This story left me feeling conflicted. I thought the character development, especially of the main character, was realistic, and the plot was well thought-out, but overall…well, I can’t quite put my finger on it.
The gist of the story is Dani has grown up under the guidance of her aunt for ten years. She has random flashes of memory of her dad and aunt from when she was four years old, but not many memories of her mom.
Her aunt has set a lot of rules, and (like any 14-year-old) Dani rails against many of them. Her aunt calls in Dani’s dad, but nothing is really clarified for Dani.
Until she finds her mom’s diary in the attic and everything changes. The phrase “be careful what you wish for” came to mind.
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As she reads her mother’s diary, some of Dani’s questions are answered. But in turn, more questions arise. Dani pushes the issue with both her aunt and her dad until an explosive revelation brings everything out into the open.
In some ways, I thought that Dani was the most mature character out of the three of them. She seemed the most real to me. I especially appreciated how the author treated her as a real person and not a “typical teen.” I mean, there were definite teen moments, but Dani’s emotions and thoughts were deep and real. I liked that about her.
I understood the reasons for her aunt and dad to keep things from her, but I found it difficult to feel sorry for them. I got a definite “we know better” vibe, which just sat wrong with me for some reason.
I also didn’t feel like the revelation made as big of an impact as I thought it would. I don’t know if that’s because of my slight dislike for the adults, or what. But I think that’s where I am missing out on the bigger emotional punch of the climax.
I would still recommend this book, because I’m pretty sure that others will have a much different take than I did. I did feel for Dani, and commend the author for a teen character with more depth than many adult ones. That alone is worth the read.
Author Bio
Ali decided she wanted to be a writer early on and wrote her first novel when she was at primary school. She did an English degree and spent her early twenties working in various jobs in journalism, including as a reporter for the show business newspaper The Stage. She started writing fiction in earnest after getting married, moving out of London to the Oxfordshire market town of Abingdon and starting a family. She has two children, a daughter and a son who is autistic and was diagnosed when he was four years old.
Ali is fascinated by families, their myths and secrets, and the forces that hold them together, split them up and (sometimes) bring them back together again. She always travels with tissues and a book and has been known to cry over a good story but is also a big fan of the hopeful ending.
