I have a rule when it comes to losing faith in authors: if the first book I read is decent and the second book is bad, everything rides on the third read. I'm sad to say that JoJo Moyes and I are (probably) through. The first book I read of hers, Me Before You, left me pleasantly surprised- it was sentimental without being cheesy, and the writing, while mediocre, wasn't horribly so. I thought the second book, The Girl You Left Behind, lacked depth and failed to really intrigue me. Therefore, according to my rule, everything was riding on The Last Letter from Your Lover. Unfortunately, it didn't reach my expectations- here's three reasons why:
Something Seems Familiar...
There's a formulaic aspect that really bothered me, reminiscent of The Girl You Left Behind. Basically, both novels start off with something in the past, and then finish up with a more recent investigation and connection. The last book was a painting, this one a letter. It just seems a little cheap.
Coincidence? I Think Not...
Without giving anything away, there are some things at the end that just match up way too perfectly for me. The reporter, Ellie, doesn't really have to do much investigating- the answers to her little puzzle are basically just dropped right in front of her. Granted, this isn't billed as a mystery, but it's still way too convenient for my liking.
The Depth Issue... Again
Just like in the last novel, the characters in the present day narrative are lacking the depth that the characters in the past portion have. I was much more interested in the first halves of both books, feeling that, in this one especially, the dialogue and characters were just so forced in the present.
Minor issues also include the cover, the title, and the cliched ending.
Disclaimer: Penguin provided this copy in exchange for an honest review.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who felt 'meh' about Moyles second book - I loved the first too (which surprised me). It's a shame really, when authors fail to surpass the first book, or perhaps expectations become to high?
ReplyDeleteEither way I think I'll be avoiding this third instalment.
I almost picked up this book some time ago but her books have already left me kind of meh (The Girl You Left Behind and Silver Bay left me feeling rather frustrated with the characters) so I refrained from it. I'm still open to picking up Me Before You but I reckon that'll be the last book from her I'll be picking up unless a future novel changes my mind.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of your three reads when giving authors a chance. I'll be reading my third Moyes book soon. I loved Me Before You, Silver Bay a little less so. Next I'll be reading The Ship of Brides, I just got a copy from Penguin and the theme is something I'm curious about. Depending on how I feel at the end of that I might read more, but I might not.
ReplyDeleteAn author I have given up on after three reads is John Green. TFiOS = loved - it broke me! Looking for Alaska bored me, and then Paper Towns seemed to follow the same boy loves girl he can't have as LfA so no more John Green for me.