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A review by crystal_reading
Pen Pal by Francesca Forrest
3.0
Review copy: final copy from author
There are several appealing things about this novel. First, the storyline is interesting. A young girl from a small community has sent out a message in a bottle. The community she lives is one that floats on the sea and has a close relationship with the water. The message ends up with a young woman in a unique prison. She is hanging above a volcano. This is a part that was a bit hard to swallow at first. Over time that was more and more believable, but initially, it was difficult to believe.
Second, this features diverse characters. They live far from each other in two distinct cultures. They are both trying to hold onto their culture. One is deliberately being erased by the government and the other is less deliberate, but is still at risk. They both have an internal struggle with how to fit in with the larger society while holding onto family culture.
The settings were well drawn and I felt like I was right there with the characters.
The format was not always helpful for the story. A mix of letters along with narrative may have moved the story along a little more smoothly, but overall it worked.
I enjoyed the story and would recommend it for people interested in political activism and the issues of cultural preservation.
There are several appealing things about this novel. First, the storyline is interesting. A young girl from a small community has sent out a message in a bottle. The community she lives is one that floats on the sea and has a close relationship with the water. The message ends up with a young woman in a unique prison. She is hanging above a volcano. This is a part that was a bit hard to swallow at first. Over time that was more and more believable, but initially, it was difficult to believe.
Second, this features diverse characters. They live far from each other in two distinct cultures. They are both trying to hold onto their culture. One is deliberately being erased by the government and the other is less deliberate, but is still at risk. They both have an internal struggle with how to fit in with the larger society while holding onto family culture.
The settings were well drawn and I felt like I was right there with the characters.
The format was not always helpful for the story. A mix of letters along with narrative may have moved the story along a little more smoothly, but overall it worked.
I enjoyed the story and would recommend it for people interested in political activism and the issues of cultural preservation.