by Jenkins Reid

4 / 5 stars
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This was not the typical genre I would normally seek out to read. I’ve recently joined a book club & it has been a great way to branch out & experience new styles of writing. That being said, I really enjoyed this book, the characters, writing style & overall theme were relatable but not cookie cutter.

Chronically the lives of Nina Riva & her siblings each chapter, the book jumps from their present story to that of their parents and their childhood. Detailing all the positive and negative memories that shaped them into the individuals we read about in the present day chapters.

I enjoyed the writing style & character development, although there were moments it felt as though the author was just looking to fill space. The eldest sister Nina is the focus and as the reader we learn a lot about her & I felt compelled to learn how she would handle the situations she was facing that kept me listening. Her siblings are well developed but often throughout the book with many of the supporting characters it feels as though we are given just enough to become invested while not diving deep enough to really get fully committed to caring about their storylines.

Some characters are introduced randomly & given deep insight into their momentary thought or feeling but their overall placement in the story seems meaningless & they do not add anything but “filler” to a fairly hectic scene that plays out towards the end of the story. Nonetheless it was entertaining but I was left wondering where/how those storylines played out in the long term, or even why the character was introduced at all.

This review seems negative but I assure you it was a wonderful experience & I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an easy, quick read with a complex storyline and dynamic cast of characters.

I listed to this as an audiobook, find it on Audible. The narrator (Julia Whelan) did a great job capturing the different characters personalities & voices to help distinguish between without being too over the top.