A review by clairemacf
My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan

emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I found the characters to be annoying and the main character to be really annoying. I didn’t understand how Ella could be 25 but also somehow asked to advise the political campaign for the next president? Did not make sense and I felt like that just took away from the study abroad experience that I thought the book would be about. I didn’t believe the romance or love story between her and Jamie, it was too full of tropes and just seemed like they moved extremely quickly. I think it also was trying to be too British and in the end just made the British characters annoying and awkward and made me feel uncomfortable reading those scenes. I think Julia Whelan did a great job with the narration and voices for the audiobook. This book was just not what I expected.