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jenbsbooks 's review for:
Before We Were Yours
by Lisa Wingate
What a heartbreaking read. 4.5 stars, and this will stay with me. Love the cover too, matches an image in the book, Rill and Fern. This was one of those "two timeline" books, the present and the past. Just a tad complicated by the fact that at the start, in the present day, we have Chapter 1 with Avery's POV (and then she's pretty much the present POV for the book), but Chapter 2 is May/present day ... who then slips into a memory of years past ... told pretty much in the same style as Chapter 4, which is Rill/1939. This does end up making sense as we figure out that May and Rill are the same person ... but it was a tad confusing for a bit there. After that start, the book switches chapters/POVs between Avery in the present, and Rill in the past (until there is a shift to May again). The past storyline was much more interesting and compelling than the present day one.
Rill's story is so sad. That there is some historical basis for this tale is sadder still.
It seems obviously set up that Grandma Judy is part of this story, and Avery is attempting to figure out how. I got a little frustrated as it seemed trying to lead us (the reader) away from the idea that she had been one of the adopted (oh she was just writing the story, with Avery wondering if the family had been involved but never even imagining her grandmother could have been one of these kids herself) just to them bring it back to yes, she was (tying in the prelude, but we had never known if the twins had been born alive or not).
I felt like I missed a bit of what happened to Rill and Fern in the end - not sure if I just missed it (got distracted or something) or if it wasn't fully explained (did they go back to the family without repercussions? Was the attempt to blackmail the family dealt with?)
The narration had two narrators for Avery and Rill/May. I have to say I LOVED Catherine Taber who voiced Rill. She sounded so young (matching the 12-year old MC, but also did all the other voices great, including the older May), with a perfect accent, perfect inflections. Just a great job!
Rill's story is so sad. That there is some historical basis for this tale is sadder still.
It seems obviously set up that Grandma Judy is part of this story, and Avery is attempting to figure out how. I got a little frustrated as it seemed trying to lead us (the reader) away from the idea that she had been one of the adopted (oh she was just writing the story, with Avery wondering if the family had been involved but never even imagining her grandmother could have been one of these kids herself) just to them bring it back to yes, she was (tying in the prelude, but we had never known if the twins had been born alive or not).
I felt like I missed a bit of what happened to Rill and Fern in the end - not sure if I just missed it (got distracted or something) or if it wasn't fully explained (did they go back to the family without repercussions? Was the attempt to blackmail the family dealt with?)
The narration had two narrators for Avery and Rill/May. I have to say I LOVED Catherine Taber who voiced Rill. She sounded so young (matching the 12-year old MC, but also did all the other voices great, including the older May), with a perfect accent, perfect inflections. Just a great job!