Review: No Alligators in Sight by Kristen B. Feldman

Title: No Alligators in Sight
Author: Kristen B. Feldman
Format: Ebook
Pages: 1232
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Summary: In this coming of age novel, Lettie and Bert squeak by in a tiny town on Cape Cod, one parent an alcoholic and the other absent. After a string of bad decisions on Lettie’s part, their father ships them to their barely remembered mother for the summer, where they will learn hard lessons about themselves, their family, and their future by way of the Florida swamp. Throughout Lettie keeps her biting humor flowing, her razor-sharp pen at the ready, and her eye on her quest for a “normal” life.
Review: I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This book was very well written and the author did an amazing job with the descriptions, but I just couldn't love it. I loved the idea of the story, but it just didn't work for me. I found the story to be a little slow throughout. I liked that the main character came to the realization that the grass isn't always greener on the other side. I just wish the book had been told in a more exciting way.  I'm not sure if I would recommend this novel to anyone, but if you are looking for a coming of age novel be sure to check this one out.

About this author

I grew up on Cape Cod and the Connecticut shoreline and now live outside of Boston, much too far from the ocean and the sand. Reading and writing have played a central part in my life both personally and professionally. I am rarely without a book in my hand. Brown University gave me my undergrad degree in comparative literature and Tufts kindly did the same for my master's in English education. I have worked in a variety of school and museum education settings, including teaching 7th and 8th grade English. My graduate advisor once told me that if teenagers don't make you laugh then consider another career. To me the adolescent voice has such vibrancy and depth to it, whether funny or not; many of my favorite books have this point of view, including: The Fault In Our Stars by John Green, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood. When I started writing No Alligators in Sight, it was unequivocally Lettie's voice that told me the story. May she speak to you as well! If you want to check out other great books with this point of view, see Goodreads interactive list of young narrators and even add your own.