The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society by Darian Gee

  ★★★¾

GENRE: fiction
SUBJECT: memories
SETTING: Avalon, IL
CHARACTERS: Bettie Shelton, Yvonne Tate, Isabel Kidd
DATE READ: December 20 - December 26
NO. OF PAGES: 405
Off the Shelf (pre-2012)? Source?:   Yes,ER
CATEGORY: Lunch

PLOT:.......................................3.5
CHARACTERIZATION:................3
TOPICS:....................................2.5
STYLE:......................................3
ORIGINALITY:............................2.5
ADDICTIVENESS:......................3
OWNERSHIP:............................3
THRESHOLD QUALITY:...............2.5
Average.......................................................2.88

Bettie Shelton, president of the Avalon Scrapbooking Society, takes an interest in everyone's life in Avalon IL.  She will order people who are not interested in participating in scrapbooking to come to meetings, host meetings, pick up supplies.

Other characters in this novel, are somewhat one dimensional or placed in the scenario for a specific purpose.  The Tea shop which hosts several events has an owner and manager that also kowtow to Bettie's demands while at the same time as they are handling their own emotional issues.  But Bettie is the central character who supposedly ties everyone together but the connection often falls short.

When I started this book I saw many similarities between this book and Laura Childs Tea Shoppe mysteries and Scrapbooking mysteries.  However, the comparison is not favorable to ALSS.  There is no flow that takes the reader from one character's tale and back again even though Bettie is the link.  The relationships appear very disjointed and contrived.