I really wanted to like this book – the fantastical story of a group of kids that travels through alternate worlds in a mission to for the sake of saving summer (and all of humanity). I figured Summerland would be the perfect summer read. But, yawn. I had a hard time getting through this one. It was slow, the writing seemed disjointed and inconsistent, and I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters. And I knew I wasn’t into this book by page 30. Yet I insisted on persevering all the way through to page 500. I have this compulsion about finishing a book once I start it, even if I’m not the least bit taken with what I’m reading. I used to think this was a positive trait, but I’m realizing now how much time I actually end up spending/wasting on this stuff that I don’t even enjoy. Is there any shame in putting a book away after only a couple of chapters? Maybe not. Especially when I think about how many other fantastic pieces of literature I could be discovering in the meantime. And so I’m going to have to rethink my stance on “finish what you start” when it comes to novels. Sometimes the perseverance just isn’t worth it.
brieanne says:
hahaha…i am the SAME WAY. there has only been one book that i have not been able to finish, despite many many attempts…i can’t even remember the name, but brenna and i both couldn’t finish it (we started independently). it does seem like a waste of time, yet i still have the compulsion. i recently read a very….long…book that i did NOT enjoy, just because i needed to finish it.
October 1, 2008, 12:43 pm