Crosstalk in Around the Year in 52 Books

Jul 20, 2024 Nina rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy, 2024-aty

I wanted to like this more than I did. (I feel like I overuse that phrase in my reviews, but only because it’s true more often than I’d like it to be.) Connie Willis is capable of writing wonderful novels full of innovative ideas, well-drawn characters, intricate plots, great dialogue, slapstick humor, and heartbreaking tragedy. With this one, it seemed to me that she was trying very hard to replicate the magic of some of her earlier works like To Say Nothing of the Dog, but fell well short of t ...more

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Mar 11, 2017 Erin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4 stars

First of all, this is not some highbrow, award-winning novel. This is a fun, fast-paced read that you take with you on the plane or to the beach. It's the book version of a rom-com, like When in Rome or You've Got Mail. You watch those movies to escape, not to sit back and find plot holes.

With that said, I'm giving this one 4 stars. Honestly, it would have gotten 5 stars if it hadn't gone completely off the rails in the last 25% of the book.

Couple of thoughts I had while reading:
- When d 4 stars

First of all, this is not some highbrow, award-winning novel. This is a fun, fast-paced read that you take with you on the plane or to the beach. It's the book version of a rom-com, like When in Rome or You've Got Mail. You watch those movies to escape, not to sit back and find plot holes.

With that said, I'm giving this one 4 stars. Honestly, it would have gotten 5 stars if it hadn't gone completely off the rails in the last 25% of the book.

Couple of thoughts I had while reading:
- When does this take place? Willis certainly throws in plenty of pop culture references, but I wasn't 100% sure the novel was supposed to take place in the present. I initially thought this took place in the near future, but I honestly am not sure. Not that it really matters, I guess.
- The family situation is 100% messed up. Like seriously, who has a family that behaves like that? And why does Briddey put up with that shit. It's called establishing boundaries, Briddey. Do it. Like ASAP.
- Does Briddey ever work? I understand that the novel takes place over a short period of time, but technically she was supposed to be working some of those days. Where the hell was her boss? And what did Briddey actually do for Commspan?
- A number of the "twists" or "reveals" (especially those towards the end) were 100% predictable. There really wasn't anything that caught me by surprise.
- CB. I found him adorable and not remotely creepy, but that's just me I guess. Although the "good girl" and "darlin" comments seemed a little off to me.

Now to the biggest issue with the novel - the last 25% of the book. Holy shit -- it went off the rails and then the plot got buried in way too much exposition. Like WAY too much. I honestly couldn't follow what the hell was going on. I also felt that one bad guy was enough. (view spoiler)

Despite the last 25% (which honestly was pretty not-good), I really enjoyed the novel. I thought it was funny, cute and just perfectly "fluffy". Again, if you are looking for a quick, beach/airplane novel, borrow this one from the library.

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