Pieces of Blue by Holly Goldberg Sloan (Review by Emily Evan)

Rating: 3.5 stars

There were a lot of things to like about Pieces of Blue, including a family of three endearing children and vibrant imagery in the dream setting of Hawaii. After tragedy strikes, Lindsey, a newly single mom, moves her heartbroken family thousands of miles for a fresh start. The story that follows is a tale of grief, the bond of family, and what can happen when you open yourself up to new experiences.

Told from each family member’s perspective at different times throughout the book, the family dynamics become quickly apparent, and it was interesting to watch them unfold as the story went on. I particularly enjoyed seeing how the children’s strengths shone through as different challenges presented themselves and they leaned on each other to work through them. There were times they seemed wise beyond their years, and other times that their youth was quite apparent, which felt authentic to what a lot of kids go through, especially in those adolescent years.

While I found myself rooting for the main characters and enjoying the vivid scenery throughout the book, the overall story fell a bit short for me in a couple of ways. The instant connection between Lindsey and a complete stranger was not entirely believable. Additionally, the ending was gripping and tied up the story in a satisfying way, but there were times earlier on in the book that were slower and less engaging. The author’s previous works have been young adult novels, and while this is noted to be her debut novel for adults, the style of this book reminded me of a young adult novel in a lot of ways. Despite these aspects that brought my overall rating of the book down, I did enjoy the story overall and would recommend the book to anyone looking for a quick read and a tale of overcoming adversity that ends with a dramatic conclusion