Looked Forward to It, but Was the Book Worth the Wait?

So I was planning my week a couple of weeks ago, and put in the back-to-back reviews I had. At the end of the session, I double-checked everything and found that I’d switched one book with another–opposite dates. OOPS. So, I covered them up with white stickers and rewrote. One of them. Only one.

Double oops.

Got a message today saying I hadn’t filled out a form. For a book I was supposed to have read two weeks ago. And hadn’t. So, guess what I did today?

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Looked Forward to It, but Was the Book Worth the Wait?

Considering much of the story is written about a young girl growing into womanhood, I’d have to consider this strongly in the YA or youth field. The descriptions of the islands, the coast, the lake–it’s all breathtaking and rarely does the author go overboard with it. I really enjoyed feeling like I was there on the islands, in the gales, helping with the lighthouse. She managed to capture those things perfectly.

Outside of that, however, the book fell flat for me.

I never really cared about any of the characters except for Uncle Otis and a bit for Aunt Edith. The characters were all rather flat and a bit… perfect. Lainey was a strong “Mary Sue” character. I just never felt like she was human. More of a cardboard cutout placed in the scenes of the book.

My understanding of Scripture differs from the author’s, and as such, I took issue with a few things. A vision, a few instances of God “speaking” to the characters. Some of those times were closely connected to Scripture, so I was fine with that. BUT… others… too specific and outside of Scripture.

All in all, those who enjoy books in the vein of the Lamplighter books or Elsie Dinsmore will enjoy Lainey of the Door Islands. Also, if you’re just in the mood for a book with little believable tension and a lot of sweet interactions, Lainey of the Door Islands will be a perfect fit for you. I wanted to love it so much, but it just wasn’t the book for me.

About the Book

Book: Lainey of the Door Islands

Author: Judy Ducharme

Genre: Historical Fiction and Young Adult Fiction

Release date: July 24, 2020

Walk with Lainey into the world of Door County and its islands in the late 1800s, a time of shipwrecks, lighthouses, and strong individuals who never gave up. Lainey becomes one of those rugged individuals as she faces tragedy and hardship. Her aunt and uncle, the lighthouse keepers on tiny Pilot Island, demonstrate the toughness needed to survive, but Lainey takes it a step further with her spunk and grace and becomes a shining light to all those around her. With humor, faith, close friendships and the young man who interferes with her ability to function, Lainey of the Door Islands will capture your heart, and she’ll inspire you to know that no matter what happens, God has a plan to prosper and not to harm.

About the Author

Judy DuCharme grew up with Lake Huron next to her backyard and has always loved the water. She, her husband, daughter, and son moved to Door County in 1984. After teaching 5th Grade at Gibraltar School for 22 years, Judy followed the calling that tugged at her all her life to write. Lainey of the Door Islands is her 7th published book and she is the recipient of numerous awards. She also writes for Guideposts Magazine. If you visit Door County, you may find her hiking in the woods, jet skiing on the bay, worshipping at her church, teaching a Bible study, cheering for the Green Bay Packers, playing with her amazing grandson, or sitting outside enjoying the beauty around her.

More from Judy

Door County, where I live, is the destination of 3 million people in the summer and fall. Lainey of the Door Islands, my seventh published book, is the culmination of my desire to write a book about this wonderful area where I live. Tourists and residents alike love all things Door County, past and present. One day as I traveled on the ferry between Washington Island and the mainland of Door County and gazed out at tiny Pilot Island, I said again to myself, ‘I need to write a book about Door County’. I don’t recall if it was that day, the next, or two days later, but the story dropped into my spirit. I sat down at my computer and wrote well into the second chapter in one sitting. I said to my husband, “I’m writing and I can’t stop.”