Although I felt myself growing fond of the protagonist of this story, I didn't care for the way the story was told.

The source of Tessa's recent trauma was referred to vaguely and teasingly for too long before the details were told. Also, there were far too many coincidences all tied up neatly in the end; it really strained believability.

The recipe-at-the-end-of-chapter device is getting cliched.

The ending was just too cute and cloying for me, and maybe that's just a sign that this is not a genre I will pursue.

I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this book. The characters are well-drawn and stay true to themselves throughout. The story is engaging and it's twists and turns were entertaining, although the ending was somewhat predictable.

Most enjoyable and authentic, I thought, were the portrayals of the young boys and their own delightful dialogues and adventures.

I missed these people when the book was over and wanted to follow them through further adventures.

I would recommend watching out for future works by this author, but I can only halfheartedly recommend this book.

The author's use of language is poetic and compelling, especially regarding a sense of place. However, I never really felt like we got to know the runaway surrogate mother, Susannah, even though we tagged along with her halfway across the country. The tension of wondering what she was thinking kept me from losing myself in her misadventures.

I also had a sense that, as John Irving sometimes does, the author tried to pack too many quirky characters into one place. I will still watch for Amy Shearn's next work.

Although I don't usually read fantasy novels, I do enjoy characters who are quirky, eccentric, or even gifted with mystical powers, such as Jeremiah Land, who walks on air and performs miracles in "Peace Like a River".

Page by page, I slogged through The Quiet Girl, hoping to find some meaning or endearment in the protagonist, Kasper Krone, who perceives people, places and situations as sounds and music.

It didn't happen. I didn't like (or dislike) Kasper, or anyone else in this novel.
I found myself just wishing he would hurry up and get on with his adventures, so I could read a book I really enjoyed. If, in fact, this had been any other library or purchased book, I probably wouldn't have finished it. Kasper became so annoying by page 250, that I felt like I was reading a book required by my English teacher.
The story was confusing and disjointed, and the characters lacked dimension.


There are occasional phrases with a touch of wisdom or droll humor. Once, when hungry, Kasper has the thought: "Even Buddha and Jesus had fasted for only thirty or forty days. And afterword said it was no fun".

Unfortunately, this engaging content was too rare. Although I did not enjoy this book, it was a treat to be part of the First Impressions program, and I would do it again.