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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
So, what I could gather is that this is the story of a young girl in the mid 1980's who lost the only relative who understood her to a tragic death. Then, her relative's lover reaches out to her through gifts and letters in an effort to get to know her better. That's as far as I got. I could not finish this book as it moved far too slowly for me. Because this book has been so well reviewed by readers and fans have been rating it with high stars, I expected to be captivated by the story and was prepared to join in singing praises. The fact of the matter is, the story moves at a snail's pace. I'm sure there is a pay off at the end, but it took me 2 weeks to get through the first 100 pages. I decided it wasn't worth my time to finish.
I loved this book! The dynamic of the family was thoughtful and heart-wrenching. I understand that there has to be some conflict here and there and that teenagers don't always say what they think, think people won't care, but why doesn't anyone ever communicate with each other??? That said, they way each person, each relationship relied on each other was brilliantly woven together in this story.
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I think this book will stay with me forever. The writing style is incredible and unique. On the surface it is a coming of age story, but it has so many levels and I guess made me do more self analysis then I had done in a long time because what else do you do what incredible characters make life more something. so much more... something. I loved the complicated relationships and the simple words that felt like they could gut you. I mean you were different after you read it.
"Like we were one solid, unbreakable thing"
"You could press your ear against that person’s back, listening to the rhythm of them, knowing that you were both made of the same exact stuff. You could do things like that."
"I really wondered why people were always doing what they didn’t like doing. It seemed like life was a sort of narrowing tunnel. Right when you were born, the tunnel was huge. You could be anything. Then, like, the absolute second after you were born, the tunnel narrowed down to about half that size."
"Like we were one solid, unbreakable thing"
"You could press your ear against that person’s back, listening to the rhythm of them, knowing that you were both made of the same exact stuff. You could do things like that."
"I really wondered why people were always doing what they didn’t like doing. It seemed like life was a sort of narrowing tunnel. Right when you were born, the tunnel was huge. You could be anything. Then, like, the absolute second after you were born, the tunnel narrowed down to about half that size."
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I was really loving this until about 2/3rd in and then I just became so annoyed by the repetitiveness of how confused June was about her reality and how cruel Greta was and I finished the book so I found there was some reconciling of both of these things but OMG.
A gentle story about love and loss and family. I loved the voice of June, her cautiousness and gentleness was so endearing.
This is a great book. Seriously, it's great.
