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Title: Nice try but no cigar
Review: Alice Hoffman has hit upon a great idea, but the story lacks the depth and fullness of a well-crafted novel. Its trite attempts at poignancy are contrived, and the character dialogue and thoughts have the luster of a wood block. Some of my favorite novels are "unbelievable" and that's what makes them great (e.g., Tom Robbins' Jitterbug Perfume). Blue Diary, in contrast, is the kind of unbelievable that prevents the reader from getting lost in the story. Instead, I found myself distracted by the preposterous, although intriguing, premise. Perhaps a more creative novelist could have pulled it off.
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