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I'm giving it 50 pages... which corresponds exactly to the first four chapters. If I don't like it by then, I will abandon yet another book and add to my arsenal of thoughts about why I don't like fiction. Wish me luck. UPDATE: I'm 140 pages into this book which was described to me as "life-changing." So far, I give it an emphatic "eh." I've already read phrases like "hit him like a Mack truck," and "deeper than a canyon." I've already read through scenes containing the exaggerated speech of a drunken man, and the melodramatic hesitation over dialing the last digit of a phone number. Oh, and a character named Dirk. DIRK. So, the writing isn't riveting, is all I am saying. It's Christian-y in ways that make me want to gag a little. And, despite the superficial 'messiness' of the characters involved in the conflict, they are messy in very neat, predictable ways. Not messy like in real life. It's starting to really read like a morality play. And I'm getting a little uncomfortable with the continual assertion by the main character that seems to follows this pattern: God wouldn't let it happen this way unless he was eventually going to work it out for me. It remains to be seen if she wises up on that score. For that reason, I'll keep reading (along with the reason I read past my intended 50 pages, which is that I feel like I need to read it all to be able to creditably say that I didn't like the book.) So, I will finish the book... even though I think I already know how it is going to end. Only 219 pages left to go. (But who is counting, right?) Seriously hoping this book surprises me, but not counting on it. THE FINAL VERDICT: Eh. This is basically a Christian soap opera. I can appreciate what Kingsbury and Smalley are trying to accomplish through this book - I have been encouraged in a few aspects of my faith, but I am not the sort to take a lot of life lessons from fiction. So all I am left with is, was this a good story? It isn't an awful story. Contrived. A bit hokey. But not awful. Being that this book is the first in a series, a lot of groundwork was laid down for the storylines of the later novels. However, I can't say that I am dying to know what happens to these characters. As 'real' as they were supposed to be, they were just TOO much of whatever trait they were supposed to portray. They came in and out of behaviors too quickly and too conveniently. And I found Ryan's behavior at the end downright creepy. Add in here the believability of having two girls in the same family, both incredibly beautiful, both sought after by anyone with an X chromosome, and both with men who have pined after them since they were teenagers. Maybe this is my problem with fiction, but that kind of stuff just isn't believable. As for the story itself, I thought the ending was very convenient, both in terms of the plot for the next book, and also for the romantics who want the perfect ending. The writing was pretty weak too. On more than one occasion, a character felt things "with every fiber of his being." There is a really bad metaphor of a sinking ship that was totally unnecessary. There was a photographer who wore a beret and said things along the lines of 'work with me baby.' And, to describe one character, Kingsbury wrote that she could not have been more disgusted if someone had dumped ten spiders down her sweater. I guess I'm just saying that this is not the kind of writing that really draws me in. So the bottom line is this: I'd read the next novel in this series if I wanted some light, escape reading. But the book would probably have to be readily accessible. I don't see myself hunting it down and devouring it by next week. In conclusion, while the book had its moments and some aspects that could be appreciated, overall it failed to truly engage me. The writing was lacking in depth and originality, and the characters and plot felt somewhat contrived. I will likely not be rushing to read the next installment in the series, but I may give it a try if it happens to cross my path.
