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a_prose 's review for:
The Second Chance Year
by Melissa Wiesner
Vague spoilers - proceed with caution.
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2.5 Stars
The premise was fun; it just fell flat for me. I took off a whole star for the baking puns/jokes. I was tired of them after the fourth or fifth one, but they were ABUNDANT. Like too many chocolate chips in a chocolate chip cookie. The dough is delicious and deserves to shine!
I loved Jacob (the MMC), and I feel like he was underused. I wanted to know more about him and see more one-on-one, intimate moments between him and Sadie (the FMC). I could understand why she fell in love with him, but I needed MORE. Not intimate as in sexual (though I wouldn't have been mad), but there weren't that many candid, raw moments between them. Or maybe more insight into them growing up together. I didn't quite understand her not being somewhat close to Jacob when they were younger. My best friend's brother is four years older than me, and we had a lot of great laughs and memories together (purely platonic). It just seemed odd to me, given her close relationship with her brother. I get Jacob is shy and that played into the emotional distance, but even still, she talks about him as if he was a bit of a shadow.
A time jump for the Epilogue would have been nice as well, maybe into the NEXT New Year, just to see how things were going for everyone. The ending just felt abrupt, I guess.
Also, how do you not listen to a mixed CD/tape someone gave you IMMEDIATELY?! Feelings or not, it's such a sweet, personal gift to be given, and I would have played it the first chance I got. Anyway...
It's not a BAD read. It reads like a Hallmark movie, which I love because fluff and predictability are like a warm blanket in a cold world. So, if you want something cozy and baking puns don't bother you, you'll like it just fine.
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2.5 Stars
The premise was fun; it just fell flat for me. I took off a whole star for the baking puns/jokes. I was tired of them after the fourth or fifth one, but they were ABUNDANT. Like too many chocolate chips in a chocolate chip cookie. The dough is delicious and deserves to shine!
I loved Jacob (the MMC), and I feel like he was underused. I wanted to know more about him and see more one-on-one, intimate moments between him and Sadie (the FMC). I could understand why she fell in love with him, but I needed MORE. Not intimate as in sexual (though I wouldn't have been mad), but there weren't that many candid, raw moments between them. Or maybe more insight into them growing up together. I didn't quite understand her not being somewhat close to Jacob when they were younger. My best friend's brother is four years older than me, and we had a lot of great laughs and memories together (purely platonic). It just seemed odd to me, given her close relationship with her brother. I get Jacob is shy and that played into the emotional distance, but even still, she talks about him as if he was a bit of a shadow.
A time jump for the Epilogue would have been nice as well, maybe into the NEXT New Year, just to see how things were going for everyone. The ending just felt abrupt, I guess.
Also, how do you not listen to a mixed CD/tape someone gave you IMMEDIATELY?! Feelings or not, it's such a sweet, personal gift to be given, and I would have played it the first chance I got. Anyway...
It's not a BAD read. It reads like a Hallmark movie, which I love because fluff and predictability are like a warm blanket in a cold world. So, if you want something cozy and baking puns don't bother you, you'll like it just fine.