A review by sbkennedy
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

dark emotional sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

While I think this book told a very powerful story on a topic more people should be educated about- I really didn't enjoy it that much. The first half of the book was very compelling, as it slowly became apparent how the story lines of our two main characters were going to intercept. However, by the second half of the book I wasn't enjoying the story at all. Rill's plot line becomes so unbearably sad I almost had to stop reading, and while it was meant to convey the horror of a situation real children were put through, it was almost enough to make me put the book down. Avery's story line is really what bothered me the most. I admired her determination to dig deeper into a potentially scandalous part of her family history, but I couldn't stand her character beyond that. Even after learning so much about her grandmother's past, she was still so blind to her own privilege I couldn't believe it.
When Avery says that she is going to take some time off from working with her father, and only run for congress "on her own merits" I knew she was never going to redeem herself as a character.
Her father is a LITERAL SENATOR that is OBVIOUSLY  going to provide her a massive advantage that she can never get rid of, no matter how much she wants to pretend she can. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings