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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Before I finished the book I saw a review that said “That was a lot of drama for a bunch of apples” and I can confirm that that was a lot of drama for a bunch of apples.
I liked the book but it could’ve been better. I love the two main characters Emery and August and the magic and history of the island but I think the plot could’ve gone deeper.
All that murder just because the orchard used to belong to the Morgans but now belongs to the Salts just seems a bit dumb to me, I wish the stakes were a bit higher. Even Lily trying to murder Emery just because she likes August, like maybe it could’ve been because her grandma manipulated her to do it or something???
Also the ending was a little unsatisfying. I think the plot twist could’ve been revealed sooner and we could read about the fallout after it was revealed. I wanted to read about Emery’s reaction to all these people who she trusted lying to her, murdering Calvin, and almost August. The plot twist was revealed then the next chapter was August and Emery 6 years later. Personally I would’ve liked more than a we don’t talk and you don’t talk kind of ending. I wanted it to be revealed to the island/police even just some of the secrets and proof August didn’t kill Lily.
Also surely arresting Henry for abusing his grandchild who’s a minor and doesn’t want the orchard would’ve been a good way of getting rid of him?? I get that it was the orchard that brought in money and tourists but I was a confused about why he had soooooo much power over the island.
August and Emery are cuties tho and I’m glad they’re off that weird island.
I liked the book but it could’ve been better. I love the two main characters Emery and August and the magic and history of the island but I think the plot could’ve gone deeper.
All that murder just because the orchard used to belong to the Morgans but now belongs to the Salts just seems a bit dumb to me, I wish the stakes were a bit higher. Even Lily trying to murder Emery just because she likes August, like maybe it could’ve been because her grandma manipulated her to do it or something???
Also the ending was a little unsatisfying. I think the plot twist could’ve been revealed sooner and we could read about the fallout after it was revealed. I wanted to read about Emery’s reaction to all these people who she trusted lying to her, murdering Calvin, and almost August. The plot twist was revealed then the next chapter was August and Emery 6 years later. Personally I would’ve liked more than a we don’t talk and you don’t talk kind of ending. I wanted it to be revealed to the island/police even just some of the secrets and proof August didn’t kill Lily.
Also surely arresting Henry for abusing his grandchild who’s a minor and doesn’t want the orchard would’ve been a good way of getting rid of him?? I get that it was the orchard that brought in money and tourists but I was a confused about why he had soooooo much power over the island.
August and Emery are cuties tho and I’m glad they’re off that weird island.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I wish there had been a bit more magic involved, but I loved the mystery of it all.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I liked the premise of the book. However, there were a few flaws that made it hard to enjoy.
1) set on a fictional island in Puget Sound, the island did not resemble any kind of island in Puget Sound. Maybe the San Juans, but even that would be a stretch. An isolated island off of Maine maybe. The plants mentioned in the woods were off, it rarely snows, there aren’t big swells in the sound, and western Washington largely doesn’t have orchards. That’s eastern Washington. Further, no ferry has a manifest of passengers. Finally- no one flys from Portland to Seattle. Not even professional sports teams. If you didn’t grow up on an island in Puget Sound with a ferry from Seattle this might not bug you as much as it bugged me.
2) the magic seemed like an afterthought. And for something that had a major plot point, seemed random.
3) while not a dealbreaker, it was fairly predictable.
1) set on a fictional island in Puget Sound, the island did not resemble any kind of island in Puget Sound. Maybe the San Juans, but even that would be a stretch. An isolated island off of Maine maybe. The plants mentioned in the woods were off, it rarely snows, there aren’t big swells in the sound, and western Washington largely doesn’t have orchards. That’s eastern Washington. Further, no ferry has a manifest of passengers. Finally- no one flys from Portland to Seattle. Not even professional sports teams. If you didn’t grow up on an island in Puget Sound with a ferry from Seattle this might not bug you as much as it bugged me.
2) the magic seemed like an afterthought. And for something that had a major plot point, seemed random.
3) while not a dealbreaker, it was fairly predictable.
Loved the vibes of the island and magic but the mystery took a bit long to unravel
I enjoyed this and it’s a great read to get ready for fall. But, I wanted the characters to have more depth and I found the ending to be anticlimactic.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
One other reviewer stated “this is a whole lot of drama for a bunch of apples” and I say “YES, a whole lot of juicy drama!” (Pun well intentioned). This book had me hooked right from the beginning as it dropped breadcrumbs every chapter pulling me further and further along into the story without ever wanting to stop. This is my first book by the author, but certainly not the last. I look forward to reading their other works.
the writing style at first didn't flow for me, i did listen to audio while i read and as always the last 100 pages is where it gets good but this overall was great.. thriller in the sense of not sure what happened in the past but not in the sense of 'edge of your seat mystery' rainy, spooky, mysterious vibes perfect for fall/rainy weekend