Getting advance copies of books is fabulous because a) they're free and b) the books that come my way are usually ones that I probably wouldn't have picked up otherwise. The downside of this is when the book that you ordinarily wouldn't have read turns out to be one that you would have been just as happy to do without.
I'm afraid that this was the case with A Young Wife by Pam Lewis.
It's not that there was anything horribly wrong with this novel. The plot is promising enough: in the early 1900's, a Dutch teen is pushed into a marriage with a much older man. She subsequently travels with him to the new colonies of Argentina, and then finally through Ellis Island to New York City. There's even a pretty good twist at the end, and the story does pick up a lot of steam in the final few chapters.
If I had to pinpoint my main complaint with it, though, it's that the author was too good at creating unlikeable characters. It works fine for the villains in the story (and there are quite a few), but it also seems to seep over into the main character, the young wife herself. Instead of rooting for her, I felt disconnected from her for most of the book, and couldn't stop focusing on the fact that she came across as way too mature for the teenager that she is during much of story.
I wouldn't go so far as to say that this is a bad book, just one that left me feeling a bit bored and uninspired.
I'm afraid that this was the case with A Young Wife by Pam Lewis.
It's not that there was anything horribly wrong with this novel. The plot is promising enough: in the early 1900's, a Dutch teen is pushed into a marriage with a much older man. She subsequently travels with him to the new colonies of Argentina, and then finally through Ellis Island to New York City. There's even a pretty good twist at the end, and the story does pick up a lot of steam in the final few chapters.If I had to pinpoint my main complaint with it, though, it's that the author was too good at creating unlikeable characters. It works fine for the villains in the story (and there are quite a few), but it also seems to seep over into the main character, the young wife herself. Instead of rooting for her, I felt disconnected from her for most of the book, and couldn't stop focusing on the fact that she came across as way too mature for the teenager that she is during much of story.
I wouldn't go so far as to say that this is a bad book, just one that left me feeling a bit bored and uninspired.
Sorry the book left you feeling so uninspired. I hate when that happens, but unfortunately, it's a far-too-common occurrence in my life, so I can empathize.
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