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desiree930
3.5 Stars
I enjoyed this far more than I thought I was going to in the beginning, which is why I rounded up on my rating. This is not the best book I’ve ever read, but I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience, and isn’t that really what matters in the end.
This is a Rapunzel re-telling. Ever since I was young I have been a huge Rapunzel fan. So when I jumped into this story I was already prepared to love it.
There were a few stumbles with the writing that I thought should’ve been caught in editing. The author uses the phrase ‘blood-swollen insects’ or ‘blood-engorged insects’ several times within the first 50 pages or so. We are also reminded over and over again by Luna that we are NOT in a typical fairy tale, which was unnecessary.
However, I really enjoyed the story and characters, for the most part. Parts of it reminded me of Ann Aguirre’s Razorland trilogy, with the terrifying ‘dwellers’ taking the place of the ‘freaks’ from Agguire’s story. And while there were several nods to the source material, I felt like enough was different that this story stood on its own.
I have the second book and can’t wait to jump in and see what happens after that crazy ending!
I enjoyed this far more than I thought I was going to in the beginning, which is why I rounded up on my rating. This is not the best book I’ve ever read, but I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience, and isn’t that really what matters in the end.
This is a Rapunzel re-telling. Ever since I was young I have been a huge Rapunzel fan. So when I jumped into this story I was already prepared to love it.
There were a few stumbles with the writing that I thought should’ve been caught in editing. The author uses the phrase ‘blood-swollen insects’ or ‘blood-engorged insects’ several times within the first 50 pages or so. We are also reminded over and over again by Luna that we are NOT in a typical fairy tale, which was unnecessary.
However, I really enjoyed the story and characters, for the most part. Parts of it reminded me of Ann Aguirre’s Razorland trilogy, with the terrifying ‘dwellers’ taking the place of the ‘freaks’ from Agguire’s story. And while there were several nods to the source material, I felt like enough was different that this story stood on its own.
I have the second book and can’t wait to jump in and see what happens after that crazy ending!
2.5 Stars
Lyra's story: 3.5 Stars
Gemma's story: 1.5 stars
I've had this book out from the library for about a month, and finally decided to pick it up today. I actually tried to start reading this book a couple of weeks ago, but I knew right away that I just wasn't in the mood for it.
If you haven't heard of this book's unique structure, it is written as two versions of the same events. One half of the book is from the perspective of Gemma, a girl who is trying to uncover information regarding a secret facility her father is connected to; and Lyra, a replica (clone) who has been raised in the facility.
The structure of this book provides the reader with several options in consuming this story. You can either read all of Gemma's and all of Lyra's sides separately, you can alternate between the two sides, or you can do a combination of the two, reading a few chapters of one and then a few of the other.
The idea is that if you were to only read one girl's perspective, you would still be getting the whole story. Unfortunately, I really don't think that either of these narratives works without the other. It doesn't feel complete. I read this book alternating between the two girls' perspectives, and was glad that I chose to experience the story in that way, because it felt the most complete. Without reading Lyra's perspective, you wouldn't have any clue what life for the Replicas was actually like. Without reading Gemma's perspective, you wouldn't understand what was driving her to go to Haven and help Lyra.
For example, when they finally uncover the truth of what the Replicas are enduring, it is told in Lyra's chapter. If you are reading strictly from Gemma's perspective, the narrative jumps from finding out who nurse M is to Gemma on the porch having her conversation-turned-argument with April (chapters 10-11). You still get the gist of what is going on, but not until further into the chapter. I think she should've abandoned the gimmick and just written a more straightforward narrative. She could've still switched between POVs but it would've made the flow of information far more smooth.
All that said, I did think that each of the girls had very distinct voices. I always knew whose perspective I was reading from.
Things I liked:
1. I liked the concept and most of the action. There were some reveals along the way that I saw coming, but there were others that were surprising to me, which I like.
2. Lyra - she was a great character. I loved the fact that, as nervous as she was to be away from the 'safety' of Haven, she was also curious and yearned for connection. I wish we'd gotten more of her with 72 (Caelum). Her narrative was far more intriguing to me than Gemma's.
3. High stakes - Even though this is a YA novel, the stakes are high. People die in this book and you can feel the tension. The 'bad guys' don't feel one-dimensional at all.
4. I liked the exploration of what it means to be human. The Replicas aren't considered people. They are referred to as 'it' by the people working at Haven, and even they don't think of themselves as human. However, as the story unfolds we see these characters having experiences and emotions that are undeniably human, and it's interesting to see how they react as they discover their humanity.
