It takes a lot to make a reader who doesn’t like the protagonist (at first impression) fall in love with the narrative, but that’s what Joan Silber has done here. To me the narrating character is not likable - she is selfish and immature, more worried about her own agenda than caring for her child. However I found very quickly that I had burned through the preview pages and felt disappointed to have to stop.
Whether or not Reyna’s character ‘improves’ throughout the narrative, the story and voice is compelling, flows and it is easy to read. The characters introduced so far are interesting, they are flawed, and I want to continue reading to find out what happens and more about them. From the synopsis it sounds as though choices made by Reyna will have a butterfly effect, a theme I find interesting when explored in fiction.
I am about to add this and at least one other Joan Silber novel to my Goodreads ‘want to read list’ as until now I have not read anything by this author, and that is a great shame.
The cover drew me in and is appropriate for the novel. It draws attention in an intriguing way and links to the narrative. I like that it doesn’t give much away about the themes and content of the book, as it had my attention enough to read the synopsis to find out more.
Overall I have given the novel four stars for now. I liked the preview but didn’t love it as much as some other first pages, but it would be easy to sway me to five stars if the rest of the novel unfolds well.
Whether or not Reyna’s character ‘improves’ throughout the narrative, the story and voice is compelling, flows and it is easy to read. The characters introduced so far are interesting, they are flawed, and I want to continue reading to find out what happens and more about them. From the synopsis it sounds as though choices made by Reyna will have a butterfly effect, a theme I find interesting when explored in fiction.
I am about to add this and at least one other Joan Silber novel to my Goodreads ‘want to read list’ as until now I have not read anything by this author, and that is a great shame.
The cover drew me in and is appropriate for the novel. It draws attention in an intriguing way and links to the narrative. I like that it doesn’t give much away about the themes and content of the book, as it had my attention enough to read the synopsis to find out more.
Overall I have given the novel four stars for now. I liked the preview but didn’t love it as much as some other first pages, but it would be easy to sway me to five stars if the rest of the novel unfolds well.