Such a fun book with some deep messages about climate and death. ( )

Anders , a journalist employed with a local paper is assigned to cover the famous cakewalk of Frick Island, is a small tourist island off the coast of the Chesapeake Bay . He meets Piper Parrish a resident of Frick Island who recently lost her husband to a boating accident but behaves as if he is alive and well and living with her in their home. Her delusions are enabled by the rest of her community who do not correct her and keep up the pretense. Piper’s story and her “invisible husband” intrigue Anders and he decides to share the story on his podcast, a venture that has not given him the fame and recognition he craves. He hides his true motives and tells the residents that his podcast would cover climate change and the effects it was having on the Island. Though the residents initially regard him with suspicion and skepticism, he starts sending more time on the island immersing himself in the community, getting closer to them and Piper whom he guesses to be suffering from hallucinations brought on by intense grief.
Though the story revolves around a woman grieving for her dead husband, The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley is a light read with an entertaining cast of characters and its share of humor, grief and a bit of mystery. I loved the descriptions of the island itself and the lives of the people residing there. While I did not dislike the story, I did find my attention wavering quite a bit. Some parts felt repetitive and at times the story seemed to drag with some of the revelations towards the end detracting from my overall experience with the book.
I went into this novel with high hopes since the premise sounded unique and interesting but I ended up a tad disappointed. The book has garnered a lot of positive reviews but I suppose it just wasn’t up my alley.
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I thought I had figured it out 8 chapters in, but I hadn't, so that was good. A somewhat simple story, but not bad. Everything hinges upon family secrets and a bit of superstition, so the plot really breaks down if you don't buy into all of that. ( )

Weirdly unlikeable characters ( )

Very unique, but many characters stayed two dimensional, even as the story went on. ( )