The Sisters of Sea View: On Devonshire Shores

My Sisters of Sea View review is one I'm going to craft backwards, because I had an odd relationship with this book. By rights, I should hate it. Its writing style did everything that absolutely drives me nuts. And it's true, I can't give the book a higher rating. But one, I'm willing to say it's more a 3.5-3.7. Two, there's a lot of good stuff under the "wet sand" of stylistic problems. So here we go, into the waves.Stylistically, Sisters of Sea View is the "new" Julie Klassen I've never liked. Julie tells a lot more than she shows, especially regarding emotions and introspections. Her characters especially go around "feeling" things, often right after readers see what they feel or experience in real time, or when readers can see what they're feeling and why. Readers are not goldfish! Julie also sometimes repeats words, phrases, or concepts, even on the same line. For instance, there's a place where someone says, "Miss Reed rejects help in general, so I didn't want you to feel rejected or that she had rejected you personally." That's the same word three times; I didn't need it.In Sisters of Sea View, I also noticed the characters would be prepared to do something or engage in important dialogue, but take their sweet time getting there. Instead, time would be spent describing how they traveled from place to place, decided who would go where or escort whom, come to conclusions about other characters, and so on. It soon felt like each chapter or scene break had these little intros of unnecessary setup. They read a bit like stage directions at times, so they could've been worse, but...I was reading a novel, not a play, so they did jar me out of the story. Couple that with some repetitions of characters' motivations or traits, especially Viola's fretting over her scars or Sarah's seriousness, and I was really jarred. Don't tell me, show me!Finally, the further I got into the novel, the more I felt Julie was switching characters and plotlines too often, trying too hard to get five sisters and their stories in. I loved the concept, but could sense her running out of room and time. Over time, the book became much more Viola's story, which is a strong point I'll get to. But then, as the story kept switching back to Emily, then less often to Sarah, and even less often to Georgiana and even less often to Claire, I started to question, where are we? What am I supposed to be focused on, or whom? Are we going for a series or an epic novel here?Okay, so that's the bad stuff. What's good here? Well, hang in there with me, because there's actually a lot. First off, as mentioned, I loved the concept of Sea View in itself. And as confusing as the switches could be, I came to love the Summers sisters and their guests, as well as the little sagas they got into. Viola and Emily in particular are my new friends. That's partly because I could identify with them. All three of us are bookworms who take pleasure in sharing that with others. Like Viola, I'm disabled, introverted, and the survivor of medical trauma, and have found unexpected companionship from either the elderly or people in different generations from my own. And like Emily, I'm imaginative with a deep desire for creating the written word.Sarah and Georgiana are more outside my experience, but no less dear, especially Sarah, since we're both oldest children with a deep sense of responsibility. The two sisters on the opposite ends of the family are the two I wanted to know more about and felt cheated out of. Yet, I enjoyed what I got of them, especially Georgiana's daring, tomboyish nature and Sarah's developing relationship with the Henshalls. Sarah talking Effie through her first period, and Georgiana acquitting herself beautifully at the town cricket match, were two of my favorite scenes.I also enjoyed all of the Summers' guests--yes, even the insufferable ones (nice nod to Jane Austen with the Eltons, Julie). ;) They're a quirky lot, but not overly so. And while some of their threads felt too thin or got dropped unexpectedly, such as Mr. Henshall's with the jewelry and his poor wife, I did love guessing where each miniature story would go. I liked the dynamics of all the single women and single gentlemen, plus the intergenerational drama, and how residents of a poorhouse were brought so smoothly into the fold and familial relationships of former gentry. What I usually see in fiction is, maltreated poorhouse inmates shut out of society, so this was a great change. The flood scenes in particular were a great twist on some old tropes.I loved Viola and Jack's relationship, and fervently wish the whole book had focused on it, even if Emily and Sarah's points of view had still been sprinkled in. I loved how both were disabled/scarred, because in romance, it's usually one or the other. Here, both Viola and Jack were challenged to deal with those insecurities, and I found myself challenged