I wanted to like this book more than I did. The message is very important and Giffin tries to tackle a lot, but I felt like she got in her own way in certain places.
The dialogue felt a bit stilted and unnatural, particularly from the parents during points of conflict. Nina was clearly the mouthpiece of the author, commenting on random social issues that were largely irrelevant to the story. It felt like the author cared more about proselytizing (albeit about very important issues) than the actual plot.
I felt a bit emotionally disconnected from the story because of how in the box each character was. Tom is clearly a good parent and Nina is trying to the do the right thing. Conversely, Kirk is a massive prick and Finch needs to be knocked down a peg or twenty. But I wish that had been conveyed with a touch more subtlety. It felt like being clubbed over the head with an inflatable baseball bat. Too much telling, not enough showing.
The dialogue felt a bit stilted and unnatural, particularly from the parents during points of conflict. Nina was clearly the mouthpiece of the author, commenting on random social issues that were largely irrelevant to the story. It felt like the author cared more about proselytizing (albeit about very important issues) than the actual plot.
I felt a bit emotionally disconnected from the story because of how in the box each character was. Tom is clearly a good parent and Nina is trying to the do the right thing. Conversely, Kirk is a massive prick and Finch needs to be knocked down a peg or twenty. But I wish that had been conveyed with a touch more subtlety. It felt like being clubbed over the head with an inflatable baseball bat. Too much telling, not enough showing.