Empty Quarter by Julia Golding

Challenge #29 ~ “A book set on or near a body of water.”

empty-quarter

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

My opinion in three sentences:

Whilst still an enjoyable read, I didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as the first, finding it a little more predictable and a little less distinct from other similar stories. Above all, I think the characterisation let this one down, with protagonist Darcie not feeling her age and many of the side characters playing into standard stereotypes and tropes. That being said, I definitely appreciated the reappearance of familiar favourites from book one (and hope for something similar in book three as well!)

(Without spoiling anything) the best bit:

Much as with its prequel, I thought the setting was a strong USP for the book, both in terms of its originality and its presentation. Granted, this actually saw several different settings given that a large focus was on a cruise, but each was well-delivered and had a good sense of atmosphere. I know book three is set in the more familiar Cornwall, but I hope it still manages to craft a larger-than-life sense of place like in the first two.

A warning for the book:

The characters and characterisation in book one were among my favourite elements. Sadly, in book two, they felt like jerkily animated clichés, and many of the side characters lacked much depth at all. The returnees (by and large – I’m not so convinced when it comes to the protagonist) were as good as before, but overall the standard didn’t feel as high as in the prequel.

Recommended for fans of: