Review: Nice introductory novella
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 17, 2013
This novella introduces the reader to the world of Crescent Cove, the setting for Christie Ridgway's new trilogy. I actually read Beach House No. 9 before I read this, so I was familiar with some of the things being introduced. The Beach House No. 9 is almost a character in itself, with the legend of true love a central feature in the story.Meg touched my heart. Is there anything so intense as your first love? Couple first love with two months spent in a magical place, kind of time out of time. Then that love is lost, leaving Meg devastated and grieving. For 10 years, Meg copes with her loss as best she can, surviving, but not really living.Enter Caleb, who was a peripheral part of Meg's past. Caleb, who remembers Meg as she used to be. He has had a wake up moment of his own, and has been trying to live life to the fullest ever since.So how do these two people, one completely disillusioned and one newly hopeful, find their way to each other?I loved the way this short story was laid out. The reader follows Meg down memory lane, as she battles to replace heartbreaking loss with recollections of the joy she experienced prior to that event. It speaks of fantastical stories and simple pleasures Meg had forgotten, or not allowed herself to remember. Caleb makes Meg want to remember that there was good before things went bad, and that life can be wonderful. And that, sometimes, pain is a part of life, but holding onto that pain is not healthy.Ms. Ridgway packs a lot into this novella. By its nature, there isn't a lot of room for character development, but I thought she showed growth in both Meg and Caleb.Bottom line - Time well spent. Very well done.