(SEMI-SPOILER ALERT)(I won't spoil it too much)
I just finished reading "Kissing Adrien" by Siri Mitchell last night. I looked at the clock. It said 12:00 a.m. exactly. It felt very strange to be finished with this book. The characters had become a daily companion to me, even though it only took me about 3 days of sporadic reading to start and finish the book, it felt like much longer, or much quicker. As you can read, I'm a little befuddled at the moment.
I had such a love/hate relationship with this book. Everyone had built it up to the point that I felt like I was missing out on the next great world wonder if I didn't read the book, only to find that I got bored, then impatient, then interested, then excited, then impatient, then uninterested, then engrossed, then enthralled, yada yada yada..... even when I had a negative view about the book, I couldn't put it down or I'd put it down and walk away, only to have it occupy my thoughts until I picked it up again.
I was about 2/3's of the way done when I looked at where I was in the book, thinking that I had barely started, that I hadn't even reached the middle yet. I was shocked to see how rapidly the end was approaching. What! Hurry Claire! Hurry Adrien! It was a moment of panic that all would not end well.
So, back to midnight last night. I hurried through the last 20 pages of the book, my eyes eating up the words like a starved person, until I got closer to the end... then I slowed down and digested each sentence and let it sink in deep the culmination of all the miscommunications and passion and longing and misguided views of these two amazing people.
The End.
I put down the book and stared at the wall. It wasn't until about a minute later that I realized that tears were coursing down my face. I wasn't sad, or angry or upset... but I couldn't stop the tears. It was like a dam had been released and all the raging emotions that were so subtly there throughout the whole book came to the surface in one great release.
That's exactly what it was, release. Now I look back and everything I loved and everything I hated about the book all made sense and came together... nothing could be added or subtracted from this story. It all fit.
and I hear that the second read-through is even better than the first...
s.w.a.k.
The Queen
4 comments:
That what it was like Kissing Adrien... Sigh
That is one of my favorite recent reads, and one I will go back to again and again when I want to read an "ain't love grand" kind of a book. The culmination at the end was PERFECTION in writing. And, as with her book set in Japan, I felt like I'd visited France. Siri's imagery sweeps you away to another place, doesn't it?
Loved your review...you ought to drop Siri Mitchell a line and let her know you've blogged about it. =) I know that most authors appreciate feedback on their books.
"The culmination at the end was PERFECTION in writing."
I couldn't agree more Becky!
I couldn't agree with Deb more...sigh...kissing Adrien...aww
I loved this book! It is now one of favorites too!
BTW, love the picture.
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