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A review by krystalgaia
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This novel is a page-turner! It made me want to sacrifice sleep just to get to the end, but I ironically procrastinated reading the last three chapters because I didn’t want this book to end.
The story is structured brilliantly. I loved how the past and present events are weaved in a way that both progressed and regressed their relationship, like two lines on a graph that slowly intersect and combine into one.
Poppy and Alex (as well as the other characters that come and go in their lives) have goals and desires, and it creates this constant tension that never gets resolved until the climax. Poppy is a very refreshing and funny character whose growth is relatable, and she just speaks to me (pun intended). Alex, on the other hand, is a complicated character who at first seems reliable but is a mess himself. It’s evident that their childhood experiences echoed in the way they made their choices as adults. Truly a great blueprint for creating characters!
The writing style is snappy and simple, but the imagery is still strong. I enjoyed the bickering as much as the introspection and dramatic scenes, and I went back-and-forth between laughing and crying. Every depicted emotion is well-timed and well-placed that it creates this natural flow of ease and tension.
But it wasn’t easy to give five stars. I noticed that there is a constant reminder of the “speaks to me” reference that it sort of annoyed me, but I guess it’s because I read it continuously for three days. And I love Alex’s character, I really do, but then it begs the question, “Why do male love interests have to be this tall and handsome hunk?” I can’t really fault Emily Henry for that; it’s more of an inquiry to the genre itself.
But again, I enjoyed the book, and its strengths overshadowed its flaws that it feels like a mistake to give this anything lower than five stars.
The story is structured brilliantly. I loved how the past and present events are weaved in a way that both progressed and regressed their relationship, like two lines on a graph that slowly intersect and combine into one.
Poppy and Alex (as well as the other characters that come and go in their lives) have goals and desires, and it creates this constant tension that never gets resolved until the climax. Poppy is a very refreshing and funny character whose growth is relatable, and she just speaks to me (pun intended). Alex, on the other hand, is a complicated character who at first seems reliable but is a mess himself. It’s evident that their childhood experiences echoed in the way they made their choices as adults. Truly a great blueprint for creating characters!
The writing style is snappy and simple, but the imagery is still strong. I enjoyed the bickering as much as the introspection and dramatic scenes, and I went back-and-forth between laughing and crying. Every depicted emotion is well-timed and well-placed that it creates this natural flow of ease and tension.
But it wasn’t easy to give five stars. I noticed that there is a constant reminder of the “speaks to me” reference that it sort of annoyed me, but I guess it’s because I read it continuously for three days. And I love Alex’s character, I really do, but then it begs the question, “Why do male love interests have to be this tall and handsome hunk?” I can’t really fault Emily Henry for that; it’s more of an inquiry to the genre itself.
But again, I enjoyed the book, and its strengths overshadowed its flaws that it feels like a mistake to give this anything lower than five stars.