Things I didn't like:
RANT INCOMING:
1. GEMMA - I really do not like her character, for the most part. Honestly, it felt like Gemma and Lyra were written by two completely different authors. Whereas Lyra was layered and complex, Gemma felt a little flat to me. Honestly, I found it difficult to understand her priorities. She finds herself in a potentially dangerous situation and yet she develops an almost instantaneous obsession with a boy she just met named Jake.
Some examples of this insta-lust are as follows:
Gemma's side, Page 103: "She couldn't believe that someone who looked like Jake Witz could be dangerous. She'd been fed a steady diet of Disney growing up. The evil ones were always ugly." 🙄
Page 101: she talks about feeling like she's cheating on Jake by talking to Pete, a boy from school. Okay, psycho...first of all, You've known Jake for FIVE MINUTES. You're barely friends, and definitely not at a point in your 'relationship' that talking to another boy who you've known for years is cheating.
Page 109: "Maybe she'd sit down next to him and he'd try to touch her thigh or force his tongue down her throat. The again, she wouldn't mind. If anyone was in danger of getting sexually harassed, it was him." Um, WTF?! If this was a male character thinking this about a female character, he'd be considered a sleaze. I think its intended to be funny, but it's not. SEXUAL HARASSMENT ISNT FUNNY.
Pg 117: "Jake was the kind of guy who had size-zero girlfriends who modeled locally and were always complaining about trying to find clothes small enough." Um, based on what knowledge? The fact that he's good-looking?
A few chapters later (the next day in the actual timeline of the story) she falls out of obsession with him (for some reason. It's never actually discussed.) and can't stop thinking about Pete...all the while, people are chasing her and dying all around her. I don't think it was necessary to have the relationship between Jake and Gemma be more than platonic, and to be fair, I don't think it was anything more than that on Jake's part.
Also, the way she treats her supposed best friend April is not okay. She lies to April, then tells her half-truths. When April reacts in a way that ANY NORMAL PERSON WOULD, Gemma gets offended and lashes out at April, saying some really shitty things. Then later on, she gets angry at April for things that she HASN'T EVEN TOLD HER ABOUT. Honestly, she's kind of a shitty friend, especially considering the fact that April is the one who was always there for her. There is even a level of slut-shaming that happens from Gemma directed at April regarding Jake.
Pg 170: "more likely, April had gone out before she could murder Jake by slow humping." WTAF?!
I also didn't like the way Gemma described 72 (who she previously describes as mixed race):
(page 147) "beautiful and strange and wild-looking, like a new and undiscovered species." So the only mentioned POC in this book is "wild-looking" and looks like a different species altogether? Nice. I could almost understand if it was Lyra describing him thusly, since she's been kept pretty isolated at Haven, but Gemma's acting like it's the first time she's seen an attractive person of color.
The one thing that I should've like about Gemma is that she is an overweight protagonist. Unfortunately, I didn't really like the way it was written. She focused on it when there were so many other things going on.
2. Gemma's parents were written in a very inconsistent manner. Closer to the end I understood why, but still, it affected my experience. We are told in the first few pages that Gemma's parents are very over-protective. Then we are told that her father is never home because of work and that her mother spends most of her time drugged out on pills...throughout the story we see her parents at time smothering and at others neglectful. It just doesn't seem to track well for me.
3. CONTINUITY ERRORS - this is where I think the gimmicky nature of the narrative may have affected the final story. I caught several instances where the information characters knew about didn't match what they actually learned.
Page 83: Jake is referred to by name before he actually introduces himself in the book.
Page 158: Gemma calls April and tells her that she made it all the way to Haven. April is shocked in response, despite the fact that Gemma had never mentioned Haven to April in their conversation. How can April be shocked about it when she didn't even know what it was?
Pg 250: After asking Lyra where she was, Lyra responds, "There's Suits after us. Two of them." And Gemma says, "Just stay where you are. We're coming for you." One problem. LYRA NEVER SAID WHERE THEY WERE. Even in Lyra's chapter, she never discloses their location.
The in-between:
1. The ending: For the most part, I liked that the end of the story left it open for the next in the series, but considering the gravity of the situation that they are facing and what has transpired over the past few days...this story ends on a very peaceful note. I don't think it serves the story well. Some really terrible things happen to characters in this story and it ends on a very soft note in my mind. There is no tension or build up at all. I'm not saying I need a cliffhanger or anything, but just a little energy would be nice. A little acknowledgement of the danger they're facing and the losses they've endured. Like I said earlier, the stakes are high, but I don't think the end of this book did any service to that fact.
