The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I am clearly in the minority on this one. I have read and loved many of Diane Chamberlain’s books but alas this one never connected with me until the very end.
This story is told in alternating timelines, one with Kayla, a single mom who lost her husband in a tragic accident recently, in present day and one with Ellie, an activist who enrolls in a program to help Black citizens register to vote, in 1965. I connected with Ellie a lot more, especially once she was in the program. But, for me, there was something off in the dialogue and the characters from the very beginning. The dialogue felt a little too over the top and disconnected from the characters. Usually with Chamberlain’s books, I find myself immersed in the characters’ world as if I am there living with them.
In this one, I could not feel that connection no matter how much I tried.
I kept reading because I knew their lives would intersect and I wanted to know how. And there’s a mystery at the root of the story that starts in page one, so I also wanted to see how it came together. Near the end, the story’s heartbreaking plotlines intersected and I was grateful I stuck with it. I think this was an important story to tell and I am glad I read it, but, to me, it is not one of her best.
I look forward to reading the next one.
with gratitude to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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