Scan barcode
A review by currant7
Much Ado About You by Samantha Young
4.0
This review can also be found in Currant7 Recommends.
Disclosure: All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Much Ado About You is a story about Evangeline "Evie" Starling, an assistant editor, who has been "disappointed" by her life in Chicago and wants to "reset" and maybe "reinvent" her life after a few "big news" from work and a good friend. Some readers may think (and even perhaps Evie) that she is "running away" from the reality of life - being disappointed - but I saw it as empowering and brave move on Evie's part.
This book is my first encounter/read with the author's work. The story and writing style "wowed" me, even with the plot's simplicity and each characters' dilemma and complexities. The book, written from Evie's POV - first-person, provides readers with a good depiction of her thoughts and impressions of Alnster and the people in the quaint town. With this writing style, there were many good internal thoughts from Evie that may initially sound like a child (i.e., giddy in just a bookstore). However, she still exuded maturity on outlook and honesty to the people around her.
I love Evie's character and relates to her well. Typically, those "breaks" give a person a better perspective on how far or close they are to what they were trying to achieve or their goals. She was able to find her small joy/happiness within a small bookshop and the village people than she had ever had in Chicago.
The connection between Roane and Evie was magnetic and tensed! They seem to be acting like two teenagers trying their best to act "cool and calm" while their actions and words say otherwise. It was a cute scene after another. They have protected their feelings since this trip was a temporary one for Evie.
I thought I would get hung-up with Evie's character having a "rough past" but was taken more with Roane's past and how he turned out the way he did. It wasn't a bad thing on his end and made him nobler than I expected. I liked how Evie conceded in believing Alnster is a temporary stop in her life and connected with some of the significant people to Roane. She later helped these people (i.e., Roane's cousin) be brave and insight change in their lives for their betterment. FY - the ending was really because of Roane and took me by surprise on what it was. Readers - be prepared for "unexpected truths" coming out. As I think about it the next day - I wished Roane would have insisted and had been more honest.
Some readers may pull the thought with Much Ado a bit of "retelling" of the Shakespearian play, but other things in the book differentiate it from the latter. I can see the similarities like herd mentality, emotional abuse, lies, and manipulation. But unlike Shakespear's story, this book has edited a few things like a slew of people providing support and empowerment to the female characters, not only to Evie. Plus, the truths and lies expressed were reversed - affected brave Evie the most, even readers know what she did was very wrong and too impulsive. I felt Evie was a trainwreck with her action, close-mindedness, and dismissive behavior. But really, what do we expect for a character who found the courage to get up and leave for a foreign land to "find herself" - a strong-willed one, that's what!
The comedic banter is also there aside from the "soul-searching" theme in the book. I chuckled, snickered, and laughed out loud with the banter between townfolks Violet and Elliot, supporting characters that provided the story a more rounded feel and gave readers well-deserved relief to Evie's "issues" back home.
In summary, Much Ado About You may seem simple based on the synopsis, but it is otherwise. It brings back the beauty of "slow-burning" and "slow-building" love from strangers to friends and then to more. It brings in the theme of courage, self-worth, and love. Although there will be times when I felt like hating the main character's actions/decisions in the book, I understood where the author was leading readers - love, second (more than a few for Evie) chances, redemption, and forgiveness. An all-around good read for me!
Disclosure: All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Much Ado About You is a story about Evangeline "Evie" Starling, an assistant editor, who has been "disappointed" by her life in Chicago and wants to "reset" and maybe "reinvent" her life after a few "big news" from work and a good friend. Some readers may think (and even perhaps Evie) that she is "running away" from the reality of life - being disappointed - but I saw it as empowering and brave move on Evie's part.
This book is my first encounter/read with the author's work. The story and writing style "wowed" me, even with the plot's simplicity and each characters' dilemma and complexities. The book, written from Evie's POV - first-person, provides readers with a good depiction of her thoughts and impressions of Alnster and the people in the quaint town. With this writing style, there were many good internal thoughts from Evie that may initially sound like a child (i.e., giddy in just a bookstore). However, she still exuded maturity on outlook and honesty to the people around her.
I love Evie's character and relates to her well. Typically, those "breaks" give a person a better perspective on how far or close they are to what they were trying to achieve or their goals. She was able to find her small joy/happiness within a small bookshop and the village people than she had ever had in Chicago.
The connection between Roane and Evie was magnetic and tensed! They seem to be acting like two teenagers trying their best to act "cool and calm" while their actions and words say otherwise. It was a cute scene after another. They have protected their feelings since this trip was a temporary one for Evie.
I thought I would get hung-up with Evie's character having a "rough past" but was taken more with Roane's past and how he turned out the way he did. It wasn't a bad thing on his end and made him nobler than I expected. I liked how Evie conceded in believing Alnster is a temporary stop in her life and connected with some of the significant people to Roane. She later helped these people (i.e., Roane's cousin) be brave and insight change in their lives for their betterment. FY - the ending was really because of Roane and took me by surprise on what it was. Readers - be prepared for "unexpected truths" coming out. As I think about it the next day - I wished Roane would have insisted and had been more honest.
Some readers may pull the thought with Much Ado a bit of "retelling" of the Shakespearian play, but other things in the book differentiate it from the latter. I can see the similarities like herd mentality, emotional abuse, lies, and manipulation. But unlike Shakespear's story, this book has edited a few things like a slew of people providing support and empowerment to the female characters, not only to Evie. Plus, the truths and lies expressed were reversed - affected brave Evie the most, even readers know what she did was very wrong and too impulsive. I felt Evie was a trainwreck with her action, close-mindedness, and dismissive behavior. But really, what do we expect for a character who found the courage to get up and leave for a foreign land to "find herself" - a strong-willed one, that's what!
"The good thing is,
you’re here. You’re not there. And you have time to make that decision. You don’t have to make it right now. Just be here, Evie, with me...
Until you’re ready, just be here with me,”
he repeated in a whisper.
- Much Ado About You
The comedic banter is also there aside from the "soul-searching" theme in the book. I chuckled, snickered, and laughed out loud with the banter between townfolks Violet and Elliot, supporting characters that provided the story a more rounded feel and gave readers well-deserved relief to Evie's "issues" back home.
In summary, Much Ado About You may seem simple based on the synopsis, but it is otherwise. It brings back the beauty of "slow-burning" and "slow-building" love from strangers to friends and then to more. It brings in the theme of courage, self-worth, and love. Although there will be times when I felt like hating the main character's actions/decisions in the book, I understood where the author was leading readers - love, second (more than a few for Evie) chances, redemption, and forgiveness. An all-around good read for me!