Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and are not influenced by the author, publisher, or other related entity.
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Breakdown Review:
Home for Erring and Outcast Girls by Julie Kibler was a surprise. I honestly can't tell you what I expected of this book, but it did definitely go places I didn't expect. It took me a little while to get into the story, but once things got rolling and I got my bearings, I found myself asking questions and wanting to know more about the backstories of the girls. I wanted to probe the information just as Cate was doing. The subject matter was intriguing.
The writing is great. I really enjoyed the flow Kibler created and I just really liked her style. The narrative moves back and forth between third person views of Mattie and Lizzie as well as first person views of both a current Cate and a Cate from her teen years. The use of these different views and the creation of two tandem storylines was well done and felt quite natural. I didn't have any issues with it being distracting or confusing, which I found to be a credit to Kibler's talent.
Speaking of talent, I was seriously thrown by one of the surprises in the book. Kibler was a complete master in the way she hid one of the plot twists. I didn't see it coming at all and I honestly was stunned that she kept me from even having a clue.I felt completely broadsided and even flipped back in the book to see how I had missed it. Seamless. My own assumptions kept me from seeing the possibilities in the story. Creative. Impressive. Seriously. Props for that.
The bulk of the book kept me pretty happy. Granted, the subject matter isn't all sunshine and rainbows, but it was interesting. The writing was comfortable and well constructed. The characters were fleshed out and interwoven. There were a few side characters that I didn't care for, but they still lent a little something to the story, so I couldn't fault her for having them in there. As the story moved along, I liked learning more. I rooted for the characters. I winced at their poor choices and I found sorrow in their unfortunate circumstances. Finding out later that the characters of Mattie and Lizzie were based on real people kind of jolted me. I'm curious if I would have a different view on the book if I reread it keeping that information in mind.
But...oh...my reviews always hinge on the endings. I put so much pressure on them. It's kind of unfair, but it's just how things go. And in the case of Home for Erring and Outcast Girls, unfortunately I was let down. It was a bit of a miss for me. Don't get me wrong, it wrapped up well as far as making sense and not going completely off the rails. It didn't irk me either. That's always a good thing.
My biggest issue? There were way too many things left open...too many questions left unanswered. I know that sometimes authors love their readers to create their own conclusions, but to me it always just feels as if the author needs to be more courageous. In this case, there was one contentious situation in particular that could easily divide a group of readers in a moral or political sense and it was just. left. hanging, as if she didn't want to offend one by choosing a path for her character. That was disappointing.
In addition, the majority of the plot moved methodically and slowly, giving detail and feeling comfortable and complete. I liked that. It made things feel real. But then there was a sudden shift. In the end...it felt like things went into a whirlwind. I was very much left wanting.
Emotional Response: Home for Erring and Outcast Girls by Julie Kibler was a surprise. I honestly can't tell you what I expected of this book, but it did definitely go places I didn't expect. It took me a little while to get into the story, but once things got rolling and I got my bearings, I found myself asking questions and wanting to know more about the backstories of the girls. I wanted to probe the information just as Cate was doing. The subject matter was intriguing.
The writing is great. I really enjoyed the flow Kibler created and I just really liked her style. The narrative moves back and forth between third person views of Mattie and Lizzie as well as first person views of both a current Cate and a Cate from her teen years. The use of these different views and the creation of two tandem storylines was well done and felt quite natural. I didn't have any issues with it being distracting or confusing, which I found to be a credit to Kibler's talent.
Speaking of talent, I was seriously thrown by one of the surprises in the book. Kibler was a complete master in the way she hid one of the plot twists. I didn't see it coming at all and I honestly was stunned that she kept me from even having a clue.I felt completely broadsided and even flipped back in the book to see how I had missed it. Seamless. My own assumptions kept me from seeing the possibilities in the story. Creative. Impressive. Seriously. Props for that.
The bulk of the book kept me pretty happy. Granted, the subject matter isn't all sunshine and rainbows, but it was interesting. The writing was comfortable and well constructed. The characters were fleshed out and interwoven. There were a few side characters that I didn't care for, but they still lent a little something to the story, so I couldn't fault her for having them in there. As the story moved along, I liked learning more. I rooted for the characters. I winced at their poor choices and I found sorrow in their unfortunate circumstances. Finding out later that the characters of Mattie and Lizzie were based on real people kind of jolted me. I'm curious if I would have a different view on the book if I reread it keeping that information in mind.
But...oh...my reviews always hinge on the endings. I put so much pressure on them. It's kind of unfair, but it's just how things go. And in the case of Home for Erring and Outcast Girls, unfortunately I was let down. It was a bit of a miss for me. Don't get me wrong, it wrapped up well as far as making sense and not going completely off the rails. It didn't irk me either. That's always a good thing.
My biggest issue? There were way too many things left open...too many questions left unanswered. I know that sometimes authors love their readers to create their own conclusions, but to me it always just feels as if the author needs to be more courageous. In this case, there was one contentious situation in particular that could easily divide a group of readers in a moral or political sense and it was just. left. hanging, as if she didn't want to offend one by choosing a path for her character. That was disappointing.
In addition, the majority of the plot moved methodically and slowly, giving detail and feeling comfortable and complete. I liked that. It made things feel real. But then there was a sudden shift. In the end...it felt like things went into a whirlwind. I was very much left wanting.
I was definitely interested in the subject matter and happy with the story line and how well things were laid out in the plot. I was disappointed in the ending.
Rating:
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