Hello Bookish Friends :)
One of my reading goals for 2019 is to try and read more of the books I actually own. I began trying to do this in 2018, but there's still a lot of progress I need to make on doing so.
While I'm still borrowing library books, and definitely still requesting arc's from netgalley, I'm trying to intersperse my own books in there as well.
One such book that I recently finished is Finding Me by Kathryn Cushman. While I'd never actually heard of either the book or the author before, I was intrigued by the synopsis, and as such, I ended up picking it up this past summer.
Today I'd like to share with you all of you what I thought about it.
Finding Me by Kathryn Cushman:
Source: Bought for Myself
Publisher: Bethany House
Publication Date: April 7th, 2015
Genre: Christian Fiction/Mystery/Women's Fiction
Synopsis:
A Contemporary Drama of Family Lies
and Forgotten Loves After her father and stepmother's accidental death, Kelli Huddleston sorts through their belongings and learns a shocking secret. Years before, her father faked his death during a boat wreck at sea--and faked Kelli's as well. He'd run from a wife, a son, and a daughter back in Tennessee, meaning Kelli has a family she's never known.
She's already cashed the payout on her dad's life insurance check and looks at it as her ticket to a new life. The lure and puzzle of digging into this hidden past is too much to resist, and she soon finds herself in Tennessee. When the trip threatens to open doors to the past better left shut, and her plans for the future are threatened, Kelli must make an agonizing choice that will change her life forever.
(synopsis from goodreads)
My Review:
I'd never heard of this novel or the author before I decided to pick it up, but I was intrigued by the synopsis, and I was in the mood for a good Christian mystery story. I was highly anticipating diving into the story, but after finishing it, I was left with pretty mixed feelings.
What I Liked:
I loved the way that Kathryn Cushman represented faith throughout the entirety of the story. The main character Kelli has been brought up believing a form of faith by good works, and I really enjoyed the scenes where Kenmore, Allison, and Beth helped guide her to the true meaning of faith, and the truth that all men have fallen short and no one measures up.
I also really liked Kelli as a main character. Despite finding out that most of what she's known about her entire life was a lie, she showed such strength in the way she's determined to find out the truth, and is often worried about others' feelings more than her own.
Beth was also a character I really enjoyed. I'd read some reviews of this book that stated they didn't care for her character, and found her annoying. I, on the other hand, thought she was refreshing, emotional, and real, and I admired her for staying so strong through the many hardships and horrible circumstances that have been thrown her way.
Lastly, I really love Kenmore, and his entire story. He's got such a heart for his friends and family, and he goes to huge strides to protect them in the way he thinks is best. The back and forth between him and his son Shane were probably some of my favorite scenes in the whole novel.
What I didn't Like:
The romance really bothered me in this one. I think this was mainly due to the fact that it felt like such an unessential part of the story, and it comes in way too late to make the reader truly care whether or not it actually happens.
When I picked this up I was expecting a mystery that would keep me on the edge of my seat, and I'm sorry to say but this is where this story truly fell short for me. It quickly moves from being a mystery into more of a women's fiction read, and while I love women's fiction, it wasn't what I was expecting based on the brilliant synopsis of this book.
It felt also like the ending really wasn't satisfying enough to me. After everything Kelli goes through to get to where she is, I just wanted to see more in how her story concluded. It's not the worst ending to a book I've ever read, but it definitely wasn't the best either.
In conclusion, I appreciated the way Kathryn Cushman was able to write a gripping story that feels raw, real and emotional to the reader, and I did enjoy the build up to the potential mystery element. I loved the way the characters felt real to the reader, and the way I was truly invested in learning their stories. However, I didn't enjoy how quickly the mystery part of the story absolves into something else, and I could have definitely done without the romance.
I enjoyed it for the most part, and I'm giving it a rating of three out of five stars. However, I'm not sure if I would go out of my way to pick up a book by this author again, as I don't think her style is personally for me.
Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day :)
This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The photo does not belong to me, and all rights to the respective owners.
