Name: Snake Beach
Author: Lisa Glass
Publisher: Self
Release Date: unknown
Pages: 200
Source: For review (from author)
Rating: 2.5 stars
Life is good for Jenny Grand, living in a beachside chalet on the Cornish coast, chilling out and body-boarding, until one day her ex-boyfriend Han returns to her home town of Hayle. Shortly afterwards, the town is invaded by TV modelling talent show Britain's Next Catwalk Queen, and everything begins to go wrong.
Part romance, part mystery, and part coming-of-age story, Snake Beach is a gripping novel for young adults.
[summary taken from Goodreads]
Beverley's Review
I'm struggling to write this review because I really, really wanted to love this but I was left disappointed. I was hoping for a thoroughly gripping mystery which would have me hooked from beginning to end and maybe a thrilling romance, as suggested in the blurb.
One of the main factors which must be done well in order for me to enjoy a book is the characters. None of the characters really stood out. I felt Jenny was a little flat and she lacked an individual personality. She was also a little immature and occasionally outwardly rude which irked me. The love interest, Han, wasn't really special either. To me, he was too two-dimensional and I felt he could have been developed more. I wasn't swept off my feet by him and I didn't understand why Jenny was so smitten with him.
Talking of Han, I felt a little misled by the blurb. Snake Beach is supposed to be 'part romance' but the romance felt quite secondary. It wasn't exactly insta-love but what I gathered was: Jenny and Han had a 'thing' in the past, Han leaves Cornwall, comes back... BOOM! - they're 'in love' again. There was no build up to the rekindling of their past relationship and there was no explanation as to why Jenny liked him so much. It was all quite sudden and unexpected.
The 'part mystery' I was promised also didn't really deliver. The build up wasn't explored deep enough and the 'truths' were revealed a little too hastily at the end. I found myself not really caring for the plot. In places, it just felt unrealistic and impossible which meant I wasn't hooked by the whole mystery.
My dismissal of the plot was perhaps due to the writing. It was mediocre and not very sophisticated, unable to draw me into the book. Perhaps, Glass was trying to develop some sort of quirky style for our Cornish protagonist, Jenny. But it just didn't work for me and detracted from my enjoyment of the story overall. However, I cannot deny that the ideas were both original and unique. I don't think anyone's ever written something like it and I do wonder how Glass managed to mix everything together.
Despite the flaws, what I like most about it and what led me to accept the book for review in the first place was the setting. It's set in Cornwall - a place which I adore - and hardly any books are set in such a quiet place so I was eager to see how Glass would throw in a mixture of misfortunes and scandal. The coastal, beach location brought back many childhood memories and made me a little nostalgic which I was grateful for.
Overall, I had high hopes for Snake Beach and unfortunately it fell short. It had an original focus but the characters and writing style were too mediocre to create an enticing read. I feel that if I had read this during my pre/early teen years, I would have maybe given this 4 stars so despite being marketed as a young adult book, I believe younger teens would enjoy this far more.
 |
| 2.5 Teacups for Snake Beach |
*Thanks to the author for the review copy*
Posts
Awwwwwww...for me to enjoy a book, one of the most (if not the most) important factors is the characters as well! It's a pity the characters felt flat to you :/ I hope the next book you read will be much better Bev! Thank you for the honest review :D
ReplyDeleteMost of the time, if I can't appreciate the characters, it's unlikely I'll fully enjoy the book. Very rarely is a plot interesting enough to make up for those flaws. Anyway, thanks for the helpful review! I don't think this would be for me.
ReplyDeleteSorry this book didn't work out for you Beverley, I think the blurb misled you in the first place and then when it fell way short when it didn't meet some of your expectations! I think I would have been captivated by the blurb too, but with the issues you described don't think I would have been able to finish this book. But thanks for taking one for the team. Here's hoping you'll enjoy your next read a lot more! :)
ReplyDeleteI agree, I have to like the characters for me to really enjoy a book. I don't like it also when the blurb misleads you, and it sounds like here that really was a big problem. Sorry this was so disappointing! Wonderful review Beverley, thanks for being honest. :)
ReplyDeleteI just can't do lame love interests anymore.
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard of this one before, but I'm so sorry this disappointed you! I hateee when that happens to me too, so I perfectly understand what you mean. Plus, characters are integral to me enjoying a book and lame love interests just bore me. :/ Anyway, thank you for such a honest and well-written review, Bev! :)
ReplyDeletePssht,I'm so sorry this didn't work out for you. I just finished a book that left me feeling exactly the same: lukewarm and unimpressed, so I know exactly how you feel. Thankfully, it had at least SOME redeeming qualities.
ReplyDeleteGreat review though, Beverley!
Oh, I'm sorry this didn't work out so well with you Bev. It's just sad when the plot has a great potential but wasn't very well handled. I'm usually character-driven than plot-driven, as long as the characters are really interesting I didn't care much if the plot is original. Nonetheless, I'm glad that there are parts that you still liked. Thanks for the honest review. :)
ReplyDeleteAw darn! This did sound like a really great mystery so it's too bad it didn't deliver. You know, lately I've been very disappointed by all the mystery books I've read. What's going on? >.< Anywho, I hadn't heard of this one before but it does not sound like one I would enjoy either. I'm but on characters, too, so that wouldn't redeem the rest of the issues in this one.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't blown away by the blurb, so now I really know I'm not going to read this book. I'm sorry to hear that you didn't like it so much! The writing style, the crappy romance, such a shame.
ReplyDeleteAw, I hate the feeling of really wanting to love a book but ending up being TOTALLY disappointed instead. It's so hard to like a book when the characters are flat. It sounds like a book I would pass on. Thanks for your insightful and honest review!
ReplyDeleteFabulous review, Beverley. :) I'm not familiar with this book (although the cover is lovely) and I can't say I'll be reading this one with the gripes you had and mentioned in your review. Sorry it wasn't for you!
ReplyDeleteAnd btw, your blog is beautiful. :)