This book had started out fantastic. Clem’s ancestry, and indirectly Frankie’s, was captivating. Their, Clem’s Grandparents and parents, story alone could have made an excellent book. I found that their story was better than Clem's and Frankie’s. Then again, Clem and Frankie’s story had more passion.
Overall, the writing was great. Pleet’s vocabulary and descriptions are in great detail and place you into the scene or the characters minds. You feel the anxiety, the fear, the happiness and the lust.
I’m afraid that once I got towards middle-end of the book, when Frankie appeared, I was disappointed. The book had been so great, so interesting—mostly historical but great. Once Frankie appeared however, I felt as though the whole story had changed. It was now about Frankie and Clem’s relationship; which seemed purely emotional and hormonal. When I said that Pleet described everything in great detail I meant it—and towards the center end of the book I disliked it. I had to skip over huge chunk of the book as it became less historical and interesting but hormonal and over all inappropriate. The character seemed more focused on lust rather than love. But this does give a different look on the world, a view that, to some, is a little risky.
Thinking back, to have that level of realism in the book was a good thing.
I loved the familial story—the parents and the grandparents were great – they gave a sense of the time frame they lived in. But as Clem and Frankie gave a look into the rebellious side—a different view, which was good but they were just too crass for me to stand.
