Book Review: Olive Branches Don't Grow On Trees (by Grace Mattioli)
This was my first book in 2016. I had not heard of this book or author before; it is just something I chanced upon while browsing for book deals online.
The story revolves around one character, Sylvia (often referred to as Sylvie) and her complex relationships with her family members. The family is a dysfunctional one, most if its problems rooting back to her father who is an alcoholic. The plot of the story is not very exciting; it has no unexpected twists, no romance, no death, none of that. It just gives you a slice out of a very ordinary life of a very ordinary 20-something girl from a dysfunctional family; someone who is grappling with her purpose in life, trying to find out who she really is, amidst the uncertain fate of her family.
In the first few chapters, I found it very difficult to read as the descriptions were too many and too complex. I felt like they were muddled up, confused and fuzzy. At first, I attributed this to the writer's lack of skill, but later, I realised that this is probably how it was meant to be. The story, even though written in a narrative style, is essentially coming from the confused mind of Sylvie. The writing conveys this confusion on to the reader's mind effectively.
The story revolves around one character, Sylvia (often referred to as Sylvie) and her complex relationships with her family members. The family is a dysfunctional one, most if its problems rooting back to her father who is an alcoholic. The plot of the story is not very exciting; it has no unexpected twists, no romance, no death, none of that. It just gives you a slice out of a very ordinary life of a very ordinary 20-something girl from a dysfunctional family; someone who is grappling with her purpose in life, trying to find out who she really is, amidst the uncertain fate of her family.
In the first few chapters, I found it very difficult to read as the descriptions were too many and too complex. I felt like they were muddled up, confused and fuzzy. At first, I attributed this to the writer's lack of skill, but later, I realised that this is probably how it was meant to be. The story, even though written in a narrative style, is essentially coming from the confused mind of Sylvie. The writing conveys this confusion on to the reader's mind effectively.
Rating: 3.5 stars
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