Review: The Devil's in the Details
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 03 30, 2014
This book sometimes made me feel as if I were reading something written by two different authors. At times it was wonderful and sweet and funny. Other times, however, I felt as if the writer were trying to reach a certain word count.In chapter nine, for example, the description of Rachel's living room feels like an information dump. "The walls were steely gray...there was a blue and gray striped couch next to a puffy blue recliner... There were built-in shelves...the third, fourth and fifth...of which were bursting with books." This went on for a full paragraph, just detail after detail.In fact, the detail with which some of this book is written is the reason I haven't given it a higher rating. Weathering Evan is an example of a writer telling me something, rather than showing me. Don't tell me the sofa is blue and gray; instead, why not have Tammy flopping onto the blue and gray sofa after the lengthy reading session on the floor? I lost count of the "there was" and "there weres"Further, I felt the author spent way too much time and print on Tammy's job. Such minutiae that really didn't mean anything to the story simply made me feel that Tammy was a pretty up-tight and anal woman. It took me a while to warm up to her, to be honest. And frankly, I now know more than I ever needed (or wanted) to know about customs.I enjoyed the basic story, but truly felt it could have been shorter. I don't mind a long book, as long as it keeps moving and isn't just packed with filler and empty words.