Our Homesick Songs by Emma Hooper

I was delighted to have been invited to read this book as an advance reader copy after thoroughly enjoying and reviewing Emma Hooper's first novel, Emma and Otto and Russel and James.  I wish that I loved this novel as strongly as I love E.O.R.J. but something in this one fell a bit flat for me.

The good: Ms. Hooper still does a fantastic job of creating a world in which you can place yourself with the characters.  You could visualize the cold and bleak area, the dying fishing town, and the eccentric characters fit well within that framework.  Those characters too were vivid and refreshing.  The relationship between Aiden and Martha was so realistic and showed how relationships grow and can be picked apart and put back together again in a naturally unnatural way.  The pluck and vigor of Finn was so much fun.

The problem:  The whole thing didn't really hold together for me.  I feel there were MAJOR things that were glossed over surrounding the actions of the children.  I understand that the parents were wrapped up in their own stuff but Cora's storyline especially struck me as especially egregious. (I SO want to give stuff away here but will refrain).

I wanted to love this but I just couldn't though I am grateful to the publisher, author and netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this novel.