“Life was a battle, and Mother a tired and bitter captain.”

This one has been sitting on my shelf for ages without any legitimate reason for not having picked it up until now. I finally decided to read it as part of a last-ditch effort to finish a reading challenge before the New Year - and because it's short.  

It was fine. Pretty much exactly what I expected. After reading Chains, I already had a good sense of Laurie Halse Anderson's style, so this didn't surprise me. It's a solid little novel, definitely better suited for middle-grade readers than for my grown self.  

I enjoy middle-grade books, but I don't think I'll be diving into any more of hers. They're great for what they are, and I don't mean this to sound negative or like I didn’t enjoy it. It’s just that her stories give me the same experience each time, and I’d rather explore something new than stick with what feels predictable.  

It's perfect for its intended audience, but I’ll probably move on to other authors from here.