Scan barcode
a_disaster_'s review
4.0
This book is honestly super heart-warming and just amazing. The use of the diary entries to tell the story and the character development and everything, it was just amazing. The only reason it is not a 5 star book is because for me, it was a slow start. I thought it would only be a 3 star book but by the end, I loved it and it was bumped up to a 4 star. I would highly recommend this to anyone and if they are thinking of reading it, then they definitely should!!
howlerfive's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
goldenbooksgirl's review
4.0
This is the story of Lily, a young fell runner who has been struggling in her races recently, as she goes to visit her grandparents and must come to terms with the way her gran`s Alzheimers is worsening. When she gets there, she comes across an old journal that her great-great grandfather, who was also a fell runner, kept during his time as a soldier in the first world war, which allows her to connect with her grandmother about running and also find wisdom that relates to her own life within its pages. I hadn`t expected there to be extracts from this journal throughout, but I really liked that there was and the way that it portrayed life on the front line. I found both narratives incredibly gripping, and because I was so invested in both I got through this really quickly, especially as there is a mystery in Ernest`s plotline that Lily is trying to discover the truth of: why he abandoned fell running after the war ended. I found this to be such an emotive read because of the portrayal of Lily and Ernest`s feelings over losing or being about to lose their family members; I was crying on multiple occasions while reading for both of them as I felt so sympathetic towards them and the rest of their families, especially in Lily`s case as it really came over that they were very close-knit and that it was deeply affecting them all. If you like stories about World War One, I`d definitely recommend picking this up. 4.5/5
More...