Welcome to Litsy!

I‘ve read and liked (though not loved) Barry‘s other books, but sadly this one‘s a dud. There are too many storylines that don‘t all work together, time jumps that are confusing, and a story-in-a-story that feels plunked into the book and unnecessary. Disappointing.

I don't know how I missed this one. I really enjoyed The Lace Reader. Barry's second book is also set mainly in Salem, MA and shares some characters. The novel is about Zee- a young woman who is forced to confront her family history when a combination of work and family trouble bring her back to Salem - where she grew up. Barry combines very real situations with a magic/fairy-tale like atmosphere and I loved it.

I think I'm going to start this one today. I hope it's a good one.

Eh... It started off slow. It pays off at the end, but this one was just okay. Honestly, it could have used some tighter editing. One too many twists, and Barry tends to repeat phrases and info a little too often.

It was slow at first but I couldn't put it down for the last half. I wish Barry had woven some more of the intricacies into the earlier part of the book, but I also kind of enjoyed the pace as it made paralleled the pace of the main characters life.

There are some books that you just connect with the author. The words just flow through you no matter the story. I enjoyed the story and enjoyed the writing!