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The Avid Reader
, May 23, 2020
(view all comments by The Avid Reader)
A Week at the Shore by Barbara Delinsky has Mallory Aldiss heading back to Bay Bluff with her daughter. Mallory dreads returning to her hometown, but she is worried about her father after receiving a disturbing phone call. Joy, Mallory’s daughter, is thrilled to finally visit her mother’s hometown. Joy wants to connect with her grandfather & aunt who live there. Soon, Mallory’s older sister arrives, & it is a full-fledged family reunion. Mallory will finally have to deal with the memories & feelings that she has kept suppressed for the last twenty years. Seven days in Bay Bluff is a chance to spend time with her family and forge a new future. I was expecting a breezy summer novel. I struggled to get through this book. The characters felt flat and lifeless except for Joy. Joy did not act like a teenager most of the time. Mallory was all over the place. I wish the author had taken the time to introduce the main characters in the beginning. The author tackles various subjects in A Week at the Shore. There is no subtlety. There is a sweet pit bull in the story and Mallory goes on a rant about their dangers, etc. I am not sure what Jack saw in Mallory. The pacing in A Week at the Shore is slow & it lacked a good flow. The mystery of the missing woman was disappointing. The ending was rushed, but it was better than the rest of the book. A Week at the Shore is a dramatic family tale with a missing woman, a father’s illness, an old boyfriend, and three sisters.
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