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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
I am confused because on NetGalley (Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.) it says this is YA?
The amount of times they use the word "fucking" is insane and it's written like a children's book.
Let's start by saying, the vibes are there, the cute gay summer romance is giving and I definitely enjoyed some aspects of it. The pirate vibes i got were so cute and our main characters goals I agreed with.
Description: "Vinga dreams of the sea. She's going to be a sailor when she grows up, sailing to distant lands. At home, back in the city, Mum is sad and Dad has left for good. But here with Granddad on the island, all her problems feel far away. Summer goes on as usual, with porridge for breakfast, drinking rhubarb lemonade under the lilac tree and watching the sunset from 'her' cliff.
But things are different now too. The heat vibrates during the day, and a girl with a black hat has started appearing. Her name is Ruth. The only thing they seem to have in common is their age and that they are both on the island for the summer. But spending time together, their friendship soon turns out to be something much more."
But this was boring.
I understand the message and I liked the concept but it was written poorly often repeating phrases that I already understood/didn't need to hear a second time. The plot? Was there even one? It felt mindless, there wasn't a story to hold onto, to be invested in.
I'm also confused about our main pov, Vinga's, age. She acts like she's ten but she's kissing girls and every other page there is a reference to how everyone thinks she's too old for whatever she's doing in the moment and it's almost as if the writer couldn't decide what age she should be. Ruth just kept annoying me as they both seemed to clash and there wasn't much chemistry between them.
The ending was purely there for shock factor? And maybe I would write a trigger warnings list because there is.
Overall, this one wasn't for me.
The amount of times they use the word "fucking" is insane and it's written like a children's book.
Let's start by saying, the vibes are there, the cute gay summer romance is giving and I definitely enjoyed some aspects of it. The pirate vibes i got were so cute and our main characters goals I agreed with.
Description: "Vinga dreams of the sea. She's going to be a sailor when she grows up, sailing to distant lands. At home, back in the city, Mum is sad and Dad has left for good. But here with Granddad on the island, all her problems feel far away. Summer goes on as usual, with porridge for breakfast, drinking rhubarb lemonade under the lilac tree and watching the sunset from 'her' cliff.
But things are different now too. The heat vibrates during the day, and a girl with a black hat has started appearing. Her name is Ruth. The only thing they seem to have in common is their age and that they are both on the island for the summer. But spending time together, their friendship soon turns out to be something much more."
But this was boring.
I understand the message and I liked the concept but it was written poorly often repeating phrases that I already understood/didn't need to hear a second time. The plot? Was there even one? It felt mindless, there wasn't a story to hold onto, to be invested in.
I'm also confused about our main pov, Vinga's, age. She acts like she's ten but she's kissing girls and every other page there is a reference to how everyone thinks she's too old for whatever she's doing in the moment and it's almost as if the writer couldn't decide what age she should be. Ruth just kept annoying me as they both seemed to clash and there wasn't much chemistry between them.
The ending was purely there for shock factor? And maybe I would write a trigger warnings list because there is
Spoiler
Death of a grandparent, cheating, affairs and griefOverall, this one wasn't for me.
Rhubarb Lemonade tells the story of little Vinga who spends the summer with her grandfather on a remote Swedish island. With the hot sun shining on her back, Vinga’s repairing an old sailing boat, hoping that she’ll be able to steer it like her grandfather one day. Her days are quite lonely—until she meets Ruth, a girl her age who likes to speak her mind, and the two form a new friendship.
Judging from the blurb, I thought this was a middle grade book, but it’s actually aimed at a teen audience. The characters swear freely and the story also deals with a few heavy topics (see trigger warnings below) which may not be appropriate for younger readers. It’s actually a very emotional read, and I can see why the book did so well in Sweden.
Would I recommend the novel to a younger audience? Hard to say. It depends on the individual readers and their interests. It probably would do well in an English class where the themes could be explored in more detail. It was great to see a unique girl as the heroine, though (how many young girls dream of becoming sailors after all?). Plus, Kroon does a fantastic job describing the island and its peculiarities.
4 stars
Thank you to the publisher and author for sending me an ARC through NetGalley!
TW: divorce, death of a family member, depression
Judging from the blurb, I thought this was a middle grade book, but it’s actually aimed at a teen audience. The characters swear freely and the story also deals with a few heavy topics (see trigger warnings below) which may not be appropriate for younger readers. It’s actually a very emotional read, and I can see why the book did so well in Sweden.
Would I recommend the novel to a younger audience? Hard to say. It depends on the individual readers and their interests. It probably would do well in an English class where the themes could be explored in more detail. It was great to see a unique girl as the heroine, though (how many young girls dream of becoming sailors after all?). Plus, Kroon does a fantastic job describing the island and its peculiarities.
4 stars
Thank you to the publisher and author for sending me an ARC through NetGalley!
TW: divorce, death of a family member, depression
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A beautiful story about first love and family problems and how hard life can be at young age. This story is beautifully written and each chapters are short and easy to listen to.
