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A review by abbyknud
If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson
2.0
This book felt flat in every way. It’s set up to have the possibility of major conflict and tension, but then it has absolutely no conflict or tension. And it is definitely not a Romeo and Juliet retelling.
The whole story feels like it’s just the perspectives of two people who happen to come into contact. They aren’t necessarily compatible in any particular way, and the whole thing is very much instalove. They’re both captivated by each other from the start and have almost no conflict between them. They both commit so easily.
I expected a lot more to happen regarding racism, but something that was supposed to be the forefront of the story was pushed completely to the back. Besides a few minor encounters, the issue of not telling Ellie’s parents, and some of Jeremiah’s background, it didn’t come up at all. This book definitely didn’t make any sort of groundbreaking statement about race. But it totally had the potential to.
I just really can’t get over how flat the romance was. There was just no tension or chemistry between Ellie and Miah. I didn’t care about the relationship at all. All the details about their individual lives were told through their individual narrations instead of through them learning about each other in their relationship, which is where a lot of the problems come from. They have nothing interesting to talk about while they’re together because we’ve already heard about their problems separately.
It’s probably be because this book was written 23 years ago, but it just felt so simplistic for a YA. I still read YA even though I’ve aged out of being the same age as the characters, and so far this is the only book that has left me feeling alienated. It just feels so innocent. It reads like a middle grade novel with 15 year old protagonists. There was just something so off about it.
Also, the ending felt like a cheap attempt to make the story memorable, but I was totally unfazed by it. I really didn’t care what happened to either of them.
The whole story feels like it’s just the perspectives of two people who happen to come into contact. They aren’t necessarily compatible in any particular way, and the whole thing is very much instalove. They’re both captivated by each other from the start and have almost no conflict between them. They both commit so easily.
I expected a lot more to happen regarding racism, but something that was supposed to be the forefront of the story was pushed completely to the back. Besides a few minor encounters, the issue of not telling Ellie’s parents, and some of Jeremiah’s background, it didn’t come up at all. This book definitely didn’t make any sort of groundbreaking statement about race. But it totally had the potential to.
I just really can’t get over how flat the romance was. There was just no tension or chemistry between Ellie and Miah. I didn’t care about the relationship at all. All the details about their individual lives were told through their individual narrations instead of through them learning about each other in their relationship, which is where a lot of the problems come from. They have nothing interesting to talk about while they’re together because we’ve already heard about their problems separately.
It’s probably be because this book was written 23 years ago, but it just felt so simplistic for a YA. I still read YA even though I’ve aged out of being the same age as the characters, and so far this is the only book that has left me feeling alienated. It just feels so innocent. It reads like a middle grade novel with 15 year old protagonists. There was just something so off about it.
Also, the ending felt like a cheap attempt to make the story memorable, but I was totally unfazed by it. I really didn’t care what happened to either of them.