Publication Date: 02nd July 2024
Genre: Contemporary Fiction (Men’s Fiction)
3.8 Stars
One Liner: A warm and mellow read
The Schmidts have run the family restaurant for decades. The beachfront setting makes it a prime location for good business. Jake had been running the establishment since his father's demise. Now at 52, he is single, exhausted, and has no life beyond the restaurant.
With the DelDine group taking over many restaurants in the region, Jake knows he should sell his as well to them and finally live the life he wanted. Maybe find someone to call his own. However, he is tied to the place with many invisible bonds. The restaurant is his everything but leaves him with nothing. Can Jake make a fresh start or will he surrender his life to the restaurant?
The story comes in Jack’s third-person POV.
My Thoughts:
After my friend recently read ‘Men’s Fiction’ I wanted to try one. Imagine my surprise when I realized this would fit the tag, though it is marked General Fiction.
This is a character-driven story with a loose plot and an open ending. The story is divided into two parts – Jack’s indecision and what happens after he decides.
The narrative is mellow though it deals with quite a few heavy themes (parental death, PTSD, a wayward son, depression, dementia, loneliness, suicide, etc.). However, since we get the story from Jack’s POV, things are softened to a large extent. He is the kind of person who wants to say and do a lot but ends up saying almost nothing.
That means the reader has to really work to empathize with the characters. Though we know Jack’s internal thoughts, it doesn’t have the impact it should. While it would work well as a character study, it may not be a gripping story if you want more action. Of course, this is case-sensitive.
The initial pacing is slow but it picks up as we progress. The setting is also a character and the ‘snippets from the guidebook’ add to this. I like seeing the changes in Jack and his growing appreciation for the beauty around him as he learns to become active in his life.
The side characters are intriguing but I couldn’t entirely connect with any of them. I like Vivian for her no-nonsense attitude, and Nicole manages to make a mark. And oh, Lara is great too, in whatever little space she has. I wouldn’t have minded a little more detailing for others.
The restaurant, the responsibilities, the pressure from big chains and their exploiting tactics, etc., are very well presented and seamlessly woven into the plot without any excessiveness. No lectures or preaching. Just a situation and a possible solution that applies here.
I like the ending is hopeful and positive but open. It’s exactly how slice-of-life stories should conclude. Not everything is tied up neatly even if it can give me my favorite HEA. It would have been a little too neat here, so this works the best.
To summarize, The Same Bright Stars is a heartwarming read with realistic characters. It shows the various dilemmas they face in their lives and how their decisions can have long-lasting repercussions on them and others.
Thank you, NetGalley and Scribner, for eARC.
#NetGalley #TheSameBrightStars
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