Author: Timothy Schaffert
Publication Information: Doubleday. 2024. 320 pages.
ISBN: 0385549156 / 978-0385549158
Rating: ★★
Book Source: I received this book through NetGally free of cost in exchange for an honest review.
Opening Sentence: "I spotted my name, again and again, on the lists of the dead."
Favorite Quote: "You can let it all go, everything in your past, and it won't hurt a soul. You're not saving anyone by punishing yourself."
I am intrigued by the premise of the book. Survivors of a disaster such as the Titanic group together. I expect the book to be about the disaster, about survival, and about the repercussions - the multitude of emotions that would assuredly accompany such trauma. The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor is such a story. Based on archival documents, it tells more of a story of survival and its aftermath.
Of course, I am always intrigued by a book about a book club - The Accidental Book Club by Jennifer Scott, The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe, and The Rejected Writers' Book Club by Suzanne Kerman. I look forward to seeing perhaps what the book club reads, why, and what they discuss.
I am intrigued by the premise of the book. Survivors of a disaster such as the Titanic group together. I expect the book to be about the disaster, about survival, and about the repercussions - the multitude of emotions that would assuredly accompany such trauma. The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor is such a story. Based on archival documents, it tells more of a story of survival and its aftermath.
Of course, I am always intrigued by a book about a book club - The Accidental Book Club by Jennifer Scott, The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe, and The Rejected Writers' Book Club by Suzanne Kerman. I look forward to seeing perhaps what the book club reads, why, and what they discuss.
The premise of this book starts off even stronger. One of the main characters Yorick keeps seeing his name on the list of those lost at sea. I cannot imagine seeing your name on a list such as that. The start establishes interest in the character, and I look forward to discovering how the book builds upon the premise.
Unfortunately, for me, the book does not follow through on any of the premises I pick up the book for. Are the survivors truly survivors? The story explains that most, if not all, are those who were to be on the ship but were not indeed on the voyage. Does that make them survivors? In a way, yes. By mistake, accident, or choice, they managed to not be on board. However, because they were not on board, the book does not build upon the ramifications that would have.
The "book" part of book also seems incidental to the story being told in this book. A secret society book club sounds intriguing. This book, however, ends up focused on three individuals within the larger book club and the dynamic between the three.
The story does not become about Yorick's dealing with the fact that his name is on the list of those lost.
In actuality, the book becomes about a triangle that develops between these three individuals - Yorick, Zinnia, and Haze. It becomes about romantic feelings, love reciprocated and unrequited love. This plot path is unexpected and unfortunately not a welcome one for me. It also makes this book a very slow read, as it is character driven not really plot driven.
The book is completely not what I expect based on the descriptions, and I walk away, disappointed.
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