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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5⭐️ This book wasn't bad, it was just slow. I found myself putting it down a few times to start and finish other books, but I did want to keep reading it. I liked it. It was a steady, coming of age story, showing the bonds of family and sisterhood with magic thrown in. I just felt like it didn't have any big wow moments and the pacing stayed slow throughout. But, it was fine.
An unusual retelling of a coming-of-age story and grappling with the tethers of familial responsibility all wrapped up magic and witchcraft. Sensitively and beautifully written, it lost the thread in the middle. And I came dangerously close to dnf'ing. However I kept going and so glad that I did. As the last third continued, a real window into the different characters and motivations opened giving the story depth and universal meaning. For those looking for the magical components, you won't be disappointed. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
mysterious
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don’t know, it was just kind of annoying.
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked but didn't love this. It's a nice story with strong themes of family, love, and responsibility, but it also felt a bit rote. By the time you're coming up on the end of the first act, you've probably got a pretty good sense of where the whole thing's going. It felt very much in line with the kinds of books I remember reading in English classes as a kid, where there're plenty of good ideas to be found beneath the surface, but none of it's buried too deep. Honestly, I even think it would be a really good one of those, but tougher to get excited about outside that context.
When I cataloged this, it sounded like something I'd love. I was excited when my hold came in but I had too many other books to read and knew I wouldn't be able to finish it by the time I had to return it. Luckily (?), we had an audio copy available so I checked that out, instead.
I was all set to be enchanted and delighted with this story of a grandmother and her special granddaughter, a sister and their mom in a small midwestern town in the late 60s.
I disagree that this is for fans of [b:Practical Magic|22896|Practical Magic (Practical Magic, #1)|Alice Hoffman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1490354120l/22896._SY75_.jpg|4030671]. The only correlation between the two is witches, sisters, and the last 10% of this book has a similar feeling to the end of Practical Magic, the movie.
Other than that, I hated it.
I ground my teeth as I listened. I sighed exasperated sighs. I kept hoping the next chapter would be better and I was disappointed every time.
It was incredibly difficult to be in the head of a young woman, 18-years-old and newly-graduated from high school, who sounds 15 and sheltered, privileged, self-absorbed and lacking in compassion. She thinks her thoughts on a loop until a new thought comes in to loop. At first, she focuses on what Cousin Mildred said - why did she say that and what did it mean? Pages of Why did she say that and what did she mean?
Once she finds out why she said it, she recalibrates and focuses on Why me, it's not fair? Pages of Why me, it's not fair.
The next loop was I can never love with half a heart. Pages of that.
Then Poor John but also, I hate my grandmother.
Then I'll show her!
so on and so forth.
It was by turns irritating and exhausting.
Add to that, nothing really happens. Girl runs away to find herself only to return home a week later feeling bad for herself but like a totally changed person even though the only thing that changed is she drank whiskey and disappointed the nuns.
Oh! And there was an indigenous person who indigneously made her a legit dreamcatcher when she was a child due to her bad dreams.
I think had this been edited down to clean up the inordinate amount of repetition as well as the week in the big city and maybe also John, I may have enjoyed it more. The writing is promising and a little work could have given Elizabeth as much personality as her sister seemed to have.
I was all set to be enchanted and delighted with this story of a grandmother and her special granddaughter, a sister and their mom in a small midwestern town in the late 60s.
I disagree that this is for fans of [b:Practical Magic|22896|Practical Magic (Practical Magic, #1)|Alice Hoffman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1490354120l/22896._SY75_.jpg|4030671]. The only correlation between the two is witches, sisters, and the last 10% of this book has a similar feeling to the end of Practical Magic, the movie.
Other than that, I hated it.
I ground my teeth as I listened. I sighed exasperated sighs. I kept hoping the next chapter would be better and I was disappointed every time.
It was incredibly difficult to be in the head of a young woman, 18-years-old and newly-graduated from high school, who sounds 15 and sheltered, privileged, self-absorbed and lacking in compassion. She thinks her thoughts on a loop until a new thought comes in to loop. At first, she focuses on what Cousin Mildred said - why did she say that and what did it mean? Pages of Why did she say that and what did she mean?
Once she finds out why she said it, she recalibrates and focuses on Why me, it's not fair? Pages of Why me, it's not fair.
The next loop was I can never love with half a heart. Pages of that.
Then Poor John but also, I hate my grandmother.
Then I'll show her!
so on and so forth.
It was by turns irritating and exhausting.
Add to that, nothing really happens. Girl runs away to find herself only to return home a week later feeling bad for herself but like a totally changed person even though the only thing that changed is she drank whiskey and disappointed the nuns.
Oh! And there was an indigenous person who indigneously made her a legit dreamcatcher when she was a child due to her bad dreams.
I think had this been edited down to clean up the inordinate amount of repetition as well as the week in the big city and maybe also John, I may have enjoyed it more. The writing is promising and a little work could have given Elizabeth as much personality as her sister seemed to have.
*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book!*
I loved the premise of this book but found the execution a bit lacklustre. 60s family of witches and our protagonist struggles with her life already been decided by the matriarch of the family while exploring her sexuality. I found most men in this novel ridiculous and the majority of the family members wooden, I would have loved to enjoy this more. More popcultural references please, more world building and magic system please. More character development. But parts were fun!
3 stars
I loved the premise of this book but found the execution a bit lacklustre. 60s family of witches and our protagonist struggles with her life already been decided by the matriarch of the family while exploring her sexuality. I found most men in this novel ridiculous and the majority of the family members wooden, I would have loved to enjoy this more. More popcultural references please, more world building and magic system please. More character development. But parts were fun!
3 stars
The main character is a little hard to take at time, very whiny and unappreciative of anything, but book picks up some in second half.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I am a Midwesterner and I love the idea of a story about a Midwestern family of witches, but the execution fell very flat. The magic is not really explained at all and I found the choice of the phrase "ice floe" to describe the source of magical energy very odd. The stakes for the main character never felt clear or convincing. The family relationships were also not very well developed.
We're told over and over again that Elizabeth is going have her whol heart bound to her family' cedar chest, but what does that actually mean? Also, Elizabeth defyingher grandmotheris supposedto be this hug3 dramatic moment, but all she does is take a bus 3 hours away, hang out for maybe 2 weeks, and have sex with one guy. I also foundthe sexual politics weirdlyconservative. It's supposed to be the free love late '60s, but Elizabeth has sex with one guy other than her high school boyfriend and then it's implied she might marry him.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes