Scan barcode
A review by lizziepagereads
The Second Home by Christina Clancy
2.0
2.5 stars
The idea for this novel is great, and I enjoyed the plot itself enough to make it to the end. However, the execution faltered in a few ways that really bothered me as a reader.
First, the timeline jumped around in a way that was really confusing. I typically enjoy books where the narrative skips from one person or point in time to another, but it needs to be clearly explained. I’ve seen timeline jumps explained via a new chapter, or by dropping not subtle hints that we’re in a flashback, or by setting the text apart in an indent. None of these techniques were used here. An event would be casually mentioned in passing, then a future chapter would feature the event prominently. It’s almost as though the author forgot when she first referenced it that we hadn’t made it there yet. I had an advanced reader copy, so perhaps the chapter order wasn’t finalized.
The other main problem I had here was the characters’ personalities and motivations. There were so many times in which the character’s dialogue didn’t make sense to me based on how they had been developed. It made the characters seem inconsistent and, depending on the exact circumstance, either way overdramatic or uncharacteristically stoic.
If these types of things don’t bother you or you don’t notice them, you will likely LOVE this book. Otherwise, it still might be worth a read, but be prepared for a somewhat mixed up timeline and somewhat inconsistent characters.
The idea for this novel is great, and I enjoyed the plot itself enough to make it to the end. However, the execution faltered in a few ways that really bothered me as a reader.
First, the timeline jumped around in a way that was really confusing. I typically enjoy books where the narrative skips from one person or point in time to another, but it needs to be clearly explained. I’ve seen timeline jumps explained via a new chapter, or by dropping not subtle hints that we’re in a flashback, or by setting the text apart in an indent. None of these techniques were used here. An event would be casually mentioned in passing, then a future chapter would feature the event prominently. It’s almost as though the author forgot when she first referenced it that we hadn’t made it there yet. I had an advanced reader copy, so perhaps the chapter order wasn’t finalized.
The other main problem I had here was the characters’ personalities and motivations. There were so many times in which the character’s dialogue didn’t make sense to me based on how they had been developed. It made the characters seem inconsistent and, depending on the exact circumstance, either way overdramatic or uncharacteristically stoic.
If these types of things don’t bother you or you don’t notice them, you will likely LOVE this book. Otherwise, it still might be worth a read, but be prepared for a somewhat mixed up timeline and somewhat inconsistent characters.