Paradise

While it was lovely to read a book that takes place in a shore town in a different country, I found this one to be a little bit of a let down. I think it's because the entire plot revolves around a big reveal that is pretty much handed to the reader in the introduction and solidified on page 148. If you look beyond the big “wow”, that really isn't that wow, then you see a family that is a mess. I wanted Billie to get her act together, and kept forgetting that she was 16 because in some parts of the book she is crazy mature for her age and in others, not so much. I just wanted to reach into the book and smack the mother. The finances really ticked me off too. At no time did Billie have to report to a lawyer's office to sign paperwork? What if the key had been delivered to the wrong address? No one stopped by to tell Billie where the checkbook was? And if Eleanor was so bent on reconciliation, why didn't she at least write a stinkin letter explaining anything? There is so much dysfunction going on here on so many levels that I just felt the addition of the artist was overkill. My head is still spinning actually, and not in a good way. I did like Billie and the author's voice. I liked Danny and Finn.