Drizzle, Dreams, and Lovestruck Things / Maya Prasad / Book Review

The four Singh sisters are as different as could be. 

Nidhi is always in control. As the eldest, she has to be. But that doesn't stop her from having big plans--plans that include summer in Paris with her boyfriend. Even if the relationship has started to feel stale. 

Avani is caught up in a go, go, go world of busywork, which isn't helped by her scatterbrained nature. She just wants her family to take her seriously. It would help if she could remember all the tasks she's supposed to do. 

Sirisha might be painfully quiet, but she still deserves love. Even if that means breaking out of her shell. And learning how to take a chance on the cute new girl in town.

Rani is a hopeless romantic, waiting for her Destiny to walk in the door. But definitely not the cute boy from last summer who ghosted her. She's got higher standards than that.

Thoughts

I loved the concept here--a seaside inn, four uniquely sisters, the whole coming-of-age arc. Maya Prasad's writing stands strong. But even with the concept and the writing, I just found the end product... a little boring. 

Pros

• Sisterly Love: It's so rare to find a book where sisterhood is integral. This book perfectly captures that thread of sororal love, embodying what makes Louisa May Alcott's Little Women a classic. These four girls are distinctly different in personality, ambition, and life goals, but they love each other, understand each other, support each other--and that's excellent.

• PNW Vibes: It can be so easy in contemporary novels for the setting to fall to the wayside. The setting is familiar, not a fantasy realm or deep space or some otherwise unfamiliar landscape that genre fiction generally employs. But here, the setting is as integral as the sisters. Crashing Pacific waves, fluttering snow, quirky hipster vibes--and of course, the seaside inn that these sisters call home. This setting creates a unique and sort of ethereal backdrop for this coming-of-age romance. 

• Personality Writing: It can be hard, in third person narration, to find a distinctive voice for each character--especially when those characters are sisters. But Prasad does an excellent job distinguishing these girls, down to the very way their narrative parts are written. Nidhi thinks in lists, tasks to be done. Avani expresses her life through bouts of poetry. Quiet Sirisha's inner monologue fills in the gaps where her dialogue doesn't suffice, and Rani's romantic Bollywood-style script best describes her own hopes and dreams. This switch-up in narrative style was unique and interesting, and it perfectly fit each of these girls and their big dreams. 

Cons

• Slow: This book is slow. It takes its time to unfold. It's not particularly short, and so there's a lot of material to dig into here. There's a lot to get mired in. Reading this book felt like a slog. That's not to say it wasn't enjoyable in the long run, but it does take its time to get there. 

• Long Chapters: You know what makes a slow book feel longer than it already it? Long chapters. Because of the meandering nature of this story, the chapter length made it feel longer and slower than it should have. The writing here is good, but it is hard to get sucked into the story when each chapter feels like such a commitment. 

• Similar Structure: Four sisters, uniquely different, right down to the very style in which their chapters are written. And yet, each of these four sections felt incredibly similar because they are all structured the same. The love interest is introduced, a few obstacles are thrown in the way, a long and ponderous build-up ensues, and then there's a kiss. Another chapter or two wrap up that sister's tale before we move on. It was fine the first time around. The fourth time, I was tired of it. 

Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

5/10

Fans of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women will enjoy these contemporary sisters learning to face the world. Those who enjoyed Ann Brashares's Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants will love these four unique perspectives on love and life. 

Details

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Date: October 18, 2022
Series: N/A

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Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.