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A review by aish_aish_baby
Victoria Park by Gemma Reeves
3.0
3.5 stars. This story was simple and soothing, set in the backdrop of East London. It follows the lives of 12 residents living around Victoria Park. The novel takes place over 12 months, beginning and ending with Wolfie and Mona- a married couple (the latter of which suffering from long-standing dementia).
Each chapter/ month is essentially a peek into a different character's life, with glimpses of previous or future characters where their stories interconnect. I love character studies, but while I enjoyed entering a new life each chapter, I felt like none of them were explored as extensively as I would've liked. But maybe fleeting glimpses into each person was the point.
Still, I found Victoria Park easy and calming to read (with no overt emotional waves, other than outright racism and homophobia from a couple characters), and hard to put down- each of the characters were, in the end, well thought out and interesting.
So overall, a simple, by-the-fireplace read as the weather changes, but not anything I'm particularly jumping to recommend.
Each chapter/ month is essentially a peek into a different character's life, with glimpses of previous or future characters where their stories interconnect. I love character studies, but while I enjoyed entering a new life each chapter, I felt like none of them were explored as extensively as I would've liked. But maybe fleeting glimpses into each person was the point.
Still, I found Victoria Park easy and calming to read (with no overt emotional waves, other than outright racism and homophobia from a couple characters), and hard to put down- each of the characters were, in the end, well thought out and interesting.
So overall, a simple, by-the-fireplace read as the weather changes, but not anything I'm particularly jumping to recommend.