OUTRUN THE MOON by Stacy Lee
3 Stars
Verdict: Historically rich, plot thin.
Mercy is a fifteen-year-old girl with 'bossy cheeks' and a nose for business, and it’s her smarts and strong will that help her set up a meeting to possibly join St Clare’s School for Girls. Growing up in San Francisco Chinatown, 1906, there’s not many opportunities for a girl of her race, but Mercy hopes to wrangle a full scholarship at St Clare's and become a woman of business who can support her family.
Mercy comes across as intelligent, witty, and much older than her fifteen years, if only out of necessity. I loved how the author used the mother’s fortune telling to help build non-cliche descriptions of the characters. The odd line here and there, full of Chinese culture or unique imagery, really made me fall in love with the writing.
Sadly, I became disenchanted along the way. The story begins as a battle against adversity as a young woman strikes deals and talks her way into succeeding her goals, and I liked where it was going. Then disaster struck. The plot died. The whole host of not-so-interesting characters took centre stage, or perhaps there were too many to feel attached to?
Either way, it felt like not as much happened after the earthquake, and the plot I was invested in disappeared. I liked the historical richness and how the community came together, and Francesca’s story had some interesting turns - it just felt like a lot of pages were spent on not so much intrigue. By the end, I was reading to finish rather than for enjoyment.
I have to say, the ending didn’t meet what I had hoped either. I think it struggled to keep my attention as the plot thinned and the story changed direction. The reveal around Harry and some of the other coincidental turns made it feel too neat. But, again, it’s beautifully written and full of authenticity. I would recommend this to the right sort of person, I just don't think it was for me.
Source: Bought it myself.
3 Stars
Verdict: Historically rich, plot thin.
Mercy is a fifteen-year-old girl with 'bossy cheeks' and a nose for business, and it’s her smarts and strong will that help her set up a meeting to possibly join St Clare’s School for Girls. Growing up in San Francisco Chinatown, 1906, there’s not many opportunities for a girl of her race, but Mercy hopes to wrangle a full scholarship at St Clare's and become a woman of business who can support her family.
Mercy comes across as intelligent, witty, and much older than her fifteen years, if only out of necessity. I loved how the author used the mother’s fortune telling to help build non-cliche descriptions of the characters. The odd line here and there, full of Chinese culture or unique imagery, really made me fall in love with the writing.
Sadly, I became disenchanted along the way. The story begins as a battle against adversity as a young woman strikes deals and talks her way into succeeding her goals, and I liked where it was going. Then disaster struck. The plot died. The whole host of not-so-interesting characters took centre stage, or perhaps there were too many to feel attached to?
Either way, it felt like not as much happened after the earthquake, and the plot I was invested in disappeared. I liked the historical richness and how the community came together, and Francesca’s story had some interesting turns - it just felt like a lot of pages were spent on not so much intrigue. By the end, I was reading to finish rather than for enjoyment.
I have to say, the ending didn’t meet what I had hoped either. I think it struggled to keep my attention as the plot thinned and the story changed direction. The reveal around Harry and some of the other coincidental turns made it feel too neat. But, again, it’s beautifully written and full of authenticity. I would recommend this to the right sort of person, I just don't think it was for me.
Source: Bought it myself.
Fabulous review. It's so disappointing when a book starts out strong and then loses it's way part way through.
ReplyDeletetoo bad, it sounds like it just fell apart
ReplyDeleteSorry it didn't work for you. Always a disappointment when it starts well but goes down hill.
ReplyDeleteStinks this didn't work for you.
ReplyDeleteGreat honest review. Hope your next read is better!
ReplyDeleteGreat honest review, I am sorry this book didn't work out for you I hope your next read is a much better one. Thank you so much for sharing your awesome post.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry this did not work out.
ReplyDelete