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A review by abbywdan
Summerland by Elin Hilderbrand
3.0
As in all Elins, I loved reading (/hearing) these characters and being in this world (because who doesn’t want to be in Nantucket in summer when it’s really Chicago in winter?), but the whole plot hinged on something getting revealed. And when we, the reader, find out what it is, it’s not news to us. And anything else it could have been wouldn’t have been news to us. So then what? Was that meant to take the air out of it all? [Spoiler alert on this decadeish-old novel, I guess?] Is the point of the novel that depression is awful and can be consuming to the point where encountering normal, if hurtful, human behavior can drive a person to suicide? Because no shit, Sherlock. Is this news to anyone?
Of note:
- Extra points to the audiobook reader for her Australian accent. It is better than mine.
- Minus a few points to the audiobook reader for pronouncing “luger” as “looger.”
- There’s a moment where Elin compares someone’s neglected marriage to a bicycle built for two left out in the rain to rust, and I almost did a spit take.
- I am ALWAYS here for the omniscient, faceless narrator known as Nantucket. The community voice. Give me all of it.
Of note:
- Extra points to the audiobook reader for her Australian accent. It is better than mine.
- Minus a few points to the audiobook reader for pronouncing “luger” as “looger.”
- There’s a moment where Elin compares someone’s neglected marriage to a bicycle built for two left out in the rain to rust, and I almost did a spit take.
- I am ALWAYS here for the omniscient, faceless narrator known as Nantucket. The community voice. Give me all of it.