I will read the next in the series. I hope Lyra gets more story in the next book. I'm sure they will follow the same gimmicky structure, and that makes me a little apprehensive, but I liked the story enough to want to see how it progresses.
Lyra's story: 3.5 Stars
Gemma's story: 1.5 stars
I've had this book out from the library for about a month, and finally decided to pick it up today. I actually tried to start reading this book a couple of weeks ago, but I knew right away that I just wasn't in the mood for it.
If you haven't heard of this book's unique structure, it is written as two versions of the same events. One half of the book is from the perspective of Gemma, a girl who is trying to uncover information regarding a secret facility her father is connected to; and Lyra, a replica (clone) who has been raised in the facility.
The structure of this book provides the reader with several options in consuming this story. You can either read all of Gemma's and all of Lyra's sides separately, you can alternate between the two sides, or you can do a combination of the two, reading a few chapters of one and then a few of the other.
The idea is that if you were to only read one girl's perspective, you would still be getting the whole story. Unfortunately, I really don't think that either of these narratives works without the other. It doesn't feel complete. I read this book alternating between the two girls' perspectives, and was glad that I chose to experience the story in that way, because it felt the most complete. Without reading Lyra's perspective, you wouldn't have any clue what life for the Replicas was actually like. Without reading Gemma's perspective, you wouldn't understand what was driving her to go to Haven and help Lyra.
For example, when they finally uncover the truth of what the Replicas are enduring, it is told in Lyra's chapter. If you are reading strictly from Gemma's perspective, the narrative jumps from finding out who nurse M is to Gemma on the porch having her conversation-turned-argument with April (chapters 10-11). You still get the gist of what is going on, but not until further into the chapter. I think she should've abandoned the gimmick and just written a more straightforward narrative. She could've still switched between POVs but it would've made the flow of information far more smooth.
All that said, I did think that each of the girls had very distinct voices. I always knew whose perspective I was reading from.
Things I liked:
1. I liked the concept and most of the action. There were some reveals along the way that I saw coming, but there were others that were surprising to me, which I like.
2. Lyra - she was a great character. I loved the fact that, as nervous as she was to be away from the 'safety' of Haven, she was also curious and yearned for connection. I wish we'd gotten more of her with 72 (Caelum). Her narrative was far more intriguing to me than Gemma's.
3. High stakes - Even though this is a YA novel, the stakes are high. People die in this book and you can feel the tension. The 'bad guys' don't feel one-dimensional at all.
4. I liked the exploration of what it means to be human. The Replicas aren't considered people. They are referred to as 'it' by the people working at Haven, and even they don't think of themselves as human. However, as the story unfolds we see these characters having experiences and emotions that are undeniably human, and it's interesting to see how they react as they discover their humanity.
Things I didn't like:
RANT INCOMING:
1. GEMMA - I really do not like her character, for the most part. Honestly, it felt like Gemma and Lyra were written by two completely different authors. Whereas Lyra was layered and complex, Gemma felt a little flat to me. Honestly, I found it difficult to understand her priorities. She finds herself in a potentially dangerous situation and yet she develops an almost instantaneous obsession with a boy she just met named Jake.
Some examples of this insta-lust are as follows:
Gemma's side, Page 103: "She couldn't believe that someone who looked like Jake Witz could be dangerous. She'd been fed a steady diet of Disney growing up. The evil ones were always ugly." 🙄
Page 101: she talks about feeling like she's cheating on Jake by talking to Pete, a boy from school. Okay, psycho...first of all, You've known Jake for FIVE MINUTES. You're barely friends, and definitely not at a point in your 'relationship' that talking to another boy who you've known for years is cheating.
Page 109: "Maybe she'd sit down next to him and he'd try to touch her thigh or force his tongue down her throat. The again, she wouldn't mind. If anyone was in danger of getting sexually harassed, it was him." Um, WTF?! If this was a male character thinking this about a female character, he'd be considered a sleaze. I think its intended to be funny, but it's not. SEXUAL HARASSMENT ISNT FUNNY.
Pg 117: "Jake was the kind of guy who had size-zero girlfriends who modeled locally and were always complaining about trying to find clothes small enough." Um, based on what knowledge? The fact that he's good-looking?
A few chapters later (the next day in the actual timeline of the story) she falls out of obsession with him (for some reason. It's never actually discussed.) and can't stop thinking about Pete...all the while, people are chasing her and dying all around her. I don't think it was necessary to have the relationship between Jake and Gemma be more than platonic, and to be fair, I don't think it was anything more than that on Jake's part.
