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A review by readingdiary
The Chalk Artist by Allegra Goodman
2.0
2.5 Stars
This was a tricky one. I really enjoyed some parts, but then they were immediately followed by overly descriptive chapters that dragged. It was a continuous cycle of hoping my interest would be piqued but not hitting the mark. Plus, some of the characters felt a little too "cookie-cutter."
There's Collin, the talented artist that lacks ambition. He creates extraordinary lifelike chalk drawings, but he's perfectly content with his job at a bar/restaurant. He becomes enamored with frequent customer, Nina. She's the daughter of a mega wealthy owner of the most popular video game/computer company that develops a Dungeons and Dragons-like game. She wants to be set apart from her family and create her own good in the world, so she works as a high school English teacher. The two have a rocky relationship. Nina pushes Collin into her dad's company, but tensions become high between his long hours, demanding projects, and Nina's jealousy.
There's also an interwoven story about two of Nina's disadvantaged students, one of whom is a frequent gamer. I didn't find these characters particularly interesting and was pleased when chapters steered away from them. Overall, there were flashes of intriguing ideas, but some development could have benefited the book.
This was a tricky one. I really enjoyed some parts, but then they were immediately followed by overly descriptive chapters that dragged. It was a continuous cycle of hoping my interest would be piqued but not hitting the mark. Plus, some of the characters felt a little too "cookie-cutter."
There's Collin, the talented artist that lacks ambition. He creates extraordinary lifelike chalk drawings, but he's perfectly content with his job at a bar/restaurant. He becomes enamored with frequent customer, Nina. She's the daughter of a mega wealthy owner of the most popular video game/computer company that develops a Dungeons and Dragons-like game. She wants to be set apart from her family and create her own good in the world, so she works as a high school English teacher. The two have a rocky relationship. Nina pushes Collin into her dad's company, but tensions become high between his long hours, demanding projects, and Nina's jealousy.
There's also an interwoven story about two of Nina's disadvantaged students, one of whom is a frequent gamer. I didn't find these characters particularly interesting and was pleased when chapters steered away from them. Overall, there were flashes of intriguing ideas, but some development could have benefited the book.