One of my reading goals for 2019 is to try and read more of the books I actually own. I began trying to do this in 2018, but there's still a lot of progress I need to make on doing so.
While I'm still borrowing library books, and definitely still requesting arc's from netgalley, I'm trying to intersperse my own books in there as well.
One such book that I recently finished is Finding Me by Kathryn Cushman. While I'd never actually heard of either the book or the author before, I was intrigued by the synopsis, and as such, I ended up picking it up this past summer.
Today I'd like to share with you all of you what I thought about it.
Finding Me by Kathryn Cushman:
Source: Bought for Myself
Publisher: Bethany House
Publication Date: April 7th, 2015
Genre: Christian Fiction/Mystery/Women's Fiction
Synopsis:
A Contemporary Drama of Family Lies
and Forgotten Loves After her father and stepmother's accidental death, Kelli Huddleston sorts through their belongings and learns a shocking secret. Years before, her father faked his death during a boat wreck at sea--and faked Kelli's as well. He'd run from a wife, a son, and a daughter back in Tennessee, meaning Kelli has a family she's never known.
She's already cashed the payout on her dad's life insurance check and looks at it as her ticket to a new life. The lure and puzzle of digging into this hidden past is too much to resist, and she soon finds herself in Tennessee. When the trip threatens to open doors to the past better left shut, and her plans for the future are threatened, Kelli must make an agonizing choice that will change her life forever.
(synopsis from goodreads)
My Review:
I'd never heard of this novel or the author before I decided to pick it up, but I was intrigued by the synopsis, and I was in the mood for a good Christian mystery story. I was highly anticipating diving into the story, but after finishing it, I was left with pretty mixed feelings.
What I Liked:
I loved the way that Kathryn Cushman represented faith throughout the entirety of the story. The main character Kelli has been brought up believing a form of faith by good works, and I really enjoyed the scenes where Kenmore, Allison, and Beth helped guide her to the true meaning of faith, and the truth that all men have fallen short and no one measures up.
I also really liked Kelli as a main character. Despite finding out that most of what she's known about her entire life was a lie, she showed such strength in the way she's determined to find out the truth, and is often worried about others' feelings more than her own.
Beth was also a character I really enjoyed. I'd read some reviews of this book that stated they didn't care for her character, and found her annoying. I, on the other hand, thought she was refreshing, emotional, and real, and I admired her for staying so strong through the many hardships and horrible circumstances that have been thrown her way.
Lastly, I really love Kenmore, and his entire story. He's got such a heart for his friends and family, and he goes to huge strides to protect them in the way he thinks is best. The back and forth between him and his son Shane were probably some of my favorite scenes in the whole novel.
What I didn't Like:
The romance really bothered me in this one. I think this was mainly due to the fact that it felt like such an unessential part of the story, and it comes in way too late to make the reader truly care whether or not it actually happens.
When I picked this up I was expecting a mystery that would keep me on the edge of my seat, and I'm sorry to say but this is where this story truly fell short for me. It quickly moves from being a mystery into more of a women's fiction read, and while I love women's fiction, it wasn't what I was expecting based on the brilliant synopsis of this book.
It felt also like the ending really wasn't satisfying enough to me. After everything Kelli goes through to get to where she is, I just wanted to see more in how her story concluded. It's not the worst ending to a book I've ever read, but it definitely wasn't the best either.
In conclusion, I appreciated the way Kathryn Cushman was able to write a gripping story that feels raw, real and emotional to the reader, and I did enjoy the build up to the potential mystery element. I loved the way the characters felt real to the reader, and the way I was truly invested in learning their stories. However, I didn't enjoy how quickly the mystery part of the story absolves into something else, and I could have definitely done without the romance.
I enjoyed it for the most part, and I'm giving it a rating of three out of five stars. However, I'm not sure if I would go out of my way to pick up a book by this author again, as I don't think her style is personally for me.
Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day :)
This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The photo does not belong to me, and all rights to the respective owners.
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