Official Review: The Lemoncholy Life of Annie Aster
Posted: 10 Sep 2015, 10:42
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Lemoncholy Life of Annie Aster" by Scott Wilbanks.]
3 out of 4 stars
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I chose to review this book for one reason: I'm a sucker for neologisms. The word lemoncholy cried out to me, promising a unique and enjoyable read, and I was irresistibly drawn to it. A once-over of the plot description sealed the deal, and I was ready to embark on my newest literary journey.
Annie Aster is an eccentric twenty-something from San Francisco. With a pronounced dislike for convention and a laid-back disposition, Annie is completely unruffled when her backyard garden is inexplicably replaced by a Kansas wheat field. In the middle of that wheat field is a small cabin with a rusty mailbox, which Annie uses to begin correspondence with her newest neighbor, a retired schoolmarm from the year 1895! As the two women exchange letters, they discover that they share a bond that reaches across a century and ties them both to a murder that has yet to take place.
Part murder mystery and part science fiction, with a cast of quirky and utterly lovable characters, The Lemoncholy Life of Annie Aster is a delightful read with broad appeal. I enjoyed this book immensely and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a "different" kind of story that doesn't fit neatly into a specific genre.
Overall, the story was very well-written. The text was virtually free of grammatical and typographical errors (in fact, I only spotted one), and the plot moved at a consistent pace with no lulls. My only criticism of the writing is that there were sentences here and there that either lacked adequate description or were worded in a way that I found confusing. Whenever I encountered one of these, I usually had to reread the sentence a few times to get the gist of it, and while I eventually figured out the meaning each time, having to do this did detract a bit from my enjoyment. However, I do want to make clear that this did not happen frequently throughout the book, and the majority of the time I had no problems understanding the events that transpired.
The book's strongest aspect is the characters themselves. I was struck with how lifelike and relatable Annie and her friends were, and with how many emotions each character stirred within me. My favorite character was the protagonist herself: loyal, accepting, and unapologetically authentic, Annie is someone that I would love to have as a friend.
My sole complaint about this book is that it ended too abruptly. I finished the novel with a feeling that something was missing. There was a hint at another possible time-travel adventure, which makes me think that there may be a sequel in the works, but I didn't get that feeling of certainty that I usually pick up on when reading serial novels.
But on the whole, this is a highly entertaining book that I would recommend to all lovers of fiction. I give The Lemoncholy Life of Annie Aster 3 out of 4 stars for its original plot and cast of wonderful characters.
******
The Lemoncholy Life of Annie Aster
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
I chose to review this book for one reason: I'm a sucker for neologisms. The word lemoncholy cried out to me, promising a unique and enjoyable read, and I was irresistibly drawn to it. A once-over of the plot description sealed the deal, and I was ready to embark on my newest literary journey.
Annie Aster is an eccentric twenty-something from San Francisco. With a pronounced dislike for convention and a laid-back disposition, Annie is completely unruffled when her backyard garden is inexplicably replaced by a Kansas wheat field. In the middle of that wheat field is a small cabin with a rusty mailbox, which Annie uses to begin correspondence with her newest neighbor, a retired schoolmarm from the year 1895! As the two women exchange letters, they discover that they share a bond that reaches across a century and ties them both to a murder that has yet to take place.
Part murder mystery and part science fiction, with a cast of quirky and utterly lovable characters, The Lemoncholy Life of Annie Aster is a delightful read with broad appeal. I enjoyed this book immensely and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a "different" kind of story that doesn't fit neatly into a specific genre.
Overall, the story was very well-written. The text was virtually free of grammatical and typographical errors (in fact, I only spotted one), and the plot moved at a consistent pace with no lulls. My only criticism of the writing is that there were sentences here and there that either lacked adequate description or were worded in a way that I found confusing. Whenever I encountered one of these, I usually had to reread the sentence a few times to get the gist of it, and while I eventually figured out the meaning each time, having to do this did detract a bit from my enjoyment. However, I do want to make clear that this did not happen frequently throughout the book, and the majority of the time I had no problems understanding the events that transpired.
The book's strongest aspect is the characters themselves. I was struck with how lifelike and relatable Annie and her friends were, and with how many emotions each character stirred within me. My favorite character was the protagonist herself: loyal, accepting, and unapologetically authentic, Annie is someone that I would love to have as a friend.
My sole complaint about this book is that it ended too abruptly. I finished the novel with a feeling that something was missing. There was a hint at another possible time-travel adventure, which makes me think that there may be a sequel in the works, but I didn't get that feeling of certainty that I usually pick up on when reading serial novels.
But on the whole, this is a highly entertaining book that I would recommend to all lovers of fiction. I give The Lemoncholy Life of Annie Aster 3 out of 4 stars for its original plot and cast of wonderful characters.
******
The Lemoncholy Life of Annie Aster
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like LivreAmour217's review? Post a comment saying so!
