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briarsreviews's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Island by Elin Hilderbrand was a contemporary, women's fiction read that had me hooked.
Content Warning: Suicide, death and cheating.
I picked up this book from a local indie bookstore as a "blind date book." It was one of those fun marketing ideas where they wrap the book up in brown paper and put some notes on the paper about what the book is about. The books were on sale for $6.00 too, so I thought... what a steal! I'll pick a unique book that I hopefully haven't read and give it a whirl! I was surprised and delighted to pick this book up, as I have been eying down Elin Hilderbrand for a while, but I just never managed to grab one of her books.
The Island didn't pull me in right away, but by 3/4s into it I was HOOKED. There's something about the drama and intrigue that brought me back to my soap opera loving days. I had to know what happened at all costs. The more I got into the book, the more I had to binge. It was quite the ride for me, and it made me smile. I miss these kinds of books that pull me deeper in as I go along. What a nice change.
But anyways, time for the actual content and review!
This book follows a set of four women in one family. Birdie, her daughters Tate and Chess, and her sister India. After a traumatic and tragic loss, the four set off to "The Island" - an old family cottage in Nantucket that will bring back many memories and make new ones. Of course, there's lots of drama going on for all four women - loss, love, grief, and careers. Each woman goes on her own journey, while simultaneously having effects on the others.
It's quite the women's fiction read. I definitely think it'll be a niche for some readers, but I also think it was very well written. I can tell why many readers wouldn't like it, but I enjoyed dipping my toes into the sand and watching the stories unfold. Each woman changes and grows throughout the book, which made it really stand out to me. I do love good old fashioned drama (which this book had a lot of), but the growth and discovery really stood out to me. Seeing these women deal with difficult issues and try to solve them in their own little ways made this book so special.
I'll definitely be trying to pick up more books by Elin. In fact, I already found one! This book is over ten years old, so hopefully I can pick up a few more recent ones and see what journey I go on with them.
If you love soap opera drama, character growth and development, potential love triangles, and a pinch of trauma... Check out this book.
Four out of five stars!
Content Warning: Suicide, death and cheating.
I picked up this book from a local indie bookstore as a "blind date book." It was one of those fun marketing ideas where they wrap the book up in brown paper and put some notes on the paper about what the book is about. The books were on sale for $6.00 too, so I thought... what a steal! I'll pick a unique book that I hopefully haven't read and give it a whirl! I was surprised and delighted to pick this book up, as I have been eying down Elin Hilderbrand for a while, but I just never managed to grab one of her books.
The Island didn't pull me in right away, but by 3/4s into it I was HOOKED. There's something about the drama and intrigue that brought me back to my soap opera loving days. I had to know what happened at all costs. The more I got into the book, the more I had to binge. It was quite the ride for me, and it made me smile. I miss these kinds of books that pull me deeper in as I go along. What a nice change.
But anyways, time for the actual content and review!
This book follows a set of four women in one family. Birdie, her daughters Tate and Chess, and her sister India. After a traumatic and tragic loss, the four set off to "The Island" - an old family cottage in Nantucket that will bring back many memories and make new ones. Of course, there's lots of drama going on for all four women - loss, love, grief, and careers. Each woman goes on her own journey, while simultaneously having effects on the others.
It's quite the women's fiction read. I definitely think it'll be a niche for some readers, but I also think it was very well written. I can tell why many readers wouldn't like it, but I enjoyed dipping my toes into the sand and watching the stories unfold. Each woman changes and grows throughout the book, which made it really stand out to me. I do love good old fashioned drama (which this book had a lot of), but the growth and discovery really stood out to me. Seeing these women deal with difficult issues and try to solve them in their own little ways made this book so special.
I'll definitely be trying to pick up more books by Elin. In fact, I already found one! This book is over ten years old, so hopefully I can pick up a few more recent ones and see what journey I go on with them.
If you love soap opera drama, character growth and development, potential love triangles, and a pinch of trauma... Check out this book.
Four out of five stars!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Cancer, Infidelity, Abandonment, and Bullying
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