Review by Ellylion -- The Reel Sisters by Michelle Cummings

Ellylion · Post by **Ellylion** » 10 Feb 2020, 04:29

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Reel Sisters" by Michelle Cummings.]

4 out of 4 stars

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The Reel Sisters by Michelle Cummings is a book about five women of different ages and social backgrounds who meet by chance and become friends, sharing their passion toward fly fishing. Rose, Sophie, Veronica, Amanda, and later Melody meet each other in Rose's cabin on weekends; fish in the river nearby; share their sorrows and joys, successes and failures with each other; just spend a good time in a cozy atmosphere with supportive and understanding friends.

Rose, the eldest of them all, is a leader of the group, she guides and advises. And, the most important, she is a treasure trove of valuable information about the fly fishing which she shares with the other girls. Sophie owns a greenhouse and nursery. She runs a successful business and is respected among local restaurateurs, but she is single and unhappy. Daring and strong Veronica is a coach for women leaders, CEOs, and managers in many companies. She is happily married, but she still suffers from a secret pain and doubts. Amanda is a teacher, young mother of two, and a military spouse. Melody is a photographer. She is the youngest member of the group. She might have difficult relationships with her parents.

In my opinion, Amanda is the most positive and inspiring character in the book. I believe that a heart-wrenching story of her relationship with the husband, deployed to Afghanistan, resonates with very many readers.

The book is written from the viewpoint of all the five characters and offers their take of the unfolding events. Their light humor and self-irony make the narrative more rich and vivid.

I liked most about this book the symbolism and parallels between the fly fishing and life itself. The fishing mirrors life; it teaches how to overcome difficulties and to find a more philosophical way of handling them. I also liked that the book had a very fast-moving plot.

I disliked Sophie's childhood memories about her hunting peasants and even barn swallows when she was only nine years old. In my opinion, swallows could not be considered a fowl, and encouraging very young children to kill animals is just wrong. Also, the author gives very little information about the appearance of the characters, or no information at all, which makes it harder to apprehend them. The character of Melody leaves many questions and is specified less clearly. I believe that, according to the author's intention, a person of any cultural background can enjoy the fly-fishing, but she still seems to be a little bit irrelevant in this group of friends. But, in spite of all the mentioned above issues, I enjoyed this book very much.

As I was reading, I could not find a single error, so I concluded that the book was exceptionally well edited. I give it 4 out of 4 stars.

I recommend this book to all the fans of outdoor activities, hiking, fishing, and garage sales; lovers of the books with strong female characters; those who are interested in the topics of female friendship, searching for the second half, and family relationships. Also, the book is a great manual on fly fishing; it provides a reader with a lot of technical information about this subject. This book has elements of drama, and even suspense, thus, it will apply to the fans of the mentioned above genres. It is suitable for people of any religious beliefs.

If you are against fishing or you are not interested in this subject, you should avoid reading this book. The book has profanity language and light erotic scenes, so I would not recommend it to a very young audience.

If you like reading about friendship, love, support, and how important it is to release, this book is for you. Angler or not, this book will teach you how to read the water.

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The Reel Sisters
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gen_g · Post by **gen_g** » 24 Feb 2020, 08:06

I'm not familiar with fly-fishing, but this seems like a good introductory text. I'm glad you enjoyed it, thank you for the insightful review!

Tomah · Post by **Tomah** » 24 Feb 2020, 11:13

I thought the symbolism the author used to express certain life lessons was interesting in theory but a bit heavy-handed. Still, I definitely enjoyed the interactions between characters. Thanks for the review!

Ellylion · Post by **Ellylion** » 24 Feb 2020, 11:58

gen_g wrote: ↑24 Feb 2020, 08:06 I'm not familiar with fly-fishing, but this seems like a good introductory text. I'm glad you enjoyed it, thank you for the insightful review!

Oh, yes, fly-fishing was my main concern when I started reading this book, but it turned out to be about female friendship mainly

Thank you for your comments!

Ellylion · Post by **Ellylion** » 24 Feb 2020, 11:59

Tomah wrote: ↑24 Feb 2020, 11:13 I thought the symbolism the author used to express certain life lessons was interesting in theory but a bit heavy-handed. Still, I definitely enjoyed the interactions between characters. Thanks for the review!

Thank you for your insight and stopping by!

Kanda_theGreat · Post by **Kanda_theGreat** » 24 Feb 2020, 12:22

I also read this book and I found the author's narration as the books major strategy.
Thank you for the insightful review.

Faithmwangi · Post by **Faithmwangi** » 25 Feb 2020, 00:23

I have read this book and I enjoyed it. What stood out for me was the friendship between the women. Thanks for the review.

Ekta Swarnkar · Post by **Ekta Swarnkar** » 25 Feb 2020, 00:39

I have read this book and cannot get enough of it. It is one of the best books. I agree Amanda was a positive character and her life was very hard on her. Wonderful review!

Roger Glasgow · Post by **Julius_** » 25 Feb 2020, 01:13

I've also read this book and the relationship between these girls were incredible. Thanks for the review.

Manang Muyang · Post by **Manang Muyang** » 25 Feb 2020, 02:40

That's a great parting line. I should learn how to read the water. I've never caught any fish and can't swim. I should try again.

Bianka Walter · Post by **Bianka Walter** » 25 Feb 2020, 04:43

I like the subtle comparison between fly-fishing and life

This sounds like a great book.

Ellylion · Post by **Ellylion** » 25 Feb 2020, 05:27

Kanda_theGreat wrote: ↑24 Feb 2020, 12:22 I also read this book and I found the author's narration as the books major strategy.
Thank you for the insightful review.

Thank you for your kind words!

Ellylion · Post by **Ellylion** » 25 Feb 2020, 05:28

Bianka Walter wrote: ↑25 Feb 2020, 04:43 I like the subtle comparison between fly-fishing and life
This sounds like a great book.

It's really great and worth reading!

Ellylion · Post by **Ellylion** » 25 Feb 2020, 05:28

Miriam Molina wrote: ↑25 Feb 2020, 02:40 That's a great parting line. I should learn how to read the water. I've never caught any fish and can't swim. I should try again.

Ha ha, you definitely should!