A Book Review: Flatlands by Sue Hubbard - NO SPOILERS

Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 /5

Would I recommend: It's a little slow but I did like the story. If you don't mind a slower-paced book then this is for you!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Pushkin Press, and Sue Hubbard for allowing me to read and review this delightful novel :))

Flatlands is a slow-paced novel that's incredibly meaningful and empathetic, following the life of a girl called Freda as an evacuee during WW2.

To be completely honest, I wasn't very interested in the first third of the book. I found it to be very slow-paced, switching between the past and the present. I also feel as though the setting was very descriptive/specific, to the point where it could lose someone who's unfamiliar with the whereabouts of cities or places in England.

This has nothing to do with the actual book or plot itself, but the formatting of the download was just really off-putting with no speech marks for dialogue or anything. I have no idea if it was intentional or not, but regardless, I'm not a fan.

My interest, however, did grow just before Book 2 starts halfway through when Philip and Freda are brought together by an injured goose. Their friendship is really wholesome, and it reminds me of an older brother looking out for his younger sister. Philip worried about her a lot, and they were both united by their loneliness.

Philips's character was also really interesting and portrayed well. His inner thoughts and turmoil were fleshed out and felt real, I loved reading it. I did wish that there was more of that for Freda, though. She had really grown on me, and I would've liked more of her.

That will be all for today's post. I've got quite a couple of other reviews out on both my Instagram (@fiction.ism) and on my blog too so feel free to check them out.

Love you all and thank you so much,

Aziza <33