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A review by butterfliesonmybookshelf
Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is for readers who love character driven stories. Shiloh and Cary quickly became two of my favorite characters ever. Even now, writing this review nearly a week after finishing the book, I'm heartbroken that I don't get to spend any more time with them--I'll never learn anything new about them.
The story of Shiloh and Cary's relationship drives this book. Rowell weaves through timelines and perspectives so smoothly, there were times I didn't even realize she switched POVs. I felt like I was floating in a haze of Shiloh and Cary, and the time or POV didn't matter to me. I just needed to know what happened next.
This book isn't inherently sad, but it is imbued with melancholia--in the best way.
If you're a Fangirl fan like me, I think you'll like this book. Shiloh reminds me a lot of Cath.
About 3/4 of the way through this book, I was certain it was going to be a 5 star read. Cary proposed; Shiloh said yes (asterisk). Everything I wanted for these characters happened, even if it was sudden. But I was convinced there were too many pages left of the book for this engagement to go smoothly. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop to the last page. It never dropped. Which, don't get me wrong, I was excited that things ended happily for them. But it felt...unfinished? There was a time when I was convinced that Cary was going to die in the Navy before they were able to get married. If that had happened, I would've been DEVASTATED. So I'm glad(?) that didn't happen, but I was still left feeling like things happened too easily. And the last 20 pages or so went too fast. Immediately after finishing the book, I gave it 4 stars.
That said, I haven't been able to stop thinking about this book. I'm so in love with these characters and the overall atmosphere of the book, that I've made peace with the ending. It does feel realistic, and it's not over-dramatized. In the end, I changed my review to 5 stars.
The story of Shiloh and Cary's relationship drives this book. Rowell weaves through timelines and perspectives so smoothly, there were times I didn't even realize she switched POVs. I felt like I was floating in a haze of Shiloh and Cary, and the time or POV didn't matter to me. I just needed to know what happened next.
This book isn't inherently sad, but it is imbued with melancholia--in the best way.
If you're a Fangirl fan like me, I think you'll like this book. Shiloh reminds me a lot of Cath.
That said, I haven't been able to stop thinking about this book. I'm so in love with these characters and the overall atmosphere of the book, that I've made peace with the ending. It does feel realistic, and it's not over-dramatized. In the end, I changed my review to 5 stars.