I promised a review on Jane Green's latest, Dune Road, and I am going to deliver finally- sorry for the delay... I just had to gush about 500 days of Summer last night, and I was tempted to stay up later and show pics of my new purple desk and some of the knick-knacks I got at Michael's yesterday on clearance to decorate it(I'll do that next week!).
First off, I just want to preface this post by saying that I LOVE Jane Green and everything she has written thus far (and trust me... I HAVE read all of it!). From Jemima J. to The Beach House (2 of my favorites) she has mastered the art of drawing an audience in with her unpredictable plot twists and lovably flawed leading ladies. Her stuff is chocolate for the soul- 1 part deliciousness, 1 part guilty pleasure, and 1 part pure comfort.
Dune Road tells the tale of Kit Hargrove, a recent divorcee whose relationship with her ex is interestingly amicable- enough so that you question throughout the novel whether these two should have split in the first place. She becomes the asst. to a high profile writer in her small town of Highfield, CT and the story unfolds as a series of ups and downs throughout her relationships with her friends, her ex-husband, her family, and her mysteriously perfect new man.
As usual I found myself enthralled and obsessed with the book, but I also took notice of something that set apart this novel from her previous books, or I was just too blissfully consumed by Green's stories before to notice. Maybe because I started reading J.Weiner only a few mintues after I had finished Dune Road, I found myself becoming quite the critic of Green's writing style. While her stories may be completely and utterly engrossing, her eloquence pales in comparison to J. Weiner. Maybe she was rushed in writing this story (out about a year after releasing The Beach House) and she didn't have the time to commit to the art of storytelling or maybe this just wasn't her best- which happens when you're an international bestseller a dozen times over- not every one can be a smash hit. What bothered me most were the redundant descriptions of Kit as this lost, confused woman who hadn't really found herself yet at mid-age. Regardless- there are some pretty mysterious plot twists that will hold your interest and keep you guessing.
Bottom line I will keep reading Jane Green because I do love her stories and they are always a fast & fun read. Do I think it is worth your time- YES! Do I think it is worth your money- Well, as much as I hate to say it I would advise you to check out Amazon or any other bookselling websites to get a cheaper copy- because I paid almost $30- and would have been much more satisfied paying about $20.
Ta Ta for now- I might be back this weekend to blog more about BFF (hint: it's getting good!)*
- Jana Schreiber
- After six years, my fiancé Brian, popped the question - at an eye-barely-opening 7am on a Sunday morning - but we've been planning the wedding in our heads for well over two years. I'm not just excited because it's my wedding, I love any and all weddings. I am a big bridal devotee and read wedding blogs and watch wedding shows pretty much everyday. I can't wait to take all of the things that have inspired me over the past couple years and turn it into an event that we will talk about for the rest of our lives!
