Pacing in Connection with the Themes

Use this forum to discuss the February 2018 Book of the Month, "The Reel Sisters" by Michelle Cummings.
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ericahs
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Re: Pacing in Connection with the Themes

Post by ericahs »

Details are so vital in pacing. I always ask when reading, are these details going to matter. If they're not going to matter later, why even include them and slow down the whole pace.
The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don’t.- Douglas Adams
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Post by MollyEnter »

As I said in my review of the book, I wish the whole story could have been from Melody's perspective. Granted, we would have learned less about the other characters, but the perspective would have been fresher as she was the new one to the group and to fly fishing. The only potential pitfall, though, would be reading too much about learning how to fly fish. :)
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Post by zilizopita1998 »

Pacing, enables the readers to keenly read and digest the story efficiently. Great!
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Post by charaz »

I am about 3/4 through this book, and I have yet to get interested in even one single character. I read 3-4 novels a week, and this one feels like I'm slugging through med. Waaaaaay too much detail, and the conversations are toooooo detailed and precise. I don't believe anyone talks this way.

I am also a woman who fishes...my review will be written in that genre...I don't know if I can even give it a three...
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Post by Isabelleva »

I think it is really key and a great sign of how talented the writer is when they have good pacing and can spread the intrigue out throughout the entire book enough to keep the reader engaged but not bored. The slower pace of the book relates well to the slow pace of the theme, the fly fishing esque feel is cool.
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Post by rumik »

Normally I don't like slow paced books but I think the pace was very fitting for this one, considering the R&R theme as you say.
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Post by LyorBoone »

I liked the way the story was done. I agree that sometimes there was bit too much focus on technical details, but those details showed the passion the characters felt towards the sport. Sometimes the different perspectives could have been written better. I felt that Melody was the only one to strike me as a different personality. The others seemed like they had to reflect on retreaded ground about things going on in their life as a way to differentiate them. And in moments where all the girls got together, “I said” might become too vague at times. I had to see which name wasn’t appearing, aside from dialogue, or go back to see which character was the designated viewpoint. I think there a way to makes this format work seamlessly, but it is a daunting task to figure out. I applaud this attempt.
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Post by Scrawling Pen »

I appreciated the author's use of alternating narratives. I felt that this gave the reader a better, more intimate understanding of each woman. This would have been lost if there had been a third-person narrator or the story had been from one point of view. The slow pace did not bother me, and I enjoyed learning about each character instead of focusing on the plot line.
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Post by Nimisha_91 »

It was just so slow! Reading about the exact same situation from 5 different points of view got a little annoying.
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Post by kelso9326 »

I really didn't care for the different pov shifts every chapter. It took me a minute to remember who each character was in the beginning. I also agree that there could have been less detail too.
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Post by tristenb »

I think the pace of the book was good. It worked well with the patience that is needed to fly fish. However, it was fast paced enough that it was enjoyable to read. In fact, I was able to finish reading it in just a day.
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Post by Nkoo »

Inasmuch as there were 5 main characters, I liked the first-person narrative style of the book. Even though I found it boring initially as a result of the back and forth narration by the individual characters, I think overall, the pacing was suitable for the storyline.
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Post by Y0landa »

I was not bothered by the pace at all. I enjoyed having time to learn about each character. It was a pleasant and tranquil read for me.
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Post by Ria710 »

At first, when reading the book, I thought it was very slow-paced and it almost made me not want to continue. But once you get deep into the story it doesn't really matter. I like the idea of having different perspectives, as I felt I could connect with the characters more because I knew what they were thinking.
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Post by NovaFly »

I think the pace is appropriate and I enjoy the multiple perspectives but the fly fishing details feel a little forced.
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