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laurenmichellebrock's review against another edition
5.0
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is the story of Juliet Ashton who receives a letter from Dawsey Adams inquiring about a book that has somehow made its way to the island of Guernsey, and bears the address of Juliet's residence. From this letter arises a series of conversations between Dawsey and Juliet that leads to her writing an article, then researching for a book, on the Potato Peel Pie Society founded, quite by accident, during the German Occupation. Through these letters, Juliet makes a cast of charming friends she will come to cherish for the rest of her life, and who will impress upon its readers a taste for Guernsey long after the last page.
This is a marvelous book, and reads just like a classic novel. Shaffer and Barrows did such a wonderful job on the book, and I easily decided it was going on my favorites list before I was even halfway done reading it. Books written in the format of letters between the characters can be very tricky, but these ladies formatted the scenes seamlessly and pulled it off without a hitch! Juliet Ashton is a woman after my own heart; I felt myself relating to her on so many different levels - she envelops that childlike demeanor that is so important to hold onto once you become an adult, and she never loses sight of who she is. What I found admirable about Juliet was her determination not to settle in a marriage in a time where that was common. She was a woman who knew what she wanted, and even if she faltered every now and then, she always righted herself before falling over completely.
The moment I put this book down, I wanted to pick it right back up and start reading it all over again (and I still haven't decided if I'm just going to leave it sitting on my dresser or if I'm going to actually go through with a back-to-back-er). Through Juliet's letters with the islanders of Guernsey I felt her same pull to visit the people there. Even though they're wholly of the author's imagination, they feel so enchantingly real. It feels like one of those stories that you want to read back-to-back just so you can relive and better understand everything that's going on.
As I read, and especially when I turned the last page, I felt taken with the way Shaffer and Barrow wove this simple, yet intricate, plot. This was a heavily character-driven book, though, but for this story it worked. This story wouldn't have worked, actually, if the characters weren't so endearing. And I especially liked being able to relate to Juliet on an authorial level, being that she was researching to write a book, which is something I'm doing now, too. I almost wish that Barrows would write the book of Guernsey characters and publish it as Juliet writing. That would be a treat!
This is a marvelous book, and reads just like a classic novel. Shaffer and Barrows did such a wonderful job on the book, and I easily decided it was going on my favorites list before I was even halfway done reading it. Books written in the format of letters between the characters can be very tricky, but these ladies formatted the scenes seamlessly and pulled it off without a hitch! Juliet Ashton is a woman after my own heart; I felt myself relating to her on so many different levels - she envelops that childlike demeanor that is so important to hold onto once you become an adult, and she never loses sight of who she is. What I found admirable about Juliet was her determination not to settle in a marriage in a time where that was common. She was a woman who knew what she wanted, and even if she faltered every now and then, she always righted herself before falling over completely.
The moment I put this book down, I wanted to pick it right back up and start reading it all over again (and I still haven't decided if I'm just going to leave it sitting on my dresser or if I'm going to actually go through with a back-to-back-er). Through Juliet's letters with the islanders of Guernsey I felt her same pull to visit the people there. Even though they're wholly of the author's imagination, they feel so enchantingly real. It feels like one of those stories that you want to read back-to-back just so you can relive and better understand everything that's going on.
As I read, and especially when I turned the last page, I felt taken with the way Shaffer and Barrow wove this simple, yet intricate, plot. This was a heavily character-driven book, though, but for this story it worked. This story wouldn't have worked, actually, if the characters weren't so endearing. And I especially liked being able to relate to Juliet on an authorial level, being that she was researching to write a book, which is something I'm doing now, too. I almost wish that Barrows would write the book of Guernsey characters and publish it as Juliet writing. That would be a treat!
teresa81186's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
aglclark's review against another edition
3.0
I was told this was a romance? so... I'm kinda confused? I enjoyed that the story was told through letters, but also thought it could've been better executed in some places. Not sure how accurate some of the WWII stuff was. This was one of the few audiobooks where I actually enjoyed the full cast.
cadybooks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Slavery, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Deportation, Genocide, Hate crime, Murder, Child death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, Vomit, War, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Violence, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Gun violence, Medical content, Gore, and Police brutality
pawagski's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-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
4.75
bhnmt61's review against another edition
4.0
I read this years ago, but suddenly it seemed like everywhere I turned friends were reading it. So I read it again. It’s a fun book, enjoyable throughout.
jsc55's review against another edition
5.0
i thought this book was so adorable. loved it! my favorite part... from isola's diary... "i had to put drops in my eyeballs before bed - it is a strain, always having to skitter them sideways. my lids ache from having to keep them half-way down too." seriously loved all the characters.
paulanisk's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75