Laura Hurwitz

This book had a really good premise, but it was HORRIBLY written. I mean, horrible. And I've read a lot of books. I give it one and a half star because I managed to stick it out to the end, but I really had to skim at the end because it was just so awful.

The plot advanced way too quickly, almost everything that happened in the book happened in very awkward dialogue, and there was just too much spoon-fed to me as a reader. For example (and I paraphrase): "oh hey, I'm going to park my car really sloppy over here and keep one tire on the crosswalk, I know I could take two extra seconds to park better, but I'm not going to, so there!" And then a page later the car gets a ticket (which leads to several more very convenient plot developments). Wow, didn't see that one coming!

In general, none of the characters were well developed. You get little glimpses of everybody, but nothing about what really makes them tick. And everybody gets along, like, instantly, and there's almost no drama or tension between people. It was seriously like an episode of the Waltons, as far as drama goes. Also, when a main character dies, and I'm just like "whew, good riddance," then somebody did a really crappy job writing that character.

It's all just such a shame, because this book could have been really good, if somebody else had written it. Or if the author had burned what she'd written and started over again, and the second time, actually did a good job writing.… (plus d'informations)

Goodreads Synopsis: In 1970, as the hippie movement is losing its innocence, Shoshanna and her six-year-old sister, Mara, escape from Sweet Earth Farm, a declining commune, run by their tyrannical and abusive father, Adam. Their mother, Ella, takes them to San Francisco, where they meet one of her old friends, Judy, and the four of them decide to head off and try to make a life together. Finding a safe haven at the farm of kind, elderly Avery Elliot, the four of them find some measure of peace and stability. Then their mother's crippling depression returns. Confused and paranoid, Ella is convinced that she and the girls must leave before Adam finds them and extracts revenge. The girls don't wish to leave the only stable home they've ever had. But as Ella grows worse and worse, events conspire to leave them to face a choice they never could have imagined. Shoshanna has always watched over her sister and once again she has to watch over her ailing mother. Will she ever live a "normal" life?

My Review: Who doesn’t like the peace and love folk? This book was a breath of fresh air and completely different from anything I’ve read lately. It’s about two young girls – Shoshanna (15) and Mara (6) and their mother, Ella and their life on the run. The book starts out with the three leaving their home at a run down old commune full of sketchy people, and where life takes them. They meet up with old friends, and adventure to a new life together, a happier life together. They escape an abusive husband/father, a horrible place to live for a family, and start to rebuild. The characters are extremely well thought out and realistic, and everything seems so read and I just love it. This is a great story. I imagine this is how people would be in the time and setting they’re in. The ending was happy and beautiful and just so fulfilling. I want to read it again and again. Sorry for the short review, but it’s an awesome book and I definitely recommend you check it out! I got my copy from Netgalley. Thanks for reading!

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