Review by Naomi Keeling -- The Reel Sisters
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Naomi Keeling
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- Latest Review: The Reel Sisters by Michelle Cummings
Review by Naomi Keeling -- The Reel Sisters
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Reel Sisters" by Michelle Cummings.]
Four women with different backgrounds are drawn together by their fixation and love of fly fishing. On a planned weekend away in a cabin by a river perfect for this sport, these four friends rescue a girl that gets dragged downstream. Tales of loss, love, tragedy, and friendship are shared, and the friends become closer than ever before. A journey of self-discovery and, what it means to find family, these five women find their place in the world. This book is best suited for adults who enjoy stories of self-discovery and camaraderie. If you enjoy fishing, you will enjoy this read. At the same time, knowledge of the sport is not necessary to enjoy this book.
The Reel Sisters is a story told around fly fishing. From the get-go, the reader is given information on what fly fishing is and how it works. The subtle explanations of the sport are useful because it means the reader doesn't have to be familiar with fishing to pick up the book. Indeed the reader learns the must know fishing details from the characters.
The general pacing of the book is well done. However, the latter half of the story flows significantly better than the first half. Perhaps this is a result of the first several chapters. In these chapters, the characters introduced are given a lot of background information. So where they grew up, relationships, and how they met. While this helps the reader understand the story, it feels like information overload. Perhaps this happens because a new character takes the point of view with each chapter. Not only does the reader have to get a feel for this new perspective, but it can make it hard to keep the facts straight in your mind. Similarly, later chapters work better when there are only a few characters together. Instead of the five characters, there might only be two together. Not only do the smaller plots work better, but the dialogue flows smoother. Having said this, the overall pace of the story and writing get much better after the first several chapters. After this, the story takes off. The punctuation and grammar are to a high standard, and the book has been professionally edited.
The characters are very relatable. Rose, Sophie, Amanda, Veronica, and Melody are the protagonists. Michelle Cummings did a superb job making the characters lifelike. Each woman has a unique personality and individual life problems. The interactions between these women are what you would expect between a group of friends in everyday life. The banter, sarcasm, and wit is well portrayed and adds a humorous edge to the pages. This is contrasted nicely by the real problems some of the characters have. For example, Amanda's husband is a military man and, the author realistically creates that fear that goes along with this. With these happy moments, and yet tough times, the author brings real emotions to the story and the characters. I liked how the author used situations that readers are well acquainted with to give her characters a new depth.
There are several themes in the book, such as freedom, love, and self-discovery. However, I believe friendship is the most significant theme. From beginning to end, we see these women care for each other and go out of their way to help their friends. It is through their love of fly fishing where their friendships shine. Without this sport, this group of women probably wouldn't have become friends in the first place. This is the foundation of the book, and without it, the story would not be the same.
I rate this book a 4 out of 4 because it is an enjoyable and emotional story. The story is written well, and the characters are well thought out and realistic. Grammar and punctuation are to a good standard, and the overall read makes a lasting impression.
******
The Reel Sisters
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Four women with different backgrounds are drawn together by their fixation and love of fly fishing. On a planned weekend away in a cabin by a river perfect for this sport, these four friends rescue a girl that gets dragged downstream. Tales of loss, love, tragedy, and friendship are shared, and the friends become closer than ever before. A journey of self-discovery and, what it means to find family, these five women find their place in the world. This book is best suited for adults who enjoy stories of self-discovery and camaraderie. If you enjoy fishing, you will enjoy this read. At the same time, knowledge of the sport is not necessary to enjoy this book.
The Reel Sisters is a story told around fly fishing. From the get-go, the reader is given information on what fly fishing is and how it works. The subtle explanations of the sport are useful because it means the reader doesn't have to be familiar with fishing to pick up the book. Indeed the reader learns the must know fishing details from the characters.
The general pacing of the book is well done. However, the latter half of the story flows significantly better than the first half. Perhaps this is a result of the first several chapters. In these chapters, the characters introduced are given a lot of background information. So where they grew up, relationships, and how they met. While this helps the reader understand the story, it feels like information overload. Perhaps this happens because a new character takes the point of view with each chapter. Not only does the reader have to get a feel for this new perspective, but it can make it hard to keep the facts straight in your mind. Similarly, later chapters work better when there are only a few characters together. Instead of the five characters, there might only be two together. Not only do the smaller plots work better, but the dialogue flows smoother. Having said this, the overall pace of the story and writing get much better after the first several chapters. After this, the story takes off. The punctuation and grammar are to a high standard, and the book has been professionally edited.
The characters are very relatable. Rose, Sophie, Amanda, Veronica, and Melody are the protagonists. Michelle Cummings did a superb job making the characters lifelike. Each woman has a unique personality and individual life problems. The interactions between these women are what you would expect between a group of friends in everyday life. The banter, sarcasm, and wit is well portrayed and adds a humorous edge to the pages. This is contrasted nicely by the real problems some of the characters have. For example, Amanda's husband is a military man and, the author realistically creates that fear that goes along with this. With these happy moments, and yet tough times, the author brings real emotions to the story and the characters. I liked how the author used situations that readers are well acquainted with to give her characters a new depth.
There are several themes in the book, such as freedom, love, and self-discovery. However, I believe friendship is the most significant theme. From beginning to end, we see these women care for each other and go out of their way to help their friends. It is through their love of fly fishing where their friendships shine. Without this sport, this group of women probably wouldn't have become friends in the first place. This is the foundation of the book, and without it, the story would not be the same.
I rate this book a 4 out of 4 because it is an enjoyable and emotional story. The story is written well, and the characters are well thought out and realistic. Grammar and punctuation are to a good standard, and the overall read makes a lasting impression.
******
The Reel Sisters
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Reel Sisters by Michelle Cummings
