The Things We Do For Love
I received this advance copy of The Cemetery Spot from
NetGalley with the expectation by them that I would provide my honest review.
The underlying theme of the book is that family
relationships can be complicated and that sometimes we will do anything for
those we love. Whether or not they deserve it.
To me, most of the characters didn’t deserve the grace they
were being given. For me to enjoy a
story, I need to be invested in the characters themselves, first and
foremost. I could not generate any
enthusiasm for August (Auggie) or April (Ape).
As an older sister myself, I
found the storyline of the sisters when they were younger to be abhorrent. August put her younger sister into a horrible
situation, from which then she then needed to save her. Instead of being furious with August, April
then spends her subsequent years feeling indebted to August, ultimately helping
with August’s own family situation. Poor decision-making abounded.
The book was promoted a bit like a mystery, but the answer
was fairly obvious early in the book. I
was not surprised by the reveal surrounding the central theme of the story. Also, the Frieda McFadden-esque “twist” at
the end completely fell flat for me.
Again, because the characters involved meant nothing to me. It felt like that extra bit was thrown in because
of the success of Ms. McFadden’s (who was listed in the acknowledgements as a contributor)
own books and the hope that it would be successful here, but it just wasn’t to
me.
Overall, not a story I enjoyed, nor would I recommend it.
