Scan barcode
A review by arthuriana
Saving Wishes by G. J. Walker-Smith
3.0
Alright, this book was actually good. Hence the three-star rating. However, most of the time, I felt weirdly unattached. It was as if instead of sympathizing with the characters, it was like I was watching a movie. In black and white. Muted.
Because this is what this novel is: muted. The tone is passive. The prose was, to be honest, not that stellar. There are character dramas that I think should have made me feel invested in these characters but ended up being like static on a television set. Irritating. Useless. A headache if you stare at it long enough, because, honestly, this book had all these words and all these paragraphs but it didn't really feel like it would add up to anything you know?
Walker-Smith employs the tell method. And that is where she struck out. All Charlotte could ever do was tell the readers—and other characters—about how troubled she is, about how she has these 'problems.' These issues. The thing is, it never felt like issues. It disappeared when it needed to be and it appeared when the plot called for it. Contrived? Yep, it certainly is.
Twas a pity, really. If this could have been done with better prose, we could have the next big coming-of-age YA novel. A novel about love lost and love found and lost again. About family. About friendships and betrayal.
Instead, we get muted colors of black and white. Safe. Natural. Comfortable.
Boring.
Because this is what this novel is: muted. The tone is passive. The prose was, to be honest, not that stellar. There are character dramas that I think should have made me feel invested in these characters but ended up being like static on a television set. Irritating. Useless. A headache if you stare at it long enough, because, honestly, this book had all these words and all these paragraphs but it didn't really feel like it would add up to anything you know?
Walker-Smith employs the tell method. And that is where she struck out. All Charlotte could ever do was tell the readers—and other characters—about how troubled she is, about how she has these 'problems.' These issues. The thing is, it never felt like issues. It disappeared when it needed to be and it appeared when the plot called for it. Contrived? Yep, it certainly is.
Twas a pity, really. If this could have been done with better prose, we could have the next big coming-of-age YA novel. A novel about love lost and love found and lost again. About family. About friendships and betrayal.
Instead, we get muted colors of black and white. Safe. Natural. Comfortable.
Boring.