Having read The Beach House by Jane Green last summer, I was eagerly looking forward to Dune Road. While it did have some interesting characters and plot lines (one of which could have been fleshed out a little more successfully), Dune Road didn’t live up to my expectations.Publishers Weekly
In the latest inviting summer read from bestseller Green (The Beach House), divorced mom Kit Hargrove learns about family, love, and the price of secrets while rediscovering passion for life and her small Connecticut beach town. As the off-season begins, Kit is still recovering from the breakup of her marriage (to solicitous but work-obsessed Adam), working for famously reclusive author Robert McClore, and practicing yoga with her new friend Tracy. Upheaval soon arrives in the form of a mysterious new boyfriend and a long-lost sister, as well as a scandalous secret regarding Kit's much-desired employer. Green's newest has all the right elements for a sun-baked afternoon of reading: sandy locales, hints of sex and scandal, and lots of strong female characters. With three main plots, however, Green tries to pack in too much story, ultimately shortchanging her characters and her readers.
Edie on her colorful house (haven’t we all passed by one of these and wondered???):
“I’m Edie,” she said. “I live next door in the purple house.” Tory caught Buckley’s eye and suppressed a grin—they had been wondering who lived in the bright purple eyesore next door. “And before you ask, no, I won’t paint it. I love the color purple and you’ll get used to it.”
I agree with Publishers Weekly. Kit’s story was strong enough to stand on its own without distracting me by giving equal plot weight to what should have been background stories. But then, perhaps I’m just miffed that I totally missed an obvious twist which, when revealed, made me wonder, “Why?”
Finished on September 5, 2009
Rating: 3.5 (Fiction Scale)
Pages: 341
Publisher: Viking
Copyright: 2009
Format: Hardcover
Dedication: For Heidi With blessings and love
No comments:
Post a Comment