The Dreaded 3 Star

I don't like leaving less than 4 stars on a book review.  Anyone else?  I feel like, even if I didn't like it that much, someone else might.  Also, the author undoubtedly worked their butts off on this work and just because it might not have been my cup of tea, doesn't mean it wasn't a good book.  So, Astrid, I gave it a 3 star.  In all honesty, if there were half stars, I'd have given it 3 and a half because it did kind of get good toward the end.  But let's dig a little deeper... it was NOT a bad book.  The writing was very well done, and it painted a very clear picture of what the author was trying to portray.  It was deep and poignant and I'm guessing very accurate to the time that was being depicted.  It was simply not my favorite genre, there wasn't enough romance for my liking or possibly even my current reading mood.  It was also a little harsh and kind of tragic.  I think fans of historical fiction, or even fans of more dramatic and less romantic books will probably love it.  I just didn't.  But just because I didn't love it, doesn't mean I didn't like it.  So... the 3 star.  I hate doing it, but it's inevitable at some point.  Do any of you feel the same as me?  In any case, the following was my review for Astrid Sees All.

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Astrid Sees All by Natalie Standiford 

With excellent descriptive writing, Standiford paints a picture of seedy New York in the 80s.  Being just a child in the 80s myself, and never having been to New York, some of the references were lost on me, but the feel of what it was like came pouring through the words.  There is a bit of jumping around that confused me until I got to the end and realized what was happening.  Once it all made sense, I was able to appreciate what Phoebe had been going through.  She's what I would call an unreliable narrator.  Seeing the story through her eyes was jumbled as she processed where she was in life.

One thing that really stood out to me was the creativity of the way the fortunes were told.  I really loved that part and Phoebe's though process while deciphering what she'd pulled.

While not the type of book I normally read, and I'll admit I did struggle to get into it, I did end up liking the story and how it all played out.  The ending was interesting and kind of perfect.