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A review by callunavulgari
Some Faraway Place by Lauren Shippen
5.0
God, okay. So technically this oscillated wildly between a 3 and a 5 for me. I do not actually like it when fanfiction is referenced in mainstream media, be it novels or movies or just interviews. I have complicated feelings there (see also, the assholes on Etsy putting the entire community at risk for doing book bindings to make a little cash off of someone else’s work - yuck, and also fuck you). This book had A LOT of that, which turned me off to a good portion of Rose and Emily’s relationship. Just let things fly under the radar, people. Please.
As far as the rest of it? More complicated feelings. The writing was a little stilted at parts, though that could just be the fact that I think the narrator is more comfortable doing voice work for podcasts. But the backbone was decent. A little circular when it comes to Damien, but I’m beginning to think that anything Lauren writes about him will be. That said, seeing Damien again in these novels? Hearing Charlie’s voice? Getting a hint of closure with Damien himself, but also his relationship with Mark? I am agonized all over again.
So, this gets a 5 instead of a 3, because I have feelings. I’m happy that it was left open-ended. I’m just… those last two letters that he wrote got to me. Try, fail, try again.
As far as the rest of it? More complicated feelings. The writing was a little stilted at parts, though that could just be the fact that I think the narrator is more comfortable doing voice work for podcasts. But the backbone was decent. A little circular when it comes to Damien, but I’m beginning to think that anything Lauren writes about him will be. That said, seeing Damien again in these novels? Hearing Charlie’s voice? Getting a hint of closure with Damien himself, but also his relationship with Mark? I am agonized all over again.
So, this gets a 5 instead of a 3, because I have feelings. I’m happy that it was left open-ended. I’m just… those last two letters that he wrote got to me. Try, fail, try again.