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A review by a_ab
An Early Wake by Sheila Connolly
1.0
I am reading this series in order and so far this is the weakest book of the lot. It should have been at least 100 pages shorter - there are endless pointless repetitions and summaries of what happened a chapter or two ago.
And that is not counting the ridiculous never ending painstakingly spelled out internal monologue of irrelevant worries and doubts of the main character - she goes on and on with what-ifs and what-am-I-doings like a stuck record. And none of it is even remotely relevant to the plot or what actually ends up happening!
I am guessing the writer is being paid by the word count - there is no other possible explanation for this! And it's not even something profound - the stupid girl spends the whole book procrastinating over her book keeping and constantly worrying about breaking even and paying taxes. Yet the book ends with her still not having looked at the figures!!! Not once! Not even at rough figures - just worry, complain, worry, talk about it, worry, think about it, worry, get distracted, worry some more. Yes, it does get as boring and repetitive as that, worse even!
The series is also hinting at a romantic plotline(s) in the future and I am not sure the writer has the skill to pull it off. From what we've seen so far, it's going to be endless self doubt, worrying, indecision and navel gazing by the main character over whom she likes or doesn't like and how much exactly and what to do about it and what-will-I-say and what-should-I-wear and what-will-the-people-think. We are already seeing a preview of all of that by this point in the series and she hasn't even started dating anyone!
The doubts and endless worries were OK in the beginning because of the fish-out-of-water setting of the first book - new country, trauma of losing the only relative she knew, being adrift in the world of strangers. It was less awful in the second book - that book was too focused on being appalled at the pushy New Yorker's obnoxious behavior. But in this book the worries and doubts are back in full, if not stronger, force and none of them
are relevant or justifiable anymore.
Sad. I had high hopes for the series.
And that is not counting the ridiculous never ending painstakingly spelled out internal monologue of irrelevant worries and doubts of the main character - she goes on and on with what-ifs and what-am-I-doings like a stuck record. And none of it is even remotely relevant to the plot or what actually ends up happening!
I am guessing the writer is being paid by the word count - there is no other possible explanation for this! And it's not even something profound - the stupid girl spends the whole book procrastinating over her book keeping and constantly worrying about breaking even and paying taxes. Yet the book ends with her still not having looked at the figures!!! Not once! Not even at rough figures - just worry, complain, worry, talk about it, worry, think about it, worry, get distracted, worry some more. Yes, it does get as boring and repetitive as that, worse even!
The series is also hinting at a romantic plotline(s) in the future and I am not sure the writer has the skill to pull it off. From what we've seen so far, it's going to be endless self doubt, worrying, indecision and navel gazing by the main character over whom she likes or doesn't like and how much exactly and what to do about it and what-will-I-say and what-should-I-wear and what-will-the-people-think. We are already seeing a preview of all of that by this point in the series and she hasn't even started dating anyone!
The doubts and endless worries were OK in the beginning because of the fish-out-of-water setting of the first book - new country, trauma of losing the only relative she knew, being adrift in the world of strangers. It was less awful in the second book - that book was too focused on being appalled at the pushy New Yorker's obnoxious behavior. But in this book the worries and doubts are back in full, if not stronger, force and none of them
are relevant or justifiable anymore.
Sad. I had high hopes for the series.