A review by charliadams
I Am Margaret Moore by Hannah Capin

mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

 
It took me a while to notice a few things. The “chapters” were not normal chapters and the timeline jumbles. Once I caught on, like around the second half, it was easier to understand. The pacing was slow, but it worked for this type of story. I do not know if I like this story or not. For myself, it was like a read it and done. 

The main character, Margaret, is the storyteller. We see everything through her eyes, thoughts, and feelings. For myself, I cannot tell if Margaret was a well-developed character. She felt more two dimensional or flat. Her personality felt bland and monotone. There was no connection with this character for me as a reader and because of this lack of connection, I did not care for her emotionally. 

I had similar problems with the rest of the cast. The characters felt disconnected and two dimensional or flat. Their personalities felt better than Margaret’s, which makes it hard to determine if they too were well-developed characters. You can tell each character apart, so they were not the same characters written. But there was nothing there to connect with. 

The setting of this story takes place at a summer camp called Marshall Naval school. It was easy to get into your surroundings, especially if you have been to a summer camp. The terminology mentioned throughout the story is understandable, as the author could explain what things were naturally. This story felt like it was about reflecting life through a teenager’s eyes. How things can change from one year to the next and one can accept it and embrace it or keep hold of it. 

This story was not for me. The idea was intriguing, but that was it. I knew the twist a few pages into the story but wanted to see how it unraveled. In the end, I was disappointed. The writing style was awkward and hard to find what the main plot was. There is a reason for the jumpy timeline and poetic diary style writing. The main character wanted to be a poet, and the story was reflecting her thoughts.
 
I do not want this to stop people from reading it if it intrigues them. They may like it more than I. It does not hurt to give it a chance. If you like mystery, best friends, and young adult stories, this may be the story for you. 

*I received an ARC from NetGalley, and this is my honest opinion. 

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