Publication Date: February 25, 2015
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Page Count: 382
Rating: 2/5 stars
Savannah. Courtney. Peyton.
The three sisters grew up not knowing their father and not quite catching a break. But it looks like their luck is about to change when they find out the secret identity of their long-lost dad—a billionaire Las Vegas hotel owner who wants them to come live in a gorgeous penthouse hotel suite. Suddenly the Strip's most exclusive clubs are all-access, and with an unlimited credit card each, it should be easier than ever to fit right in. But in a town full of secrets and illusion, fitting in is nothing compared to finding out the truth about their past.
*this book was sent to me courtesy of the author, in exchange for an honest review. In no way does it affect the rating I gave the book.
The Secret Diamond Sisters was not a book I would have picked up on my own. Generally, I tend to stay away from the genre of "chick-lit", for while I read almost anything and everything, it's the one genre (along with western, *shudders*) that I never really could get into. Every book I'd tried within the genre either put me to sleep, or left me irritated and annoyed. So when Michelle Madow was asking for bookstagramers to contact her for review copies, I was really hoping this book would change my opinions on the genre. After all, I had heard so many amazing things about this book, and figured that, if so many of my blogger friends liked it, then I would like it too.
Unfortunately, I was wrong.
I read about 150 of The Secret Diamond Sisters before I found myself unmotivated to continue. Granted, the 150 mark was reached after having owned the book for nearly a month and a half. I kept reading the same five pages over and over, but couldn't get myself to turn the page beyond that. Finally, it came down to the point where I had to abandon the book. But, I do want to explain why I didn't like the book. The following portion of this review may contain mild spoilers, so please read at your own discretion.
The characters lacked any sort of substance. They were plain, ordinary personas that I had read about a hundred times before. Nothing about their personalities really made me latch on to them, or made them memorable to me. While their dialogue was witty and hilarious at times, reading their streams of consciousness was a bit difficult to get through, in the sense that it was dull and lack-luster. I loved the idea of each of the three sisters having completely opposing personalities, but I just don't feel like it was executed well. There could have been so much more depth to each character, but instead, they were rather shallow.
Also not executed well (in my opinion) was the overarching plot. When reading the synopsis, I was sucked in immediately. After all, who doesn't love the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas? I know I do, however, the portrayal of high school life in Vegas was just overly cliché at best, and, quite frankly, as dull as the characters. I found myself being able to predict nearly every single plot line that was going on, and that was just within the first 150 pages! Maybe the book got better after that, but I don't know. The concept of the sisters being in poverty, then learning their father was a billionaire, then living this posh life with all of the guys fawning over the three of them was just a story that I had heard many times, and this one really didn't stick out in the masses.
Now, even though I didn't like this particular book, it doesn't mean anything against Michelle. In fact, I adore Michelle, and I'm looking forward to checking out her other books, which seem much more up my alley. I know she is a talented author, and although I didn't care too much for this book of hers, I'm going to begin her others with an open mind, and hopefully I'll love them much more.
On a side note, I also haven't completely given up on TSDS. I plan to go back and read the book again, sometime in the future.
No comments
Post a Comment