Except for this book. I just couldn’t finish it. I’m not normally one to quit on a book, especially when I’ve gotten as far as I have in this one, but I had to throw in the towel. You might have seen this book during one of my other posts a few weeks back. I had it when I was running my MIL to her doctor’s appointment and going after my own medications.
I checked it out, renewed, and renewed. Returned it, then checked it out again and attempted to pick up where I left off. It ranks at 3.8 out of 5 ☆ on Goodreads. Some of the reviews: “So so many characters. Field hockey! New England.“
There are indeed a lot of characters. Very diverse characters. And the timeline takes place in the late ’80s. So it gave me some nostalgia when I started to read it. But I have to admit that I just didn’t really connect well with the writing.
Another review exclaimed: “This book understands the dark magic of teenage girls and opens it wide open, showing us just how powerful they are…” That is something that is covered in this novel, but it really was hard to grasp.
Someone else said it best for me. It wasn’t really bad, per say, by any means. It wasn’t bad writing. It just really was not something I was able to get into. I didn’t think I was that selective about what I read, but I suppose I must be pickier than I realized. It was not my cup of tea.
When I read the summary of the novel, the concept seemed fresh and I really felt like there was potential for the characters, their storylines, and dialogue. Let’s be honest, the idea of something involving witches is what drew me in. It was October and it was in the library’s recommended stack. Coming-of-age, self-discovery storylines really excite me. I’m a grown adult with the mentality of a teenager at heart.
There were huge sections of the novel that were dense and had too much exposition. I’d lose focus and I think I skipped over some of the text, which could be why I started just losing interest. There were so many extra characters. It didn’t feel like there was the main protagonist. The team was indeed the focal point of the story, but there were just so many characters. The lone black girl in the community. The one girl whose hair was her defining characteristic? The boy and girl Cory. There was an Asian character or two, I think? It was hard to be certain.
Like I said, the premise really lured me in, but the plethora of details and side stories just distracted me to the point of not finishing. There were a lot of rave reviews for it, so some people enjoyed it at least. Perhaps it would be really good as a movie? I’m feeling a bit sad at this failed attempt to read. I’ll probably go back and reread something on my shelf.
I tend to do that more these days. When something throws me for a loop, pick up one of the old reliables. You can pop it open and start reading it anywhere and I feel sucked back into the magical world of text. Fantastical worlds, like intricate paintings within my minds’ eye, give me a brief vacation from the reality around me.
Does anyone have any suggestions for books I could look for at the local library? Or even get a copy of the PDF to read? I’m not as huge a fan of the Nook reader or my tablet, because I can’t really read as comfortably in the digital format. I don’t know why, I just struggle to hold it. Anywho, as always, thanks for reading~!
Today’s post is one of the fillers I’ve created to use while I’m on the road for the holidays. I’ll be working on writing at least a week’s worth of cushion posts, just in case I do not have any access to the internet or a laptop the week of Christmas. Thanks for understanding!
Atelier Whootique 