MADreads

Do good reviews always equal a good read?

November 5th, 2007 Mary K. - Central

I just finished two new novels that were well reviewed (both have long library waiting lists) .  One of them was on the Publishers Weekly best seller list.  Both had good features, but each in its own way was disappointing.

The first was Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen.  I was attracted to it because it was compared to books by Alice Hoffman, who is one of my favorite authors.  This one is a near miss.  It is very well written, and is in some ways imaginative, but the plot and the ending were just a bit too predictable .  This is Addison’s first novel and she is  definitely an author to watch .

Garden Spells is about the Waverly sisters, Claire and Sydney, both of whom have a mysterious gift, one that has been passed down by the women in the family for generations.  Claire has embraced hers and uses her skills in her catering business, using flowers and herbs to good effect.  Sydney has always denied her powers, but after fleeing her abusive boyfriend, she rejoins Claire at the family home, bringing her young daughter along.  There is an apple tree in the backyard, that also has its own powers and has been known to throw its apples.  And anyone who eats an apple has a powerful vision.

The second book is Songs Without Words by by Ann Packer and that was the bigger disappointment.  Her first novel, Dive From Clausen’s  Pier, was set in Madison.  This is quite a different book, from that one,  focusing on two childhood friends, one single and one married.   Liz has two children and a comfortable life until her daughter attempts suicide. This incident has a big impact on her friend Sarabeth, whose mother did kill herself.

The story moves slowly and is told from the perspectives of the two friends, and of Lauren, Liz’s daughter.  It takes a very long time for the two friends to reconcile.  And it was hard to feel sympathetic to any of the women in this book, even though they are experiencing major issues, like depression, suicide, and marital problems.

So to answer my own question, good reviews don’t always mean good reads.  What’s your experience been?

Entry Filed under: Literary Fiction