4 out of 4 stars
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Are you the type of person that likes to read about strong women? What if they have friendships that are based on an unusual hobby? Well, The Reel Sisters by Michelle Cummings is based exactly on this. The five main characters are women of varying ages and lifestyles, but they are all connected over their mutual love of fly fishing.
Getting a sense of who the characters are made this book so much more interesting than I originally thought. I first thought that it was going to be all about fly fishing, but it was far from that. Reading about the five women's lives put things into perspective more. It is definitely a contemporary piece of fiction that focuses on very real issues like relationships, work, and grief.
While I felt connected to each of the characters in some way, I feel that Melody was easiest for me to connect with. We are both young, driven women that are trying to make sense of life. And yet, I'm nowhere near as daring as she is, but I think I could learn a lot of things from her actions. I also have a better support system in my family than she does, but she's lucky to have met Sophie, Rose, Amanda, and Veronica when she did.
This book gets pretty funny at times, especially when the ladies all get together. In spite of, there are moments that are sad and nerve-wracking too. The way they have each other's backs is very inspiring and symbolizes how close they all are. I am lucky enough to have friends in my life like this too.
Each of the women play an important role in their group. Rose is like the wise, mentor type that has a funny story to pick up the mood when things are down. Sophie is the strong, spirited lady that isn't afraid to get her hands dirty. Veronica is the lady that teaches leadership and is a bit of a mother hen. Amanda is really good at organization and maintenance, despite her husband being deployed to Afghanistan. Melody is very good at artistic expression through her photography and can catch things at the perfect moment.
I found only one error, which was very minimal. This shows that this book was professionally edited. I learned a lot about fly fishing, as the sport fascinates me. Fly fishing has been portrayed is more of a men's sport, but that would not prevent me from observing.
The fact that I learned something new and that this book is so well written makes me appreciate contemporary fiction a lot more. It is because of these reasons that I give The Reel Sisters a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. Using many points of view makes this book stand out from other books. This is not the typical women's fiction genre like Bridget Jones' Diary, it has relatable themes that can appeal to everyone.
Some things to be aware are that this book talks a lot about bodily functions. There is also a fair amount of swearing. If you don't like these things, then stay clear. Thus, if you don't mind books with points of view or descriptions of someone's life, then you should take a look.
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The Reel Sisters
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