by the different ways they chose to do so. I appreciated their banter, and the fact that though snark is part of how they relate to each other, it's eventually tempered with honest love. Brava to Julie for bringing their trauma, their challenges, into the relationship, rather than writing their romance as, "Once a disabled or scarred person finds love, their disability disappears."Further kudos to Julie for writing Viola's medical experiences and fear of Abner Cleeves with such raw honesty. I've been where she is, and it hurt, in the best way, to read it. Now no, a doctor was never so cruel to me, and no, I never experienced a hack job. But I've had some traumatic experiences and some medical "professionals" who got as close as they could to that line in the '80s and '90s without being held accountable. I've also been passed off, even by my own family--"You were a kid, you were stubborn, you fought back, yada, yada." No. That's not what survivors need to hear, and Julie got that. Plus, when Viola burst in that operating room and "rescued" Jack--were I the type, they'd have heard me cheering in the next town. Bonus points since that scene, another favorite, meant Jack and Viola got the rare opportunity to save each other--and in a way, save each other's lives.So, as you see, the writing style of Sisters of Sea View is a pretty major undertow for me. But I won't fault Julie as much as I could because what works, is great. I want to revisit the Summers sisters and see what comes next for them, as well as what comes next for the threads and characters that didn't get covered (Claire, where are you now and what's going on)? If you're like me and read with a writer's eye, know what you're getting into. Otherwise, you'll probably love this book. At the least, I can guarantee an enjoyable, bracing swim, especially for Regency fans who like memorable characters.

At first glance, The Sisters of Sea View appears to have much in common with Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. Here is a family of women who have lost their husband and father. None of them is married, and one sister is a model of practicality and familial responsibility. The youngest sister is more apt to climb a tree than to be drawn to the accomplishments of the genteel in society. There are also details that could be compared to Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. The cast of main characters is decidedly female, one aspires to be an author, two sisters come to properly appreciate each other after calamity strikes in the water, and two girls enjoy the art of creating homemade plays for their families. However, while Julie Klassen’s latest novel may have those details in common with other 19th century fiction, it certainly is its own narrative.The life of the Summers family as detailed in The Sisters of Sea View is compelling, entertaining and educational as well. Although there are similarities to Austen’s and Alcott’s characters, these ladies have their own struggles and triumphs. Klassen’s writing adeptly constructs these women, giving them their distinct personalities and foibles. While there is a bit of a “happily ever after” (HEA) to the story, not every problem is resolved with a perfect little bow. Insecurities and conflicts are realistic, drawing the reader in and making the narrative quite believable. Issues which are particular to the time add to the realism of the story, particularly in the area of superstitions and medical capabilities.The romance found in the novel is sweet, enticing, and very family-friendly. The HEA occurred in a way that I did not expect, and I just loved it. Do not let the amazing cover art of this book fool you– in my opinion, the “main character” is not the woman whose face we see on the cover. As this book is the first in a series, my expectation is that the bonneted lady we see on the beach will one day have her nuptial moment, but just not yet. Regardless, all the women in The Sisters of Sea View are given compelling, interwoven storylines that held my attention throughout the novel. There are moments of humor (including incidents with a dead parrot), dramatic tension, danger and heartwarming exchanges between young and old alike. As someone of Scottish heritage, I also appreciated the little cultural touches in connection with a few characters from that country, from the accents displayed to mentions of Scottish thistles, kilts, and haggis!The Sisters of Sea View is a delightful start to a new series by Julie Klassen. She has once again not failed to disappoint. Although I did enjoy the previous work of hers, Shadows of Swanford Abbey, I think I might have liked this title even more. I’m glad there will be more volumes to come, presumably with more of these characters and/or their relations. Days spent at Julie Klassen’s Devonshire shores are delightful indeed, suitable for all audiences and for fans of Austen and Alcott in particular.