Also, the way she treats her supposed best friend April is not okay. She lies to April, then tells her half-truths. When April reacts in a way that ANY NORMAL PERSON WOULD, Gemma gets offended and lashes out at April, saying some really shitty things. Then later on, she gets angry at April for things that she HASN'T EVEN TOLD HER ABOUT. Honestly, she's kind of a shitty friend, especially considering the fact that April is the one who was always there for her. There is even a level of slut-shaming that happens from Gemma directed at April regarding Jake.
Pg 170: "more likely, April had gone out before she could murder Jake by slow humping." WTAF?!
I also didn't like the way Gemma described 72 (who she previously describes as mixed race):
(page 147) "beautiful and strange and wild-looking, like a new and undiscovered species." So the only mentioned POC in this book is "wild-looking" and looks like a different species altogether? Nice. I could almost understand if it was Lyra describing him thusly, since she's been kept pretty isolated at Haven, but Gemma's acting like it's the first time she's seen an attractive person of color.
The one thing that I should've like about Gemma is that she is an overweight protagonist. Unfortunately, I didn't really like the way it was written. She focused on it when there were so many other things going on.
2. Gemma's parents were written in a very inconsistent manner. Closer to the end I understood why, but still, it affected my experience. We are told in the first few pages that Gemma's parents are very over-protective. Then we are told that her father is never home because of work and that her mother spends most of her time drugged out on pills...throughout the story we see her parents at time smothering and at others neglectful. It just doesn't seem to track well for me.
3. CONTINUITY ERRORS - this is where I think the gimmicky nature of the narrative may have affected the final story. I caught several instances where the information characters knew about didn't match what they actually learned.
Page 83: Jake is referred to by name before he actually introduces himself in the book.
Page 158: Gemma calls April and tells her that she made it all the way to Haven. April is shocked in response, despite the fact that Gemma had never mentioned Haven to April in their conversation. How can April be shocked about it when she didn't even know what it was?
Pg 250: After asking Lyra where she was, Lyra responds, "There's Suits after us. Two of them." And Gemma says, "Just stay where you are. We're coming for you." One problem. LYRA NEVER SAID WHERE THEY WERE. Even in Lyra's chapter, she never discloses their location.
The in-between:
1. The ending: For the most part, I liked that the end of the story left it open for the next in the series, but considering the gravity of the situation that they are facing and what has transpired over the past few days...this story ends on a very peaceful note. I don't think it serves the story well. Some really terrible things happen to characters in this story and it ends on a very soft note in my mind. There is no tension or build up at all. I'm not saying I need a cliffhanger or anything, but just a little energy would be nice. A little acknowledgement of the danger they're facing and the losses they've endured. Like I said earlier, the stakes are high, but I don't think the end of this book did any service to that fact.
I will read the next in the series. I hope Lyra gets more story in the next book. I'm sure they will follow the same gimmicky structure, and that makes me a little apprehensive, but I liked the story enough to want to see how it progresses.
3/4 of the way through this book, I thought I had a 2.5 Star book in my hands. It was fine, but I wasn’t blown away by it. Every time I picked it up to read it I enjoyed what I read, but if I had to set it down I would go days without picking it back up again. But the end of this book was very satisfying, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
What I liked:
1. The concept was interesting. I’ve heard this describes as a YA version of Ready Player One, which I understand, but I don’t think is super accurate. Ready Player One is one of my favorite books. There is so much action, and I had so much fun while reading it. Aside from the very basic virtual reality premise, these books couldn’t be any more different.
2. The ending. The last 130 pages or so were pretty good. The plot kept me invested all the way through to the end of the book. There were some reveals that really pushed the rating up to 3 stars. One of them, I figured out about 60 pages from the end. The other, I was pretty surprised about.
3. Some of the world-building. Specifically, I love the idea of the virtual black market. That is such a neat concept and was my favorite part of the earlier part of the book.
What I didn’t like as much:
1. The characters fell flat. I just didn’t feel connected to any of them. Emika was fine, but I don’t really feel like I know who she is. None of the side characters had any depth whatsoever.
2. The romance. This comes pretty much out of nowhere. They have only a couple short scenes together and then we’re supposed to believe they’re in love or something...and it’s too bad, because if I’d been able
To buy into the love story, it would’ve given certain events in the book more emotional impact.
3. The pacing. As I stated earlier, the first part of this book did not hold my attention. Almost nothing happens for over 200 pages.
This is the first Marie Lu book I’ve read. I can’t say whether or not I enjoy her writing at this point. I really want to try Legend and see if I connect with that more than Warcross. That being said, the ending was r ally good and I will continue with the series.
What I liked:
1. The concept was interesting. I’ve heard this describes as a YA version of Ready Player One, which I understand, but I don’t think is super accurate. Ready Player One is one of my favorite books. There is so much action, and I had so much fun while reading it. Aside from the very basic virtual reality premise, these books couldn’t be any more different.
2. The ending. The last 130 pages or so were pretty good. The plot kept me invested all the way through to the end of the book. There were some reveals that really pushed the rating up to 3 stars. One of them, I figured out about 60 pages from the end. The other, I was pretty surprised about.
3. Some of the world-building. Specifically, I love the idea of the virtual black market. That is such a neat concept and was my favorite part of the earlier part of the book.
What I didn’t like as much:
1. The characters fell flat. I just didn’t feel connected to any of them. Emika was fine, but I don’t really feel like I know who she is. None of the side characters had any depth whatsoever.
2. The romance. This comes pretty much out of nowhere. They have only a couple short scenes together and then we’re supposed to believe they’re in love or something...and it’s too bad, because if I’d been able
To buy into the love story, it would’ve given certain events in the book more emotional impact.
3. The pacing. As I stated earlier, the first part of this book did not hold my attention. Almost nothing happens for over 200 pages.
This is the first Marie Lu book I’ve read. I can’t say whether or not I enjoy her writing at this point. I really want to try Legend and see if I connect with that more than Warcross. That being said, the ending was r ally good and I will continue with the series.
4.5 Stars
I love Persuasion. I think it’s probably my favorite Jane Austen novel if I’m being honest. It’s so beautiful and romantic and Wentworth is everything. I also love the trope of first loves reuniting, so I’m pretty much a sucker for Persuasion.
I feel like there aren’t nearly enough adaptations for this story, especially compared to P&P and Emma, so I try to read/watch any I come across. I am so glad I saw this book. It was a wonderful rendition of Persuasion.
I thought the way the author was able to seamlessly modernize this story was really impressive. There are often plot point in classic literature re-tellings that come out a little awkward. But this was really well done.
I liked that Anna wasn’t perfect. She did some shitty things and made some poor decisions. But she learned from it, and she showed growth. I enjoyed reading from her perspective.
I also liked the fact that Emma grew as a character, and you get the sense that, although she had a hand in keeping Anna and Rick apart, she really was looking out for her friend, in her own misguided way.
I really enjoyed this adaptation and want to check out more from the author in the future.
I love Persuasion. I think it’s probably my favorite Jane Austen novel if I’m being honest. It’s so beautiful and romantic and Wentworth is everything. I also love the trope of first loves reuniting, so I’m pretty much a sucker for Persuasion.
I feel like there aren’t nearly enough adaptations for this story, especially compared to P&P and Emma, so I try to read/watch any I come across. I am so glad I saw this book. It was a wonderful rendition of Persuasion.
I thought the way the author was able to seamlessly modernize this story was really impressive. There are often plot point in classic literature re-tellings that come out a little awkward. But this was really well done.
I liked that Anna wasn’t perfect. She did some shitty things and made some poor decisions. But she learned from it, and she showed growth. I enjoyed reading from her perspective.
I also liked the fact that Emma grew as a character, and you get the sense that, although she had a hand in keeping Anna and Rick apart, she really was looking out for her friend, in her own misguided way.
I really enjoyed this adaptation and want to check out more from the author in the future.
2.5 Stars
This book was interesting, as we saw an expansion of the world and it did have some political intrigue that I appreciated, but the ending was so rushed and anti-climactic that it brought down the whole book for me.
I also found Luna to be very frustrating in this book. I can’t even pinpoint exactly why.
I also felt like Luna’s ability to trick people from figuring out that she is blind wasn’t entirely realistic. In the first book they do run into people along the way, but it’s never for long and some of them do figure it out. In this story she’s surrounded by a castle full of people, including a bunch of servants, and they never once suspect that she can’t see?
The extra love interests were pointless as well, although I thought Chasen was interesting and wouldn’t have minded seeing more of that character.
I really liked the first book because it gave me strong Rapunzel vibes. Unfortunately, this book strayed far away from that and it just felt very rushed and messy to me.
This book was interesting, as we saw an expansion of the world and it did have some political intrigue that I appreciated, but the ending was so rushed and anti-climactic that it brought down the whole book for me.
