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A review by thereadingmum
The Cicada House by Ella Ward
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-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
3.75
Once again, kudos to HarperCollins for elbowing me out of my comfort zone. I don't usually read romance or contemporary drama. Being the grumpy, cynical old lady I've been all my life, the touchy-feely stuff tends to grate on me.
But, I really liked Caitlin. Many of her neuroses are familiar and relatable for me and I would love to have her ability to say no without explanation. She was already pretty balsy at the beginning and she got more so through her marriage explosion and gaining a financial windfall, to ending up in a ramshackle house in a remote Australian coastal town and experiencing a supernatural romance.
I found the emotional elements done well for the first half. Perhaps because Caitlin's hard shell was still up, the writing reflected that reticence and so was more subtle. However, as she got more "in touch with herself", it got a bit more "hmm" and "ugh" for me. I was invested in her story by that time though and had to know what was going on with her mysterious paramour and whether she would go back to her husband. I even thought the alternate POV was of her mother who hadn't actually died.
The cover description and quotes are accurate for once.
But, I really liked Caitlin. Many of her neuroses are familiar and relatable for me and I would love to have her ability to say no without explanation. She was already pretty balsy at the beginning and she got more so through her marriage explosion and gaining a financial windfall, to ending up in a ramshackle house in a remote Australian coastal town and experiencing a supernatural romance.
I found the emotional elements done well for the first half. Perhaps because Caitlin's hard shell was still up, the writing reflected that reticence and so was more subtle. However, as she got more "in touch with herself", it got a bit more "hmm" and "ugh" for me. I was invested in her story by that time though and had to know what was going on with her mysterious paramour and whether she would go back to her husband. I even thought the alternate POV was of her mother who hadn't actually died.
The cover description and quotes are accurate for once.