kerri_strikes_back 's review for:

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

3.0

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Quality an 8 - personal enjoyment closer to a 4 … this is a fascinating piece of literature and written with a very particular and engrossing style. That being said I struggled with the characters, with their personal/emotional side plots told in the removed fashion of the narrative that made it very difficult for me to empathize with most of the main characters who came across as quite cruel. There’s a lot to be said here about love and relationships and how much one might have to give, and what to do when your love is unrequited, or when you are the recipient of unrequited love, or when you find yourself against your will in love with someone new. Something written in a - eugh dare I use the words - more “chick lit” style would have helped me personally slither through all that plot arc, but for sure the novel would then not be what it is. So I guess this gets around a 7 - recommend with reservations.