paigeawesome

There are a couple words that come to my mind when I think of this book:
Contrived. Pandering. Boring.

I just, ughhh, I don't know, it rubbed me the wrong way. I gave it two stars because I liked the concept--I would like a story of the occupation of the Channel Islands, and the story of the people there, but the writing just grated on me. I wasn't very fond of Juliet, and since every single letter seems to be written in the exact. same. voice.--one I wasn't all that fond of--I became annoyed. I thought it was trying way too hard to be "charming." Oh we like books, oh we are witty, oh isn't war hard, oh friends lift your spirits, yes but blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.

I first heard about this book when someone leaving a negative review of The Postmistress (which I enjoyed but didn't ~love~) said they preferred this. Well, I'm game--I thought maybe it really would be better. WRONG. (From my perspective.) This book was a little more, I don't know, easy-and-simple answers, neat-and-tidy endings, striving for some feel-good warmth blah blah blah--and, you know, honestly, I really love all those things when they work out. For me, something in the writing style or characters just rubbed me the wrong way. It felt forced, and like I said earlier--contrived. What I DID like about the execution was Isola, and that was about it.

I don't begrudge anyone for liking it, I think I wished I could seeing as I love literature and clubs and letter-writing and independent women, but it just struck me as false. It seemed very--I'm having a hard time putting my finger on the word... ah, I don't know, but I didn't really enjoy reading it, and saying "It was okay" is as generous as I can be about it. I was disappointed and annoyed.