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ellemnope 's review for:
Faye, Faraway
by Helen Fisher
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love a time travel narrative. It's just one of those things that captures my attention, especially when it's not done in a heavy sci-fi way. This book is a good contemporary/sci-fi mix with an interesting premise and a rather creative way for the time travel to take place.
The story does start off a bit slow and takes some time to establish its footing. This makes for a slightly languid pace that bleeds forward through the majority of the book. This movement does work in some ways, as it makes things feel a bit more emotional and even semi-dreamlike, as if the whole story were taking place inside Faye's mind. The emotional complexity to the narrative is intense. There's so much exploration of grief and repressed guilt/sadness. Though I couldn't completely identify with the situation, I did feel as though all of the emotions & thoughts were presented in a way that felt genuine & impactful. The writing was perfect for this conveyance as well. It wasn't pretentious or inaccessible, but instead very open & raw, delivering the narrative in a way that wholly wrapped me up in the story.
I loved the use of the box as a portal. There were some pieces where the logic didn't quite work out, but this is a common issue with time travel novels. It's a hard thing to do in a way that isn't questionable simply because it doesn't yet exist as something truly possible. That being said, I found it hard to pick apart those things that didn't quite gel when I was already dealing with something that so admittedly fantastical. It's just a pass that has to be given.
While my overall read was a success and I was able to connect with the feelings that the character was experiencing (while also sometimes simply shouting NO, DON'T DO THAT at her), I wasn't a big fan of the ending. I enjoyed where the story went, but it left things feeling a bit too open for me. I ALWAYS struggle with open endings, so this may not be an issue for other readers. It was an ideal way to allow for a sequel, but as far as I know, that isn't planned. I still have a LOT of questions.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
The story does start off a bit slow and takes some time to establish its footing. This makes for a slightly languid pace that bleeds forward through the majority of the book. This movement does work in some ways, as it makes things feel a bit more emotional and even semi-dreamlike, as if the whole story were taking place inside Faye's mind. The emotional complexity to the narrative is intense. There's so much exploration of grief and repressed guilt/sadness. Though I couldn't completely identify with the situation, I did feel as though all of the emotions & thoughts were presented in a way that felt genuine & impactful. The writing was perfect for this conveyance as well. It wasn't pretentious or inaccessible, but instead very open & raw, delivering the narrative in a way that wholly wrapped me up in the story.
I loved the use of the box as a portal. There were some pieces where the logic didn't quite work out, but this is a common issue with time travel novels. It's a hard thing to do in a way that isn't questionable simply because it doesn't yet exist as something truly possible. That being said, I found it hard to pick apart those things that didn't quite gel when I was already dealing with something that so admittedly fantastical. It's just a pass that has to be given.
While my overall read was a success and I was able to connect with the feelings that the character was experiencing (while also sometimes simply shouting NO, DON'T DO THAT at her), I wasn't a big fan of the ending. I enjoyed where the story went, but it left things feeling a bit too open for me. I ALWAYS struggle with open endings, so this may not be an issue for other readers. It was an ideal way to allow for a sequel, but as far as I know, that isn't planned. I still have a LOT of questions.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *