An 80s Epistolary Contemporary – We Are Still Tornadoes {Review}

We Are Still Tornadoes by Michael Kun, Susan Mullen
Publisher: St Martin's Griffin (2016)
eARC (304 pages)
Via: NetGalley
Rating:
Reading Challenges: Read 2016

Synopsis

It’s the summer of 1982, and for Scott and Cath, everything is about to change.
Growing up across the street from each other, Scott and Cath have been best friends for most of their lives. Now they’ve graduated high school, and Cath is off to college while Scott stays at home trying to get his band off the ground. Neither of them realized that their first year after high school would be so hard.
Fortunately, Scott and Cath still have each other, and it’s through their letters that they survive heartache, annoying roommates, family dramas, and the pressure of figuring out what to do with the rest of their lives. And through it all, they realize that the only person they’ve ever wanted to turn to is each other. But does that mean they should think about being more than friends? One thing is clear: Change is an inescapable part of growing up, and we share unbreakable bonds with the friends who help us navigate it.

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My Review

I wanted to like this book, but I couldn’t bring myself to finish it. It is an epistolary novel, told entirely through letters. I really like this format for books.

However, when I start finding things to do so I don’t have to read, then it is time to put the book aside. That is what happened with We Are Still Tornadoes.

First of all, this isn’t the type of book I would usually read. It is an 80s contemporary. I was so intrigued by the layout: letters exchanged by Cath and Scott. I did like that part. Long distance phone calls were terribly expensive and so letter made the most sense when Cath goes off to college and Scott stays in their hometown.

I liked how the letters really showed off the individual personalities of our two letter writers. I enjoyed that both characters were so different and yet they were such great friends. I guess you could say that it was realistic.

However, I didn’t finish this novel. I started getting bored and a bit confused. The bored part is most likely because this isn’t something that I would usually choose to read. I guess I lost interest.

The slightly confused part is because I sometimes felt like things were missing. Since the novel is just letters, we miss the times Scott and Cath talk on the phone or are together in person. We only see the letters which means that sometimes there will be confusion.

In all, this just wasn’t the book for me. I don’t think I was really the intended audience of this novel. I did enjoy parts of it, but not enough to get past 65%.

I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley for
review consideration. This in no way affects my opinion of the title
nor the content of this review.

Have you read an epistolary novel before? What were your thoughts?