I have a huge backlog of reviews piling up, and honestly, I can’t seem to keep up with them all! So for this week’s Three Star Thursday, I’m rounding up a few of my recent reads that landed right in the middle of the rating scale. Not bad, not amazing, just solid stories that had their moments but didn’t quite shine as brightly as others. Here’s a look at what I’ve been reading lately.
Firefly Lane had an emotional start. I cried several times in the beginning, but as the story went on, the main characters started to wear on me. Their choices felt frustrating, and by the end, instead of feeling the impact of the conclusion, I was too annoyed to connect with it. A heartfelt story at its core, but ultimately the characters kept me from loving it.
Remain was exactly what I expected. A typical Nicholas Sparks story mixed with the letdown of an M. Night Shyamalan twist. I kept hoping for a wild or unique premise, but it ended up feeling pretty generic. The character development was so thin that I honestly thought the main character was a woman for half the book. While it didn’t work for me, I think die hard Nicholas Sparks fans will probably still enjoy it.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving wasn’t quite what I expected. The first 80% of the story focuses heavily on describing Ichabod Crane and his interests, especially in women, leaving very little room for the Headless Horseman. While the writing captures the atmosphere of early American folklore, I was a bit disappointed that the legendary figure himself plays such a small part in the tale.
Each book in this trilogy seemed to lose a bit of its spark, and by the time I reached Ruin and Rising, I felt more disappointed than satisfied. I loved the first book, but this finale just didn’t deliver for me. The pacing, characters, and resolution all fell flat compared to the promise of the beginning.
I think this book peaked in the first 20%, when the story was at its most gripping. After the central event, I found my interest fading as the timelines and characters began to jump around, which made it harder to stay connected. I usually love Jodi Picoult’s work and the way she pulls me in emotionally, but this one didn’t give me the familiar feels I expect from her books. Still, her writing is strong, and fans of her courtroom style storytelling may enjoy it more than I did.
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