Monday, June 21, 2010

Anxious Hearts Review

Author: Tucker Shaw
Release Date: April 1, 2010
Pages: 272 (ARC)
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Most Appropriate For Ages: 12+
Where I Got It: Around The World Tours

“Evangeline,” he repeated, calling at a whisper. “Evangeline.” He was not calling that she may hear, he was calling that somehow her soul might know that he was devoted entirely to her, only to her. “Evangeline, I will find you.”

Eva and Gabe explore the golden forest of their seaside Maine town, unknowingly tracing the footsteps of two teens, Evangeline and Gabriel, who once lived in the idyllic wooded village of Acadia more than one hundred years ago. On the day that Evangeline and Gabriel were be wed, their village was attacked and the two were separated. And now in the present, Gabe has mysteriously disappeared from Eva.

A dreamlike, loose retelling of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s famous love poem “Evangeline,” Anxious Hearts tells an epic tale of unrequited love and the hope that true love can be reunited.

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I was not impressed by Anxious Hearts.

The book alternates between two stories, and I never connected to either one. Perhaps it was because the entire book is very rushed. The events, the romance, it was as if the author only had a certain amount of pages.

As I said, I never connected to either stories, or the characters. Eva was an OK protagonist, and I didn't really like Gabe. He didn't treat Eva very well and was very vague, making me question their relationship. I liked Gabriel, the protagonist in the other story, and Evangeline wasn't bad, but I didn't love them.

Tucker Shaw's writing was decent, but not enough to keep me enjoying the novel.

The ending...it was an ending. Nothing spectacular. All in all, not the book for me. I don't know if I'd recommend it, but if you really think it's something you'd like, give it a try.

How kid friendly is Anxious Hearts? There's very little language or violence, however there are two sex scenes, neither going into much detail.

5 comments:

  1. Kinda disappointing to me..I was assuming this was going to rock. I might still give it a whirl

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  2. Ugh, great, I hoped this one was going to be good (I like the cover).

    Thank you for the heads up, though I might still give it a try.

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  3. Excellent review. I haven't tried this one. I am a Longfellow fan so I am quite tempted. Thanks for pointing out what didn't work for you.

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  4. Who knows if I'll actually read this one, great review though :)

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  5. What a shame! I have only read one positive review of this book. I guess that person was a lucky anomaly.

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