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bookycatlady 's review for:
Not Quite by the Book
by Julie Hatcher
Liked the premise, I enjoy a good “find yourself on the journey” story. I didn’t even mind the heavy focus on Emily Dickinson as a role model - she’s talented and brilliant, so Emma (the protagonist) could do a whole lot worse when selecting a role model.
What’s kinda weird is that Emma is clearly an extrovert who enjoys being needed, meeting people, and living in a busy community, but she is insistent that she must live like Emily Dickinson and learn to be a recluse. Emma does not know herself at all, which she is here in this story to figure out. She is also ridiculously nearsighted with the entire conflict of the story, in which Emma has a secret admirer who sends coded flowers and notes. Babe, who ELSE would it have been?
I also didn’t buy the conflict with her sister Annie. Annie is not painted as a sympathetic character other than being pregnant. She’s kind of a bitch for no reason, and then the reason is not understandable. She’s mad at Emma for being too good of a sister? Okay. And Emma’s parents are dumb af.
Anyway, it’s a cute little story if you don’t think too hard about plot timing and character motivations. The narrator does a good job of being immersive as well.
What’s kinda weird is that Emma is clearly an extrovert who enjoys being needed, meeting people, and living in a busy community, but she is insistent that she must live like Emily Dickinson and learn to be a recluse. Emma does not know herself at all, which she is here in this story to figure out. She is also ridiculously nearsighted with the entire conflict of the story, in which Emma has a secret admirer who sends coded flowers and notes. Babe, who ELSE would it have been?
I also didn’t buy the conflict with her sister Annie. Annie is not painted as a sympathetic character other than being pregnant. She’s kind of a bitch for no reason, and then the reason is not understandable. She’s mad at Emma for being too good of a sister? Okay. And Emma’s parents are dumb af.
Anyway, it’s a cute little story if you don’t think too hard about plot timing and character motivations. The narrator does a good job of being immersive as well.