Helpful Score: 3
I love a book that just grabs me in the first chapter and holds on to the end. This book Did that for me. This is my first book by Karen White. I will be reading more. I loved it.
Helpful Score: 2
This book was about how tragedy in the past hold on to us and can prevent us from living in today. The lesson being that living your life and finding happiness does not mean that you forget that loss. A useful reminder. The story is told in two voices - Aimee who encounters many losses in the her life yet manages to move on and still find happiness. Julie who is so traumatized by a tragic loss in her childhood that she is unable to move on. That loss dominates the majority of her life and prevents her for a long time from allowing herself to find happiness.
The book also unexpectedly turned out to be a mystery. One tragedy in the past that remained unresolved and slowly emerges throughout the book.
I would have given the book 5 stars except for a couple of twists and turns at the end which I felt were unnecessary.
The book also unexpectedly turned out to be a mystery. One tragedy in the past that remained unresolved and slowly emerges throughout the book.
I would have given the book 5 stars except for a couple of twists and turns at the end which I felt were unnecessary.
Helpful Score: 2
This is the Karen White I remember and love. A fast, engaging read with a likable cast characters. I loved Aimee's flashbacks and Julie's present day narration. A definite page-turner although the "mystery" was a bit obvious IMO. Still, very enjoyable! Now I remember why White is one of my favorite chick-fiction authors.
I am still reading this book. I like it, and the story is pretty good, but it's a little slow moving and the author jumps around with the characters, so it's a bit hard to follow. Also, some of it is written in the first person, and I generally don't care for that. The story is developing nicely, but as I say, just a little bit too slow for me. I will keep reading it, however, as I'm anxious to see how the story ends.
Fabulous Book! I was hooked from the get-go.
This was a solid 4 stars for me through most of the book. Then came the ending. The ending was rushed and the mystery explained in two seconds. And there are still questions that weren't answered. Very disappointed it ended so abruptly and poorly.
I did love learning about the Katrina trees in Biloxi, Mississippi. Very interesting what sculptors did to the standing dead trees after Hurricane Katrina. Check the trees out on line!
I did love learning about the Katrina trees in Biloxi, Mississippi. Very interesting what sculptors did to the standing dead trees after Hurricane Katrina. Check the trees out on line!
Slow, boring, schmaltzy...felt like it was written for middle school.
Another great one from Karen White!
What a fascinating story by Karen White! However, this was one of those books where I had to draw out the family tree and keep checking back to see which generation I was in. Although I do love family stories that cross the years, I sometimes get confused about which person was related to which and in which time period these people were in. I'm sure its just me, because in each chapter she laid out the year of the flashback, but it spanned three or four generations,and was just told by two main characters. Throughout the whole book we were trying to solve the mystery of two family deaths,and how these two protagonists were ultimately going to come together. I'm not one for mysteries, but it was a heartwarming family story that kept you interested til the very last page. I do love Karen White stories. She is a good friend of my favorite author, Wendy Wax! I also loved the story behind the Katrina trees and did some research on them upon finishing the book. Having lived through a Florida hurricane, it was interesting to me to read about hurricane Katrina and learn why people will go to any lengths to save their homes and property.
THE BEACH TREES was my first time reading Karen White. I'd seen so much about her books everywhere, and heard raves from some of my buddies in The Reading Cove who love her books, that I scooped this up and was eager to dive in.
Unfortunately, I was disappointed in how predictable and formulaic the plot was. You could see relationships coming a mile away, so there was no real tension in the bickering and head-butting two of the main characters did for much of the book.
The way the family mystery unfolded was very cheesy with the older woman saying things like, "Oh, that's a long story. You'll have to come back tomorrow if you want to know more..."
The structure of the story got in the way of the story itself, which was bogged down by time and place details that were overmuch. A lot of the detail was totally overindulgent and no doubt added 100 or so extra pages to the book.
I can't say it was the worst, but it was average at best for me, a C read.
Unfortunately, I was disappointed in how predictable and formulaic the plot was. You could see relationships coming a mile away, so there was no real tension in the bickering and head-butting two of the main characters did for much of the book.
The way the family mystery unfolded was very cheesy with the older woman saying things like, "Oh, that's a long story. You'll have to come back tomorrow if you want to know more..."
The structure of the story got in the way of the story itself, which was bogged down by time and place details that were overmuch. A lot of the detail was totally overindulgent and no doubt added 100 or so extra pages to the book.
I can't say it was the worst, but it was average at best for me, a C read.
