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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
This book is such an interesting mix of murder mystery, small town romance, literary fiction, and magic. It was so atmospheric and was the perfect book to kick off my autumn reading
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
super compelling and as always, love the magical realism but needed more from that ending!
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
I am here strictly for the vibes and not for the logic. Every fall I gravitate towards at least one autumnal, witchy book and this one didn’t disappoint.
The plot relied on the trope of two characters not communicating with each other, and I found myself getting frustrated and yelling “JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER!” But I didn’t hold it against the book. If the characters had just spoken to each other, then the book would have been way shorter. And I wouldn’t get the yearning or haunting atmosphere I wanted. So, logic is out, autumn is in, reader’s not complaining.
The plot relied on the trope of two characters not communicating with each other, and I found myself getting frustrated and yelling “JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER!” But I didn’t hold it against the book. If the characters had just spoken to each other, then the book would have been way shorter. And I wouldn’t get the yearning or haunting atmosphere I wanted. So, logic is out, autumn is in, reader’s not complaining.
emotional
mysterious
tense
emotional
mysterious
tense
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:
Yes
This book was full of magic, a bit of mystery, and some romance. I gave it 3.5 stars because I didn’t love the way the island was portrayed in the last parts of the book …. That will make sense when you read it because I don’t want to spoiler. I also wished the magic was more prominent or discussed. It’s present but not to the degree I originally expected. The main characters were well written and you got a good sense of who they are and what makes them tick.
This book was...meh. It took me ages to read it, especially given it's under 400 pages. In fact, I only finished it because it fulfills a prompt for the Autumn Equinox term of the Magical Readathon created by G from Book Roast.
The writing here is actually very good. There is some terrific atmosphere and the descriptions of the island environment are very effective. There are several highly quotable lines.
There is also an entire cast of characters who are all basically blank slates aside from the scant details needed to drive the plot. There's a bland love story involving two people who just automatically love each other from childhood. Why? Who knows? The only thing interesting about their romance was the forced separation.
The protagonist gave off really strong "I can't function or have a meaningful life without this man I'm connected to for no reason that's ever explained" vibes. Like, he leaves her and the island (not a spoiler, it's in the blurb) over a decade before the novel begins and she has basically been in stasis ever since. Like, she stays on this island where she's basically unhappy and lonely. Forges a relationship with some guy just so she has a contingency plan and doesn't grow old and die alone. Runs the family business she never actually wanted. Etc , etc. Idk man, she just kind of sucks.
The plot was not interesting and the ultimate bad guy was easy to spot from the earliest chapters. But tbh, ESH, or Everyone Sucks Here, to use r/AITAH lingo.
If you are super into vibey books and aren't someone who almost always figures out where stories are going you might like this. I just really prefer books with complex characters and a good plot, although I don't always require both. One or the other on their own is enough if the plot or the characters are strong enough.
The writing here is actually very good. There is some terrific atmosphere and the descriptions of the island environment are very effective. There are several highly quotable lines.
There is also an entire cast of characters who are all basically blank slates aside from the scant details needed to drive the plot. There's a bland love story involving two people who just automatically love each other from childhood. Why? Who knows? The only thing interesting about their romance was the forced separation.
The protagonist gave off really strong "I can't function or have a meaningful life without this man I'm connected to for no reason that's ever explained" vibes. Like, he leaves her and the island (not a spoiler, it's in the blurb) over a decade before the novel begins and she has basically been in stasis ever since. Like, she stays on this island where she's basically unhappy and lonely. Forges a relationship with some guy just so she has a contingency plan and doesn't grow old and die alone. Runs the family business she never actually wanted. Etc , etc. Idk man, she just kind of sucks.
The plot was not interesting and the ultimate bad guy was easy to spot from the earliest chapters. But tbh, ESH, or Everyone Sucks Here, to use r/AITAH lingo.
If you are super into vibey books and aren't someone who almost always figures out where stories are going you might like this. I just really prefer books with complex characters and a good plot, although I don't always require both. One or the other on their own is enough if the plot or the characters are strong enough.
mysterious
medium-paced