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A review by delllannney
Before We Were Strangers by Renée Carlino
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
An easy and quick read, but not my favorite. I agree with the title: this was is love story. To me, there’s a difference between a love story and a romance novel, and I think this perfectly embodies what a love story is: the good, the bad, and the ugly, life getting in the way, and imperfect people just making it work. The characters are just SO immature. Yes, I know this is a coming-of-age, second chance, college loves who lost touch story. But even in the adult timeline, I was bothered by the lack of communication and maturity between Matt and Grace. I had trouble taking them seriously, but I did enjoy how purely they loved each other. All this plus a rushed ending and it just didn’t hit home for me.
It’s so silly but a character that is only in like the last 10% of this book was the bright spot for me. They made the other characters around them feel more connected to the story and made the writing come alive for me, which I desperately needed.
Either way, I enjoyed the writing and how easy it was to read, but it just wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for. It’s angsty and full of naivety in the college timeline. It’s angsty and full of immaturity in the adult timeline. I can see why other people love this book, but sadly, as someone who is SUPREMELY character driven, I just didn’t connect with this one.
It’s so silly but a character that is only in like the last 10% of this book was the bright spot for me. They made the other characters around them feel more connected to the story and made the writing come alive for me, which I desperately needed.
Either way, I enjoyed the writing and how easy it was to read, but it just wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for. It’s angsty and full of naivety in the college timeline. It’s angsty and full of immaturity in the adult timeline. I can see why other people love this book, but sadly, as someone who is SUPREMELY character driven, I just didn’t connect with this one.