I first became interested in this book after seeing rave reviews on YouTube, and one particular review lauded it for the way it developed the romance. I figured I'd give it a go; I'm always in the mood for a historical romance (or any historical fiction) and I'm happy to give debut authors a shot. Unfortunately, while there were many things I liked about this book, there were things about the writing that didn't quite click for me. Don't get me wrong - I absolutely adored the premise and the relationship between the two protagonists, and I loved the backdrop of World War I. But Winn's prose left me feeling somewhat adrift, so for that reason, this book only gets 3 stars from me.

WRITING: Winn's writing is better than that of a lot of debut authors I've read, but there were still some features that I found particularly distracting or unsatisfying.

For one, I thought the balance between dialogue and exposition was a little off, with a bit too much weight given to dialogue. As a result, the writing focuses too much on what is said (told) and not what is shown. So much dialogue, in my opinion, does little to develop a sense of interiority in the characters.

For two, Winn's skips over a lot of exposition that would have created mood, atmosphere, or emotion. Descriptions of the scenery or of significant character interactions either come too late or are so short as to be irrelevant, and personally, I felt we were robbed of a lot of experiences.

For three, I felt that moments that should have been more time dilated in the text felt rushed, so the emotions attached to them were very surface-level. Most of this narrative is relayed in short sections that flew by to the detriment of emotional weight, so I never felt like emphasis was being placed on anything.

Still, there were things that I enjoyed about this book. In particular, I liked the insertion of the newspaper column; because the boys' school and sense of comradery is so important, the paper felt like it was bridging the gap not only between students, but between students and alumnae. The "In Memoriam" sections were also very moving and reinforced the connection between all attendees of the school.

PLOT: The plot of this book follows English schoolboys Ellwood and Gaunt as they enlist in the armed forces during World War I. Gaunt enlists first to avoid being branded a coward and a traitor due to his German heritage; Ellwood soon follows when it becomes apparent through Gaunt's letters that war is not as Romantic as schoolboys would believe. When the two find each other at the front, they must navigate both their unrequited love for each other and the horrors of trench warfare.

While I loved the premise of this book, the execution left a lot to be desired. Personally, I felt that the plot lacked a strong sense of direction and failed to create emotional depth. Because Winn skips over a lot of exposition, I felt like I was being asked to absorb the significance of things without being shown how our protagonists reacted to the world around them, and even when we do get description, everything is over so quickly that it felt like Winn didn't care much for setting or atmosphere. Moreover, because the majority of the narrative is told in quick scenes that only last a couple of pages (at most), nothing felt like it had significant narrative or emotional weight. We don't dwell on feelings of loneliness or trauma or longing; scenes are over too fast for those things to really sink in. As a result, Winn has to fill the plot with a lot of little scenes that will hopefully result in something rather than longer scenes that take the time to sit with the emotions and themes she wants to explore.

The parts of the book that come closest to exploring emotion and significance are the Battle of the Somme, Gaunt's time as a prisoner of war, and the time that Ellwood and Gaunt spend together after they are sent home. Gaunt's POW experience felt like it had a goal, so I was invested in seeing how that goal would be achieved. Ellwood's experience at the Somme and his post-war trauma felt real and weighted, and I liked that Winn didn't romanticize it. Unfortunately, all this happens towards the end of the book, and I wish more effort was put into the earlier scenes so that the emotional weight built up more over time.

I also personally was not a huge fan of the way the romance developed. While I did like the dynamic between Ellwood and Gaunt, I felt like I was being told rather than shown things about their relationship, and this is especially apparent when their interactions after a long absence are short and lacking in narrative drama. I'm not asking for a soap opera, but I do think Winn could have injected more emotion into their relationship and shown us more interior feelings.

CHARACTERS: Sidney Ellwood, one of our protagonists, was fairly compelling in that his arc had a lot to do with poetry and disillusionment with English heroism. When we first meet Ellwood, he's constantly quoting poets (mostly Tennyson) and romanticizing things like war, bravery, and empire. Over time, however, England ceases to be a land of magic for him, and his poetry changes to be filled with horror. I found this shift fairly interesting as it mirrors a lot of historical disillusionment with war during the time period, and I liked that the horror produced a failure of language that caused Ellwood to cease quoting his idols. If I had any criticism, I think I would have liked to see more of Ellwood's original poetry. He writes a lot of verses, but we only see two or three of them; seeing how it changes over time would have been a powerful way of communicating his change.

Henry Gaunt, our other protagonist, is also fairly compelling in that he's morally against the war but enlists anyway as a point of honor. Gaunt is fairly reserved in his affections and doesn't appear to make friends easily, but his time at the front makes him cherish his relationships more and motivates him to confess his feelings for Ellwood. I found Gaunt's kindness to be endearing and his insistence that he is always fine rather sad, but I do like that he used his strength and stature to watch out for other people. If I had any criticisms, I think I would have liked to see his obsession with classics used more effectively. The classics are filled with depictions of battle and philosophical musings on morality, and I think classics could have been used like Ellwood's poetry to show a more defined character arc.

Supporting characters were fine, but there were so many and a lot of them died, so it was difficult to tell a lot of them apart. Some of my favorites were Hayes, a brilliant officer whose lower class background highlights the class difference is how men are treated at the front, and Devi, an Indian classmate whose upbeat attitude and numerous escape attempts injected a lot of lightheartedness into a dreary narrative. I also liked Gaunt's sister, Maud, though I do think she could have been used more.

TL;DR: In Memoriam is notable for its two compelling protagonists and realistic treatment of trauma; however, I personally thought the emotion was too surface level and exploration of themes was too shallow to warrant giving this book a higher rating. While I do love the idea of telling the story of two mlm at the front during World War I, the writing of the narrative just didn't move me in the way I would have liked and I think more interiority needed to be created in order to achieve the desired effect.