Review of Future Plans
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Kristen Barenthaler
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Review of Future Plans
[Following is a volunteer review of "Future Plans" by Stacy Lee.]
Future Plans by Stacy Lee tells the interwoven stories of Hazel Lavigne and Emiline Wilson as readers are transported back and forth between Hazel’s present-day stresses and Emiline’s seventies-era romance. As readers, we see how these two women’s lives are intersected in ways never expected. With a whole cast of simplistically written supporting characters, Hazel and Emiline will learn to live life to the fullest through their connections to each other and their families.
Gratefully, the novel has some crisp, clear imagery and descriptions throughout of the New England coastline and the boiling Florida heat, which are one of the best parts of Lee’s book. The universally accepted depictions of falling in love for the first time in their respective eras make Hazel and Emiline seem real to readers. Hazel’s ability to balance work with life is at first her downfall but becomes her priority, which is a universally known feeling that Lee manages to capture in vivid detail. Lee’s ability to portray human emotion so richly is one of few redeeming characteristics of this novel.
However, for a multi-narrated work, the fact that readers don’t see the connection between places and people until about seventy percent of the way through the book makes for a slow pace and confusing storylines. Also, the fast-paced, overly simplified ending makes the book seem rushed. There are implications of date rape, sex, and foul language, but all are glossed over in simple terms and quick explanations that make the book seem rushed, frenzied, and too simplified.
Overall, this book is a 2 out of 4 for its hasty ending and confusing beginning. The two seem like they would be mutually exclusive, yet Lee somehow manages to make the beginning drag on and the end disappears before you’ve even noticed it began. I did, however, like the overall story arc, which is a redeeming aspect of the novel. The sporadic pace of the book makes the overall storylines difficult to follow along with, which makes for a tedious read.
Nevertheless, this basic storytelling technique is sometimes a highlight of beach reads and young adult literature. Thus, I believe this book would appeal well to young adults and adult women for its romance, intrigue, and easy beach-read-vibe with the warning that it is a quick, easy read. The book would also be a great suggestion for New Englanders of these age brackets looking for easy reads. The life-like depictions of New England living will certainly enrapture them.
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Future Plans
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Future Plans by Stacy Lee tells the interwoven stories of Hazel Lavigne and Emiline Wilson as readers are transported back and forth between Hazel’s present-day stresses and Emiline’s seventies-era romance. As readers, we see how these two women’s lives are intersected in ways never expected. With a whole cast of simplistically written supporting characters, Hazel and Emiline will learn to live life to the fullest through their connections to each other and their families.
Gratefully, the novel has some crisp, clear imagery and descriptions throughout of the New England coastline and the boiling Florida heat, which are one of the best parts of Lee’s book. The universally accepted depictions of falling in love for the first time in their respective eras make Hazel and Emiline seem real to readers. Hazel’s ability to balance work with life is at first her downfall but becomes her priority, which is a universally known feeling that Lee manages to capture in vivid detail. Lee’s ability to portray human emotion so richly is one of few redeeming characteristics of this novel.
However, for a multi-narrated work, the fact that readers don’t see the connection between places and people until about seventy percent of the way through the book makes for a slow pace and confusing storylines. Also, the fast-paced, overly simplified ending makes the book seem rushed. There are implications of date rape, sex, and foul language, but all are glossed over in simple terms and quick explanations that make the book seem rushed, frenzied, and too simplified.
Overall, this book is a 2 out of 4 for its hasty ending and confusing beginning. The two seem like they would be mutually exclusive, yet Lee somehow manages to make the beginning drag on and the end disappears before you’ve even noticed it began. I did, however, like the overall story arc, which is a redeeming aspect of the novel. The sporadic pace of the book makes the overall storylines difficult to follow along with, which makes for a tedious read.
Nevertheless, this basic storytelling technique is sometimes a highlight of beach reads and young adult literature. Thus, I believe this book would appeal well to young adults and adult women for its romance, intrigue, and easy beach-read-vibe with the warning that it is a quick, easy read. The book would also be a great suggestion for New Englanders of these age brackets looking for easy reads. The life-like depictions of New England living will certainly enrapture them.
******
Future Plans
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Killing Abel by Michael Tieman
