A review by carys_roberson
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle

emotional reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I honestly don't know how to feel about this book. It was a quick read; I ended up finishing it in a day. I was not super invested in the story to begin with, but I found myself wanting to keep reading for some reason. Dannie and David were just not compelling characters, and it felt like we were going in circles with their relationship for the entire novel with hardly anything of interest happening to them; I'm aware that this was the point, but it just became tedious to read after a while. I feel like even more could have been done to build up the tension and unspoken understanding between the two. For me, Dannie was wanting as a protagonist. She was really just a workaholic who had trouble being honest with herself and David. However, I really loved Bella. I felt that Serle portrayed friends who are soulmates very well, and it was refreshing to read a love story about a loving platonic relationship. I honestly could have done with even more scenes early on in the book with Bella and Dannie and less with David.
I am not usually one to cry at books or movies, but Bella's death had me quite emotional.
Aaron was okay, but the way he was written did not strike me as really suiting the role that he was supposed to play in Dannie's life. The very end of the book is what really brought the rating down for me. I liked reading the five years scene with context, but other than that, the last few pages were rushed and not a satisfying end to the story. All in all, this book was a good, quick read for a rainy day at home.
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