On the day she graduates from college, Ada makes an impulsive choice that changes the course of her life and those of the two men who love her: George, her steady, loyal beau and their best friend, artistic, mercurial Claude. Unfolding the story over seven years on three separate milestones—a graduation, a funeral, and a wedding— Katia Lief weaves between perspectives to reveal a tapestry rich in motive and emotion. The Beautiful Years is a dazzling rendering of hubris, consequence and the complexity of love.
Kindle Edition, Kindle Singles
Published
May 1st 2016
by Blue Table Books
Kristine's Thoughts:
I came across this novella when I was looking for something quick to read. My schedule has been really busy and I needed to find something that I could get through quickly so that I wouldn't get behind on my blog posts. The synopsis and many positive reviews sold me on The Beautiful Years.
I always find it difficult to talk about a novella because there is only so much content and I never want to give the story away. I won't be re-telling the story for that reason alone. Instead I am going to try my best, without spoiling, to give my opinion on the story.
The plot was a good one but I feel like it would have been better served in a full length novel. The emotions could have been captured and it may have been quite the emotional page turner for the reader. As it stood, I found it lacked emotion and character depth. As much as I wanted to connect with the characters and feel them, I couldn't. It was just too quick and stiff. It also jumped between points of view without warning and within chapters which was very distracting. This is saying something coming from someone who loves multiple points of view.
This novella would be a good book club book because of the many questions that come from a book that leaves so much out. Many a discussion could easily surround the events of Ada, George and Claude's graduation day.
Some stories work really well in a novella but I think this one needed just a little more to make it truly memorable.
About the Author
No comments:
Post a Comment