jam'n toast

This book feels as though, through whispers, someone is confiding in you about an untold life lived long ago, it is fragmented, dulcet and intimate. Her prose are reminiscent of an impressionist painting. It presents a stripped portrayal of form that exudes evocative and abstract imagery using the repetition of dappled memories that weave in and out of the writers consciousness, accentuating the dreamlike quality that memories often evoke.

After having read the second book in the series, I have come to rethink my opinion on this book. At first I gave it two stars because there is a sense of passivity in Eilis' character, she felt detached even from the reader; so when she makes decisions that hurt those around her she becomes quite unlikable. However, I cannot disregard the fact that the author quite subtlety sets the foundation for what is to come in the second book. The pacing of this book doesn't feel slow but it manages to appear reserved, just like Eilis. I think this book reflects the diffident or uncertain nature of Eilis as she goes through the trials and tribulations of a life thrust upon her. Though there was a questionable scene that was irrelevant to the overall story, most of the story was quite compelling.

To be honest I actually enjoyed the mess that this book was. I’m not sure if it’s because it was better than her other books or if my brain has gotten used to the cringe inducing shenanigans that occur in these rom-coms- I'm going with the latter.