Title: Beautiful Day
Author: Elin Hilderbrand
Genre: Fiction
Quotation: “She waved good-bye and hurried down the street towards her family’s house, thinking again that some nights had good karma and some nights were cursed, and for a few moments, tonight had seemed like the former, but it had ended up the latter.”
Would recommend to: someone looking for an easy read on the beach.
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In my most humble opinion, “Beautiful Day” was a beautiful book. I’ve read a lot of reviews of it complaining that it isn’t up to the caliber of her other books. My defense is, I haven’t read any of her other books. But this is displayed as a beach read, and to me, it delivered. If you’re expecting some deep social commentary on weddings and divorce, put this book back on it’s shelf because that is not what this is.
I didn’t pick this book up expecting to be swept off my feet with amazing imagery or deep-seated themes. I was expecting an easy read to enjoy while getting tan laying by the water.
On that note, I’ll talk about the plot.
It follows a rich family through a weekend at Nantucket for the youngest daughter of a typical American family. Plot twist: The mother recently died of cancer and left a notebook with instructions for the big day.
Surprisingly, the notebook is only necessary to create drama and strife for the entire family (shocking, I know).
I thought the plot was rather predictable and pre-determined by years of reading novels. I knew exactly how it was going to end when I picked it up (or maybe 30 pages in when the main character’s love interests were introduced).
But I liked the way the book was creatively separated. It followed different family members perspectives within the division of the days (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday).
If you’ve noticed, creativity goes a long way with my opinion of a novel. Anything that is remotely original catches my eye and gives me hope for a great book. Maybe it’s because it adds something different to what would have been a boring story, and maybe it’s just because I appreciate creative ideas. I may never know what draws me to these books.
I don’t think “Beautiful Day” is a #1 on my list, but it’s definitely a good book to throw in your bag on the way to the beach.
Happy reading,
Kimberly
