Review: We Hope for Better Things

Bedside Rating: 8.5/10

Genre: Historical Fiction

Don’t you just feel lucky when you’ve read two great books one after another? It’s almost as if I already know the next book I read will be very average. Is that far too negative of an outlook? Well I guess we will find out once I read my next book and leave you with my review on it.

I never like to read solely fiction or non fiction books. So you’ll definitely be seeing a good mix of the two being reviewed by me. To put it simply, We Hope for Better Things never left me hoping for a better read. You like what I did there. Snazzy right? This novel tells a story from three different generations, which as a whole is extremely effective and an unique way in portraying this story. The trio of timelines take place during the Civil War and its aftermath, the Detroit riots of 1967, and the present day. It took me a little bit to get in sync with jumping around from past to present to even further in the past. However, as I kept reading, I became heavily invested in each character and found myself inevitably falling into the rhythm of Bartels’ writing.

Personally, I love when I read a fiction novel that feels as though it could be non-fiction. One that could so easily be a true account of someones life. This is how I felt reading We Hope for Better Things. There wasn’t anything so outrageous that it couldn’t be real, and each character felt so honest. The themes of freedom, race, equality and love are so effortlessly woven into this beautifully told story.

So there it is, another highly recommended book for you all. Enjoy lovely people ! And as always, let me know your take.

xx

Sash