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rmarcher's review
5.0
I don't read a whole lot of contemporary fiction, but almost every time I do I wonder why I don't. One of my favorite things about books is that they transport you to a different place, and with contemporary fiction that place is often somewhere you feel like you could actually have a chance of going, particularly when that place is written well. Lake Lure was definitely written well. Tessa did a wonderful job of capturing the inviting atmosphere of Brewer's coffee shop, the mixture of fun and nervousness in Mr. Lovett's class, the almost-emptiness of the Huitt home. But what really brought these settings to life wasn't the settings themselves or the descriptions Tessa used. What brought these settings to life was the characters that inhabited them.
I tend to have no particular love for main characters--I'm not sure why. I think it's just a quirk of mine--but Selena was engaging to me. I felt like her anxiety could have been explored a bit more deeply, and the feelings that related to her past issues, but overall I was able to enjoy her character and see what made her tick. Plus, there were times I related to her in really specific ways, which happens very rarely.
Austin was wonderful. He was written very well, and I loved how Tessa brought out his personality and his values through the way he treated the other characters. (That birthday scene near the end... I just loved him all the more after that.) He's almost exactly what I look for in a guy in real life.
Madaleigh was also great. I loved her personality, her passion for art and for Christ, her view on brokenness... She was possibly my favorite character. (I'm slightly bummed she wasn't a bigger part of the last few chapters of the book.) Her friendship with Selena was one of my favorite things about the book.
I'll stop there with the characters, since I could comment on almost every one of them, and just say that all of the characters were wonderfully done. They were all incredibly distinct and engaging and sharp, and I even enjoyed reading the less likable characters because they were still so well-written. (Except Richard. No amount of good writing could make me enjoy reading about him.)
The plot and theme were also well-done. (Almost no part of this book wasn't well-done.) The theme was woven throughout the whole story beautifully, and the conclusion was mostly satisfying. I wish the bulk of the book had included more references to Christ and finding peace in Him, I felt like it was a little light-handed for a lot of the book, but the pieces nearer the end struck a good balance for me. (Again, the birthday scene. I loved that scene so much.) I felt like the beginning of the book had a lot of references to how Selena's life had changed the summer before and not so much showing that change. I also feel like Selena had too easy a time finding peace in God near the end (I say this as a Christian who struggles with trusting God and finding peace in Him); I'm not sure I've ever seen a real-life Christian find it so easy to place things in God's hands, so I feel like that transition was a little too smooth. But that could be a character difference between me and Selena.
Overall, I think Fallen Leaves is definitely worthy of five stars. It's a beautiful book, inside and out, and very well-written.
I tend to have no particular love for main characters--I'm not sure why. I think it's just a quirk of mine--but Selena was engaging to me. I felt like her anxiety could have been explored a bit more deeply, and the feelings that related to her past issues, but overall I was able to enjoy her character and see what made her tick. Plus, there were times I related to her in really specific ways, which happens very rarely.
Austin was wonderful. He was written very well, and I loved how Tessa brought out his personality and his values through the way he treated the other characters. (That birthday scene near the end... I just loved him all the more after that.) He's almost exactly what I look for in a guy in real life.
Madaleigh was also great. I loved her personality, her passion for art and for Christ, her view on brokenness... She was possibly my favorite character. (I'm slightly bummed she wasn't a bigger part of the last few chapters of the book.) Her friendship with Selena was one of my favorite things about the book.
I'll stop there with the characters, since I could comment on almost every one of them, and just say that all of the characters were wonderfully done. They were all incredibly distinct and engaging and sharp, and I even enjoyed reading the less likable characters because they were still so well-written. (Except Richard. No amount of good writing could make me enjoy reading about him.)
The plot and theme were also well-done. (Almost no part of this book wasn't well-done.) The theme was woven throughout the whole story beautifully, and the conclusion was mostly satisfying. I wish the bulk of the book had included more references to Christ and finding peace in Him, I felt like it was a little light-handed for a lot of the book, but the pieces nearer the end struck a good balance for me. (Again, the birthday scene. I loved that scene so much.) I felt like the beginning of the book had a lot of references to how Selena's life had changed the summer before and not so much showing that change. I also feel like Selena had too easy a time finding peace in God near the end (I say this as a Christian who struggles with trusting God and finding peace in Him); I'm not sure I've ever seen a real-life Christian find it so easy to place things in God's hands, so I feel like that transition was a little too smooth. But that could be a character difference between me and Selena.
Overall, I think Fallen Leaves is definitely worthy of five stars. It's a beautiful book, inside and out, and very well-written.
r_j_setser's review against another edition
5.0
Fallen Leaves is the long awaited continuation of Selena's story from Purple Moon.
Though Fallen Leaves is a sequel book, it could be read as a standalone because many of the events are explained as they're referred back to, however because I loved Purple Moon so much, I definitely recommend reading that book first.
Just like with the first book, Selena is a high school girl dealing with family problems and school problems. She struggles with her faith, identity, and trusting her closest friends when things seem to come apart.
I loved revisiting Selena in her North Carolina town and it was great picking up where Purple Moon left off, and her character is just so REAL that she's easy to relate to. It's also a Christian, clean YA Contemporary book with no cursing or sexual content, though there are some high-school topics that Selena or her friends face.
Though I did enjoy Purple Moon much more than Fallen Leaves, I still give Fallen Leaves 5 out of 5 stars because I love Selena and her story is a touching one.
I received this book from the author for the purpose of this review. All comments and opinions are entirely my own.
This is a LiteratureApproved.com Review.
Though Fallen Leaves is a sequel book, it could be read as a standalone because many of the events are explained as they're referred back to, however because I loved Purple Moon so much, I definitely recommend reading that book first.
Just like with the first book, Selena is a high school girl dealing with family problems and school problems. She struggles with her faith, identity, and trusting her closest friends when things seem to come apart.
I loved revisiting Selena in her North Carolina town and it was great picking up where Purple Moon left off, and her character is just so REAL that she's easy to relate to. It's also a Christian, clean YA Contemporary book with no cursing or sexual content, though there are some high-school topics that Selena or her friends face.
Though I did enjoy Purple Moon much more than Fallen Leaves, I still give Fallen Leaves 5 out of 5 stars because I love Selena and her story is a touching one.
I received this book from the author for the purpose of this review. All comments and opinions are entirely my own.
This is a LiteratureApproved.com Review.
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