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amylajiness's review against another edition
5.0
An easy read - manages to tackle some heavy topics while remaining engaging and humorous. I’m always up for a travelogue, and this fictional travelogue was right up my alley!
nikikalyvides's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
medium-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
3.5
bookswithcuppatea's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Two fascinating main characters decide to walk the Camino for very different reasons, from the same starting point. I've been curious about the Camino de Santiago since I first heard about it, and reading this book made me think seriously about whether it might be something I'd like to do myself sometime!
I appreciated the way the story, the walk, gave so many characters opportunities to get to know themselves better, to deal with things in their past and prepare for what is coming up next for them.
I appreciated the way the story, the walk, gave so many characters opportunities to get to know themselves better, to deal with things in their past and prepare for what is coming up next for them.
Content Warnings
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
funkyannad's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
soggymoggy's review against another edition
3.0
"Two Steps Forward" is a part travelogue, part fictional romance written by authors Graeme Simsion and his wife Anne Buist.
In this book you can tell that the authors love the Camino and have both walked the route and researched the history of the pilgrims. To begin with it is a little heavy on the travelogue side with a lot of emphasis on detail about the journey from France to Spain - some of which is relevant and interesting, some less so. There was a lot of time dedicated to the meals, accommodation, walking routes and so on at the beginning, however as the story gains momentum, it becomes more of a novel and less of a faithful recording of the Camino and I then began to feel more invested in the two main characters, Zoe and Martin.
The plot flows well across the chapters which alternate from Zoe's viewpoint to Martin's. They are clear and each have a distinct voice to them. Along their way there are (sometimes comedic) misunderstandings, problems to resolve and spiritual journeys to undertake before the great conclusion once they reach Santiago. I found all the characters (however minor in their appearance in the book) to be well written, different and realistic in their background stories and reasons why they are undertaking their pilgrimage.
3/5 - An enjoyable, well-written book which gives a sense of the Camino interspersed with a hint of romance, warmth, humour. with moments that will make you smile once past the travelogue detailing. Recommended for readers who enjoy Rachel Joyce, J. B. Morrison and Jonas Jonasson.
Thank-you to NatGalley for providing me with an Advance Readers e-proof copy from publishers HarperCollins.
In this book you can tell that the authors love the Camino and have both walked the route and researched the history of the pilgrims. To begin with it is a little heavy on the travelogue side with a lot of emphasis on detail about the journey from France to Spain - some of which is relevant and interesting, some less so. There was a lot of time dedicated to the meals, accommodation, walking routes and so on at the beginning, however as the story gains momentum, it becomes more of a novel and less of a faithful recording of the Camino and I then began to feel more invested in the two main characters, Zoe and Martin.
The plot flows well across the chapters which alternate from Zoe's viewpoint to Martin's. They are clear and each have a distinct voice to them. Along their way there are (sometimes comedic) misunderstandings, problems to resolve and spiritual journeys to undertake before the great conclusion once they reach Santiago. I found all the characters (however minor in their appearance in the book) to be well written, different and realistic in their background stories and reasons why they are undertaking their pilgrimage.
3/5 - An enjoyable, well-written book which gives a sense of the Camino interspersed with a hint of romance, warmth, humour. with moments that will make you smile once past the travelogue detailing. Recommended for readers who enjoy Rachel Joyce, J. B. Morrison and Jonas Jonasson.
Thank-you to NatGalley for providing me with an Advance Readers e-proof copy from publishers HarperCollins.
ponckumari's review against another edition
1.0
This is/was the most excruciating book to read. The whole story is set on The Walk/The Chemin and around two characters taking on this pilgrimage for various reasons but none of it religious.
I really really hoped I would learn about Chemin or more about Zoe or Martin but this was a huge let down from the beginning.
First both Zoe and Martin narrate the story from their points of view. I am not against this but with the chapters being so small, it was too much character switching to keep track of.
Plus there was nothing about the characters that made them endearing or made you invest your time in finding out what eventually happens to them.
In fact some of their narration was so filled with minutiae, like Zoe describes the coat someone lent her and why they lent it, Martin describes the shelf where something was found...i read the words but my mind voice kept going 'blah blah blah'.
Given that I rarely get time to read, it made no sense to wade through a crappy book and feeling so empty after that process.
I really really hoped I would learn about Chemin or more about Zoe or Martin but this was a huge let down from the beginning.
First both Zoe and Martin narrate the story from their points of view. I am not against this but with the chapters being so small, it was too much character switching to keep track of.
Plus there was nothing about the characters that made them endearing or made you invest your time in finding out what eventually happens to them.
In fact some of their narration was so filled with minutiae, like Zoe describes the coat someone lent her and why they lent it, Martin describes the shelf where something was found...i read the words but my mind voice kept going 'blah blah blah'.
Given that I rarely get time to read, it made no sense to wade through a crappy book and feeling so empty after that process.
laurabookworm's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
bethaturner87's review against another edition
2.0
This book just was not for me. It was slow, it was repetitive, it was irritating. When I had about 150 pages left, I wondered just how many times Zoe and Martin would part ways over one misunderstanding or another, knowing with so much text left but little plot to fill it that the pattern would likely continue. It did. There was so little character development; we really just met these two characters exactly where they were in life during their walk. I find that frustrating, especially when so much of the story depends on their emotional development. This book wasn’t funny, as I’d come to expect from “The Rosie Project,” and it had so many side characters it was hard to keep track without narrative context. I did like the ending and was happy for them both in their respective journeys, but that’s really all I can recommend from it.
laylaloveslimes's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75