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  • Writer's pictureAaron Channel

Shanty by the Sea: Fun without Dysfunction

Updated: Jul 18, 2019

Kelli Pizarro’s “Shanty by the Sea” tells the story of a twenty-nine-year-old coffee shop employee, Scarlett Cooper, who has big dreams of establishing herself as a successful author. There’s just one problem: writer’s block is preventing her from finishing her first novel. When she winds up winning a trip to a costume-clad, 19th-century-themed writer’s retreat, she thinks everything is going to come together for her...but no story is complete without obstacles, which come in the form of snide, conspiring fellow writers and a handsome, but distracting, animal handler. Whether or not she can achieve her original goal will ultimately boil down to her own sheer force of will.


In a market which thrives on dysfunction, the refreshingly clean-cut, innocent tone of this book makes it enjoyable for readers age 12 and up. Regarding genre, it pulls out all the stops to earn its place as up-scale Christian fiction. At the same time, it provides a compelling plot with universal problems that secular audiences will also be able to relate to. Particularly noteworthy are Pizarro’s witty, humorous turns of phrase and her ability to easily make readers empathize with a shy, introverted, cat person character which, in real life, would likely not attract much attention.


Something which sets this book apart from many others is that, while Scarlett does indeed find her proverbial Prince Charming, the book’s focus is not her relationship with him, but rather her unapologetic commitment to her career and her firm rooting to her personal morals. This should appeal in particular to those seeking literature that, while certainly RomCom, can still pass the Bechdel test.


One negative I would say: read “Shanty by the Sea” with caution if you are currently dieting. Pizarro’s literary style appeals tremendously to both smell and taste, very commonly referencing delicious local food and drink which help establish the New England setting. Not unlike Joanne Harris (“Chocolat,”) so frequently and descriptively does Pizarro discuss the local menu that this book might send the reader running towards a restaurant for lobster bisque.


That said, this is overall a charming and pleasant book.





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