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Another Aussie Hit! It’s a true testament to how much I enjoy a book when I forego an entire sunny afternoon to curl up on my couch and read a book from beginning to end in one sitting. I find I do that quite often with books penned by Aussie writers. It’s like there’s a magic and realism about them. Something like tuning into a story you're already familiar with to get another few chapters of someone’s life… someone you feel you know and a story that seems so real. I don’t know how else to put it, but that’s what these books do to me and Saltwater Moons is no exception. Now I have to admit up front that I noticed this story caused some heated emotions for some of my Street Corner Booker friends, and I didn’t feel the same way. I’m not quite sure if it was the protagonist or her boyfriend that raised these emotions in them, but I felt tuned into the three main characters, and I had a bag load of sympathy for each of them at the ready. I really came to like Sun, Tycho (pronounced TySHO) and even Mark in some form or fashion. They each had a sort of vulnerability that was expressed so honestly that I wanted to give them all a big hug. So as far as the cast of characters go, they were awesome. I’m probably one of the only Bookers that came to like Mark. Now don’t get me wrong, what he did at the end was wrong, but the entire time I saw him for what he was… sad, flawed and somehow broken to the point that you really had to look closely to sense his desperation and that broke my heart. I wish he didn’t do that one thing that was meant to destroy his character at the end, but other than that, he was your typical guy that makes mistakes when it comes to girls, lust and love. I tried to understand why Sun made the choice she made that sealed her fate between her and Tycho and I don’t think it was a strong enough reason to set Tycho aside, but she realized that. Tycho was definitely someone that deserved more then he got, but unfortunately he didn’t cease the moment and it passed him right by. But I did have hope for Sun and Ty at the end after all was said and done. Overall, the storyline was right up my alley. This book to me is about beauty and hope and most importantly wanting something that seems unreachable. It’s also about betrayal and learning to trust again, all the real feelings that come with loving someone you can’t have and being with someone that doesn’t feel quite right. Julie Gittus manages to share all of these feelings without rushing the story. Her pace and delivery has that special element that you feel you’re deep into the story and before you know it, the main character is ending her narrative and you don’t feel hurried along or left with a sense of longing. It’s wrapped up, not in a pretty bow, but packaged in a way that you feel complete. Thank you so much to my Aussie Booker Angel Nic for sending this all the way from Australia. What would I do without you? ((HUGS)) Now it’s off to Germany to be enjoyed by the rest of the Street Corner. :D P.S. To all of the Aussie writers out there, there’s something simply magical about the stories you share. They might not all be earth shattering or life changing, but definitely special and emotional in the best kind of way. So keep drinking the water or eating the vegemite, basically keep doing whatever it is you do that fills the pages you write with that something special that makes me crave just one more page before I close my eyes at night… just one more page… May the well never run dry down under. ~sigh~ Song choice: Blue October - Picking up the Pieces

2023-01-27 04:20