Members of the Cast by George Beckman
YA Historical Fiction, Independently Published in 2021, 265 Pages
What I Didn’t Like:
- Some scenes are sort of skipped over and explained to us later (like the winter formal) making it feel a little lopsided in pacing. I would’ve liked to explore a few of those scenes in more detail.
- I was working from a paperback copy and there are some strange formatting errors that caused chapters to end mid page or leave blank pages in the middle of chapters.
- The big secret that was revealed felt a little unbelievable to me. Perhaps with a bit more time or exploration it would’ve felt a little more realistic.
What I Did Like:
- The changes in Maggie as she progresses through the book are obvious and relatable. The author doesn’t have to beat us over the head with phrases like “she’s a different person” because we already see it. Excellent example of showing vs telling.
- All the teenage characters are well written, believable, and realistic. I enjoyed watching them make mistakes and learn from them.
- Really despite the time period (this one takes place during the 1950s) this felt like a contemporary coming-of-age novel. It had a good feel to it and was overall enjoyable!
Who Should Read This One:
- Fans of coming-of-age stories with realistic characters they can love and root for.
My Rating: 3 Stars
- Good book for the right audience! I enjoyed this one.
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