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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was not exactly what I was expecting based on the cover and title - it was so much better. It felt very relevant, dealing with issues of "Me Too", domestic violence and drug abuse, but it was still a touching, easy summer read. I loved the relationship between Caroline and the kids. My one criticism is that the ending felt a little rushed and was rather predictable. However, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes emotional female-centric fiction.
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Sappy and predictable
I have read books by Susan Wiggs prior to this novel and enjoyed them, so I was looking forward to this book. I thought this book was a little more serious than the others I have read. This book dealt with a lot of heavy issues but also had uplifting moments. I enjoyed following Caroline’s story.
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-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
This book felt rushed to me. Susan Wiggs is one of my go to authors. I know that she always delivers a sweet story that is sometimes sad but always ends just the right way.
I think 'The Oysterville Sewing Circle' had too many deep serious subjects battling for dominance here. Hashing all of those problems out in 300(ish) pages was a tall order. Some of the magic got lost. I don't like books that have gaps or significant time passing between chapters. Especially if we have characters that are supposed to be reconnecting with basically everyone they encounter.
It wasn't horrible. It also wasn't at the level I expect from Susan Wiggs.
I think 'The Oysterville Sewing Circle' had too many deep serious subjects battling for dominance here. Hashing all of those problems out in 300(ish) pages was a tall order. Some of the magic got lost. I don't like books that have gaps or significant time passing between chapters. Especially if we have characters that are supposed to be reconnecting with basically everyone they encounter.
It wasn't horrible. It also wasn't at the level I expect from Susan Wiggs.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Grief, Death of parent
challenging
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I so wanted this to be better, and it easily could have been. At times it delivered, but there were too many sudden story jumps around an unnecessary and loooong flashback that I can't reward it. I did add a half star because the author is sharing a percentage of her royalties to a nonprofit in her home county that provides safe, supportive, longer-term affordable housing for survivors of domestic violence. I borrowed this in ebook from NYPL. I will probably now buy a few copies to give as gifts.
Caroline is a young designer working in the NYC fashion studio of a hugely successful established designer. One of her best friends is supermodel Angelique, the single mother of 2 mixed race children for whom she agrees to stand as guardian if ever needed, and who also Caroline suspects is being physically abused. At the same time her boss is stealing her breakthrough designs and claiming them as his own, Caroline comes home to find Angelique dead from an overdose. Suddenly that casual agreement to be a guardian becomes real.
Having no other real options, Caroline returns home to Oysterville, WA where she reconnect with her family, beginning the process of providing a safe and secure home for the 2 kids and beginning from scratch as a designer. Personally struggling with understanding what happened to Angelique, Caroline atarts the Oysterville Sewing Circle as a safe zone support group for women experiencing, or have survived, domestic abuse.
And these chapters shine. What doesn't shine is the long revisit to Caroline's past relationship with her best friends Will and Sierra. Too much time and detail is spent on this, hurting the rest of the story and detracting from the eventual ending. Several chapters could easily have been summarized in a couple of paragraphs. Fortunately there is a terrific ending, one fitting in the era of #MeToo, that lived up to the initial promise.
Caroline is a young designer working in the NYC fashion studio of a hugely successful established designer. One of her best friends is supermodel Angelique, the single mother of 2 mixed race children for whom she agrees to stand as guardian if ever needed, and who also Caroline suspects is being physically abused. At the same time her boss is stealing her breakthrough designs and claiming them as his own, Caroline comes home to find Angelique dead from an overdose. Suddenly that casual agreement to be a guardian becomes real.
Having no other real options, Caroline returns home to Oysterville, WA where she reconnect with her family, beginning the process of providing a safe and secure home for the 2 kids and beginning from scratch as a designer. Personally struggling with understanding what happened to Angelique, Caroline atarts the Oysterville Sewing Circle as a safe zone support group for women experiencing, or have survived, domestic abuse.
And these chapters shine. What doesn't shine is the long revisit to Caroline's past relationship with her best friends Will and Sierra. Too much time and detail is spent on this, hurting the rest of the story and detracting from the eventual ending. Several chapters could easily have been summarized in a couple of paragraphs. Fortunately there is a terrific ending, one fitting in the era of #MeToo, that lived up to the initial promise.
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes