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A review by strawberrymivvy
The Last Summer at Chelsea Beach by Pam Jenoff
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Quite frankly, this book bored me and I'm amazed I finished it! I've loved other books by this author and wanted it to get better, but it never did.
Despite having travelled to the US by herself as a teenager, Adelia never seemed to develop any true grit or ability to think for herself and allowed herself to be consumed by the Connolly family.
The author mentioned it was a book she'd had the concept for 20 years earlier, and I honestly don't believe she should have gone back to it. A flat narrative with ridiculously text-filled pages did not invite engagement. It was also FULL of editing errors - spelling errors, incorrect use of words, doubling of words - maybe later editions corrected this but it was truly annoying.
If this was the first book by this author I'd read, I would not read more. Even as a love story, rather than WWII fiction, it didn't really work for me with its too tidy ending and feelings seemingly coming from nowhere.
Despite having travelled to the US by herself as a teenager, Adelia never seemed to develop any true grit or ability to think for herself and allowed herself to be consumed by the Connolly family.
The author mentioned it was a book she'd had the concept for 20 years earlier, and I honestly don't believe she should have gone back to it. A flat narrative with ridiculously text-filled pages did not invite engagement. It was also FULL of editing errors - spelling errors, incorrect use of words, doubling of words - maybe later editions corrected this but it was truly annoying.
If this was the first book by this author I'd read, I would not read more. Even as a love story, rather than WWII fiction, it didn't really work for me with its too tidy ending and feelings seemingly coming from nowhere.