Review of The Reel Sisters

[Wy_Bertram]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Reel Sisters" by Michelle Cummings.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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A story of love, loss and humanity, The Reel Sisters explores the friendship formed between five women due to a shared passion for fly-fishing.

I really enjoyed reading this novel by Michelle Cummings, which unexpectedly wormed its way into my heart. An initial well-paced setup introduces the squad of ‘sisters’ to the reader individually, setting up each story with sparing detail, so the first few chapters do not feel like an info dump. Rose and Melody, two of the main characters, deliberately withhold certain details about themselves, introducing some small aspect of mystery and intrigue to the story, with some questions left yet unanswered by the end of the read. The narrative similarity between both of these characters would enable the special bond they would eventually share.

As a character-driven novel, the author relied on humour, banter and the relatable nature of the characters and their stories to keep the reader invested till the end – and what an ending it was. I must commend the author’s ability to tell this story as she did because I do not believe a story about fishing and friendship would have had as much of an impact on me, had it been handled by anyone less than a professional. The author skillfully creates a path of emotions for the reader to follow, from the joy the sisters would feel around each other, the anxiety and concern for one another’s wellbeing, and the grief and hope following a heart-breaking loss.

Though this book had been on my reading list for quite a while, I was sadly hesitant to commit, given that this kind of fiction is not a genre I am most fond of, but I was pleasantly surprised by the experience I had with this book. I enjoyed the author’s writing style which was neat and fluid. Her ability to create distinctive characters who perfectly coexisted in the spotlight illustrates her level of expertise, and the impeccable editing also enhanced the reading experience as I was hard-pressed to find a single editing error.

Without any grievances to think of, I am happy to rate this book four out of four stars. It is beautifully written and exceptionally edited, and I would recommend this book to anyone. Though it might not fall into the reader’s favourite genre, The Reel Sisters is bound to leave an impression.

Aside from the use of profanity, this book should be suitable for readers above the age of sixteen. Enjoy.

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The Reel Sisters
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