This book didn’t really inspire any strong feelings from me. The mystery of what happened to Cady and her memories was enough to keep me reading. And I did feel like the Sinclair family and it’s issues were believable and complex. But that was about it. Cady and Gatt’s relationship was underwhelming. The narration had its poignant moments, but it also had stilted and emotionless moments. And the twist at the end definitely didn’t blow me away. So overall, this book was alright, but definitely not anything to write home about.
The best part about this book for me was the complexity of Sinclair family and it’s problems. I felt the portrayal of their actions was very real--I definitely know some families where money created similar power struggles. And it really didn’t seem over exaggerated or overly dramatic. And I feel like even people who don’t know families with that amount of money can relate to the Sinclairs. It felt like less of a money problem than a general familial relationships and power struggle problem--which is probably relatable to most.
And when I wasn’t reading about the Sinclair money driven power dynamics, the mystery surrounding Cady’s accident could usually keep me reading. I definitely did want to know the details of what happened, which kept me turning pages. But, while I think the pacing of the information revealed was on point, I felt like how she remembers some things was too convenient--sometimes it felt like there was no prompting at all.
And, I found Cady's relationship with the liars kind of underwhelming. I definitely cared more about the relationships between the mothers and the grandfather. I just never really felt like the Liars were that close of friends or that they even had any sort of inseparable bond.
Cady’s relationship with was Gatt similarly lacking. Maybe because it mostly took place in the past, but I never really felt like I had watched them fall in love. In fact, I felt most of their interactions were stilted (and kind of pretentious). But, I feel like their relationship was good, if only for the tension it created when the grandfather disapproved.
The writing itself was kind of hit or miss. Occasionally I’d read a passage where the language and parallels would just blow me away. I loved the telling of fairytales, and the importance of threes. But there were also moments that felt stilted or forced. The descriptions of the Liars felt more like telling. And often there was just a sense of detachment or emotionlessness for me.
But I think the biggest let down in this book was it’s “major twist.” I didn’t predict it beforehand, but when I read it, my reaction was just a flat “oh, ok.” I feel like part of the reason for this was that I hadn’t built enough of an attachment to the Liars in the first place. I didn’t really care what happened to them, so while it was sad in an abstract way, that was about it. And it was really hard to take the actual events of the accident seriously--because they were just so idiotic. Like I understood their motivation, and the general idea of it was realistic, but how it was done was just so dumb that it logically didn’t fit. I couldn’t believe that not one of these reasonably smart kids didn’t see the giant flaw in their plan. Plus, the hallucinations just felt a bit like a cop out. They were just to realistic, I wanted more hints that they weren’t what they seemed. The way it happened, as a complete 180, was just sort of jarring.
But overall I did still appreciate this book--especially the commentary on what wealth or power does to a family and the way the mystery played out. But, honestly, not much else about it impressed me.
… and I saw that rose in his hand,
and in that one moment, with the sunlight from the window shining in on him,
the apples on the kitchen counter,
the smell of wood and ocean in the air,
I did call it love.
Warning: This is my personal reaction with regards to the said book, and reactions vary from one person to another. But one thing for sure, this review might affect somehow to those people who are planning to read the book. This also contains spoilers, so read at your own risk.
The ending literally messed my life.
I do not want to spoil anything because I can ruin the essence and the ambiance of the story itself, so I'll just ramble about the things that I felt during and after the read.
Since the book is very short, it can be done in one sitting like what I'd did. Amazing, clever story and mystery.
Not your typical young adult contemporary novel. It's full of twists and mysteries you'll never thought it was one.
The mysteries are the life of the story, definitely.
And technically, my mouth went open vastly at the last chapter of the Part IV and the first chapter of the Part V. You'll also figure it out in your own.
Cadence is very mysterious and very vague about her thoughts so no one can really inject himself/herself into her wholly.
They were the 'Liars', so perfect, so shiny. But, ugh. I'll keep quiet.
The little blurb on the back of the book is vague and doesn't really talk about the plot or anything, but I was told that it's one of those books it's better not to know much about before reading. I would definitely recommend that! Before school last week I decided I wanted to read the first page or so and I really wasn't expecting much. (I heard mixed reviews) The next thing I knew I was ten pages in and was about to miss the bus. Seriously I'm halfway through and it is so good. The author can be really... poetic (That seems like the right word for it) when we hear the main character describe her thoughts and feelings and problems. It's really good so far.
