Review by Ginnamassa19 -- The Reel Sisters

Ginnamassa19 · Post by **Ginnamassa19** » 13 Jun 2020, 07:04

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

3 out of 4 stars

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If you’ve ever tried your hand at fly fishing—or ever wondered what it would be like to try your hand at fly-fishing—then Michelle Cummings’s The Reel Sisters is definitely a book you should pick up on your next run to the bookstore. Setting its central themes of women’s friendship, love, and loss against an idyllic backdrop of calm, clear rivers, bacon-and-egg breakfasts and of course, the art that is fly-fishing, this book is a gentle exploration into what it means to grieve and heal—and one which will definitely reel you in.

That pun may have been all too easy, but here’s my elevator pitch of the book, so you can decide for yourself whether or not to bite. (I certainly did!) Against all odds, four women—career-woman Veronica, wise Rose, young Amanda and self-sufficient Sophie—are brought together by their love for fly-fishing, their bond closer to that of sisters than of friends. Each woman is struggling with her own private issues; however, everything seems to fall away the second each steps into her waders and picks up her fishing rod. So when the idea of spending a weekend together in Rose’s river cabin and fishing to their hearts’ content is proposed, of course they all readily agree—but the weekend is set to be an unusual one, and a stranger washing up buck-naked on the riverbank changes everything…

Before you dive into this book, though, here’s a trigger warning for death and mentions of suicide and self-harm, for any potential readers out there who may have problems with these themes!

What I liked most about The Reel Sisters, perhaps, was its pacing and tone. The book is slow-paced and gentle, although not overly so, and you can definitely consider giving it a try if you feel like taking a break from all the plot-heavy thrillers on your reading list. Standing at 429 pages long—although that could just be the PDF version I received—the novel takes its time in weaving in and out of five first-person perspectives, providing necessary insight into each character’s thoughts and feelings as they wade against the currents of both the river and their lives. I also greatly enjoyed learning about fly-fishing, which I knew nothing of before reading this book. It is obvious that Cummings writes from a place of passion for the sport; her enthusiasm shines through the details she puts down on the page and is made especially clear at the end of the book, where she provides a list of both American and international fly-fishing resources. This novel is well-researched and seems to have been professionally edited, which made for an overall smooth and pleasant reading journey.

Having said that, however, no book is without its flaws. The novel did not seem to have a central conflict or much rising and falling action, and the plot twist that occurs near the end of the book seems to occur out of nowhere. (Arguably, you could say that this means the plot twist is exceptionally excellent at catching the reader off guard, but I rest my case.) Some of the character arcs were also cut short or were never given resolution. One of the characters mentions at the beginning of the book that she has a somewhat complicated relationship with her parents and with music, but although this is brought up enough times to indicate that it is an important plot point, it is subsequently pushed under the carpet and never properly addressed, which I found rather frustrating. In addition, although readers are given access to the inner thoughts of all five main characters, I found nothing that differentiated their voices from each other—the only way I could tell which character was speaking was by checking the start of the chapter to see whose point of view I was reading from. There was only one exception to this statement; even then, I could only distinguish her from the others because she is the only character who swears. This meant that I was more attached to the plot than the characters, and seeing as the plot was not particularly immersive either, this did not make for an exceptionally interesting reading experience.

I will also say that I was a little uncomfortable with Cummings’s treatment of sex work in this novel. One of the women in this book has a job which involves taking nude photographs of herself and putting them on the Internet, and this is originally met with prolonged disbelieving laughter. While there is no doubt that Cummings is being supportive of sex work and does not mean to come across as condescending—the women’s disbelief is framed as a teasing joke, and they do later on become much more understanding of their friend’s job—the topic was unfortunately handled clumsily enough to be uncomfortable to read. The same goes for the book’s descriptions of other cultures. One of the characters sentimentally mentions that the manmade stone landmarks near a cabin—which are referred to as inuksuk by the Inuit people who make them—must have been placed there for her and her husband to signal to them that this was the place where they should settle down. Here is the quote: “It seemed a little odd to find these inuksuk in this clearing that day, but I know they were placed there for Bob and me.” The thought is meant to be sentimental and whimsical, a throwaway remark, but it walks a fine line—Cummings probably intended for the comment to show appreciation for the Inuit culture, but it could definitely have been phrased better.

Overall, I would rate The Reel Sisters 3 out of 4 stars. This rating would be 2.5 stars if half-stars were allowed; I am rounding it up to 3 stars because it was overall a pleasant read. Few books out there focus as much on women’s friendship as this book does, and if you’re looking for a novel which speaks about non-romantic interpersonal relationships, then you’ll be pulled in—hook, line and sinker.

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The Reel Sisters
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gen_g · Post by **gen_g** » 18 Jun 2020, 03:27

I love all the fishing-related puns you inserted, and this is one of the most nuanced reviews of The Reel Sisters that I have ever come across (and I have come across many). Thank you for the lovely review.