The Ballad of Dinah Caldwell by Kate Brauning left me with mixed feelings as a librarian who generally enjoys young adult novels. While the premise promised an intriguing exploration of family secrets and the complexities of small-town life, I found the execution to be lacking. The protagonist, Dinah Caldwell, felt underdeveloped, and her motivations often seemed unclear. The narrative, though attempting to build suspense, fell flat in its pacing, making it challenging to stay engaged with the unfolding mystery. Additionally, the dialogue felt forced at times, lacking the authentic and relatable conversations that usually characterize well-crafted young adult fiction. Unfortunately, The Ballad of Dinah Caldwell failed to captivate me and fell short of the expectations set by other works in the genre.

Despite my reservations, I recognize that individual reading preferences vary, and some readers may appreciate the novel's attempt to blend family drama with a mysterious small-town atmosphere. The Ballad of Dinah Caldwell may find its audience among those who enjoy a slower-paced narrative and are more forgiving of character development inconsistencies. While it didn't resonate with me personally, I would encourage readers to explore the book for themselves and form their own opinions based on their tastes in young adult fiction.

I really liked the beginning and the plot of the book but I felt the romance took center stage which was unfortunate. The end if the book seemed unrealistic with the romance, what do I know though? Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for a review,

I am over 40% through this book and am struggling to finish. I am putting this down for now and may come back to it... the writing style--especially describing people as Black or white when it has nothing to do with the plot/character development is interfering with my enjoyment of the story.