I also found Luna to be very frustrating in this book. I can’t even pinpoint exactly why.
I also felt like Luna’s ability to trick people from figuring out that she is blind wasn’t entirely realistic. In the first book they do run into people along the way, but it’s never for long and some of them do figure it out. In this story she’s surrounded by a castle full of people, including a bunch of servants, and they never once suspect that she can’t see?
The extra love interests were pointless as well, although I thought Chasen was interesting and wouldn’t have minded seeing more of that character.
I really liked the first book because it gave me strong Rapunzel vibes. Unfortunately, this book strayed far away from that and it just felt very rushed and messy to me.
3.5 Stars
This book took me by surprise. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as much as I did.
***Trigger warnings*** for sexual assault
Things I liked:
1. the premise. It was an interesting story concept. I’ve heard a couple of news stories that resemble this in the last couple of years. And unfortunately, parents kidnap their own children more regularly than we realize. I like that this story focuses on the fallout of that, year’s after the initial incident.
2. Greg & Phoebe. I felt like they were really good role models for Callie and love their individual dynamics with her. While it wasn’t perfect, it felt authentic. As a mom, I totally connected with Phoebe’s desire to protect her children while still supporting her husband’s right and need to connect with his daughter.
I really like most of the family scenes, including the big get together scenes with all Callie’s family.
3. The details regarding Greek culture and sponging. I don’t know if the author herself is Greek, but this book felt well-researched at the very least. I felt like all of that information was woven into the story pretty seamlessly. It didn’t feel info-dumpy in the slightest.
Things I was iffy on:
1. The relationship between Alex and Callie. I didn’t hate them together, but I wish we’d gotten a little more from it. That being said, everything in their relationship felt pretty authentic when you consider Callie’s upbringing and experiences. I also really appreciated the scene where Alex tells her that he will stop any time she needs him to stop. Consent! Yay!
2. I appreciated that Callie was suffering from PTSD, but I wish at least one person would have acknowledged it for what it was. I also wish Callie would’ve chosen to get the help her fathered offered to get for her, instead of the author relying on the ‘true-Love-will-cure-all-wounds’ trope, which is what it felt like.
Things I didn’t like:
1. The ending felt rushed to me, and a little open-ended. I wish we’d had the loose ends tied up a bit more, but then again, life is messy sometimes. I do think the emotional development deserved a little more weight in the very last part of this story. We go from Alex getting upset with Callie to the end of the book in just a few pages, but in those last pages several things happen that should’ve been given more weight.
All in all, I liked this book and will look for more by this author.
This book took me by surprise. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as much as I did.
***Trigger warnings*** for sexual assault
Things I liked:
1. the premise. It was an interesting story concept. I’ve heard a couple of news stories that resemble this in the last couple of years. And unfortunately, parents kidnap their own children more regularly than we realize. I like that this story focuses on the fallout of that, year’s after the initial incident.
2. Greg & Phoebe. I felt like they were really good role models for Callie and love their individual dynamics with her. While it wasn’t perfect, it felt authentic. As a mom, I totally connected with Phoebe’s desire to protect her children while still supporting her husband’s right and need to connect with his daughter.
I really like most of the family scenes, including the big get together scenes with all Callie’s family.
3. The details regarding Greek culture and sponging. I don’t know if the author herself is Greek, but this book felt well-researched at the very least. I felt like all of that information was woven into the story pretty seamlessly. It didn’t feel info-dumpy in the slightest.
Things I was iffy on:
1. The relationship between Alex and Callie. I didn’t hate them together, but I wish we’d gotten a little more from it. That being said, everything in their relationship felt pretty authentic when you consider Callie’s upbringing and experiences. I also really appreciated the scene where Alex tells her that he will stop any time she needs him to stop. Consent! Yay!
2. I appreciated that Callie was suffering from PTSD, but I wish at least one person would have acknowledged it for what it was. I also wish Callie would’ve chosen to get the help her fathered offered to get for her, instead of the author relying on the ‘true-Love-will-cure-all-wounds’ trope, which is what it felt like.
Things I didn’t like:
1. The ending felt rushed to me, and a little open-ended. I wish we’d had the loose ends tied up a bit more, but then again, life is messy sometimes. I do think the emotional development deserved a little more weight in the very last part of this story. We go from Alex getting upset with Callie to the end of the book in just a few pages, but in those last pages several things happen that should’ve been given more weight.
All in all, I liked this book and will look for more by this author.