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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
emotional
sad
slow-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
A fictional book but based on real events in London during WWII. Very heart-wrenching and sad read, but I enjoyed the overall resolution, which is a bookstore that brought desperate people together during difficult times.
I really got caught up in the characters and what would happen to them. I wanted to know who would make it through the bombing and how they would fare.
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Great book for an avid read and reading teacher!
It was a perfectly nice storyline. However, I felt disconnected from the characters. It felt like I was told what happened without being drawn into the story. I never experienced what the character felt. I was told what she felt: grief, fear, etc. Yet I was never shown, not really. Not beyond a few half-developed descriptions. It felt more like a story written for the hopes of becoming a nice Hallmark movie. It also felt ironic that the core of this story is a character who found the power of how books can transport readers into grand adventures as forms of escapism, yet I never felt transported once.
I think the plot has the makings of a great book, but the writing allowed me to experience the lives lived. For example, characters write letters back and forth, yet other than a few lines shared, we don’t see what was shared. We can’t experience the growing bond between the characters. Rather it is merely stated the characters grew closer through letters and that they shared more about their inner selves. It’s the concept of “Don’t tell me, show me.” There’s a line reputed to have been written by a Russian playwright: “Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass."
The characters never came alive for me, and, for that, this book made no impression on me and will only fade from my memory.
I think the plot has the makings of a great book, but the writing allowed me to experience the lives lived. For example, characters write letters back and forth, yet other than a few lines shared, we don’t see what was shared. We can’t experience the growing bond between the characters. Rather it is merely stated the characters grew closer through letters and that they shared more about their inner selves. It’s the concept of “Don’t tell me, show me.” There’s a line reputed to have been written by a Russian playwright: “Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass."
The characters never came alive for me, and, for that, this book made no impression on me and will only fade from my memory.
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
ok story boring writing
Story was compelling, but the writing itself was plodding. At the start it was too insistent on details and descriptions, but that soon faded and the writing was expected. The story unfolded exactly as any skilled reader would assume. Definitely a tell not show style of writing, but with a subject matter and base story that compels the reader to keep going in spite of its sophomoric prose.
Story was compelling, but the writing itself was plodding. At the start it was too insistent on details and descriptions, but that soon faded and the writing was expected. The story unfolded exactly as any skilled reader would assume. Definitely a tell not show style of writing, but with a subject matter and base story that compels the reader to keep going in spite of its sophomoric prose.
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I really disliked everything about the main character, but I liked the story.
This could have been a great plot, but just fell flat for me. I never felt very invested in the characters or cared what happened to them. It was ok but never got better.
WWII historical fiction is my current favorite genre. This book was different as ot focused on every day life moreso than most. I enjoyed the storyline, even though a little predictable at times. The last handful of chapters made my heart weep and mend with joy.
My one annoyance was that there were a lot of paragraphs that were repetitive, the same thing said slightly different. It made me re read pages a few times, trying to sort out why the point was made a second time.
Overall, excellent.
My one annoyance was that there were a lot of paragraphs that were repetitive, the same thing said slightly different. It made me re read pages a few times, trying to sort out why the point was made a second time.
Overall, excellent.