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jprex 's review for:
Seat Mates
by Anna Harbom
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a reasonably lighthearted, easy reading story about a great meet-cute that gets surprisingly deep. Daisy is equal parts frustrating and charming, evolving from pushover to someone with earned confidence over the course of the story. Charlie is charming and too-goo-to-be-true from the jump: attractive, friendly, seemingly selfless, very funny, and so kind that you know you're waiting for the other shoe to drop.
This was the type of story that has you reasonably sure that you know where it's going, but not in a way that distracts too much from the enjoyment of the experience. When you get to know Daisy's backstory and understand how it informs her relationship with her mother, it makes some of her actions much more understandable and takes some of the annoyance factor away.
I did like the fact that there was, to me, a non-judgmental examination of individual privilege. As each character began to recognize how their own experiences and related biases impacted their behavior, it allowed for an earned suspension of disbelief as to how the story resolved itself. Without that, I think I would have found the final chapters too pat, too predictable, and too easy. But by taking on the difficult questions, what I could see coming a mile away felt far more earned.
This was the type of story that has you reasonably sure that you know where it's going, but not in a way that distracts too much from the enjoyment of the experience. When you get to know Daisy's backstory and understand how it informs her relationship with her mother, it makes some of her actions much more understandable and takes some of the annoyance factor away.
I did like the fact that there was, to me, a non-judgmental examination of individual privilege. As each character began to recognize how their own experiences and related biases impacted their behavior, it allowed for an earned suspension of disbelief as to how the story resolved itself. Without that, I think I would have found the final chapters too pat, too predictable, and too easy. But by taking on the difficult questions, what I could see coming a mile away felt far more earned.