart of this particular story. Some of them just felt throw in. A few of the big themes/events are never fully developed and just sort of fall off. These feel like they could be ideas for other, separate books.
•
Finally, some of the characters didn’t seem to match personality-wise with previous versions of themselves. Of course, people grow/change over time, but I didn’t find this kind of development well demonstrated.
•
I know people have absolutely loved J. Ryan Stradal’s other books, and I’d be willing to give those a try. If you’ve read this one or any of his others, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
•
Check out what I'm reading next on Instagram @LeahsLitReview!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Infertility, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Homophobia and Death of parent