readhikerepeat's review against another edition
3.0
Originally reviewed at The Book Wheel.
Shy and socially awkward, Frances was not one who made friends easily. For most of her life, she avoided social situations that would highlight her awkwardness and instead withdrew into her immediate surroundings. But when a job documenting the architecture of a rundown mansion came along, she took it. Remote and secluded, the mansion offered the exact type of living Frances was accustomed to and was seeking.
Life, however, had other plans. Instead of reveling in solitude on a country estate, she found herself the upstairs neighbor to a boisterous and thrill-seeking couple who were on an adventure of their own. Cara and Peter were the exact opposite of Frances: outgoing, friendly, socially adept, and impossible to ignore. Alone in the house together, their worlds began to blend together, not least of which because of a peephole in Frances’ bathroom that allowed her to see her neighbors in an unguarded fashion.
Bitter Orange is a slow burn of a read – a subtle mystery that ignites a tumultuous friendship amongst a trio of lost souls who are each seeking absolution. Because though they find themselves in the same place and time, they each have a story to tell about who they were and who they want to be. This collision of past and future is what drives the story forward.
As with her previous novels, Fuller has a way of slowly unraveling a story of complicated characters in a lyrical manner that softly ebbs and flows. I neither loved nor loathed them, yet I was drawn to them and immensely interested in their pasts (perhaps even more so than I was about their futures, in this case). It is also incredibly descriptive, and I could easily visualize the mansion and its estate, adding an element of richness to an already good story. And though it took a bit longer than expected to get into it, it was worth the wait and ended with a bang.
Shy and socially awkward, Frances was not one who made friends easily. For most of her life, she avoided social situations that would highlight her awkwardness and instead withdrew into her immediate surroundings. But when a job documenting the architecture of a rundown mansion came along, she took it. Remote and secluded, the mansion offered the exact type of living Frances was accustomed to and was seeking.
Life, however, had other plans. Instead of reveling in solitude on a country estate, she found herself the upstairs neighbor to a boisterous and thrill-seeking couple who were on an adventure of their own. Cara and Peter were the exact opposite of Frances: outgoing, friendly, socially adept, and impossible to ignore. Alone in the house together, their worlds began to blend together, not least of which because of a peephole in Frances’ bathroom that allowed her to see her neighbors in an unguarded fashion.
Bitter Orange is a slow burn of a read – a subtle mystery that ignites a tumultuous friendship amongst a trio of lost souls who are each seeking absolution. Because though they find themselves in the same place and time, they each have a story to tell about who they were and who they want to be. This collision of past and future is what drives the story forward.
As with her previous novels, Fuller has a way of slowly unraveling a story of complicated characters in a lyrical manner that softly ebbs and flows. I neither loved nor loathed them, yet I was drawn to them and immensely interested in their pasts (perhaps even more so than I was about their futures, in this case). It is also incredibly descriptive, and I could easily visualize the mansion and its estate, adding an element of richness to an already good story. And though it took a bit longer than expected to get into it, it was worth the wait and ended with a bang.
amyknights91's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
afox98's review against another edition
3.0
This whole book is just a vibe. The setting, a run-down old mansion called Lynton House. Frances, a socially awkward researcher whose adult life has mostly been taken caring for her mother. Peter and Cara, the glittering and attractive couple that Frances is fascinated by, then alarmed by. This story reminds me of slow, languid summers in the south.
daenjou's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
smores11's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
You would think after reading all of Claire Fuller's novels, I would be used to the quiet tragedies. But I was not prepared for the sadness of this.
Again, the author writes beautifully, creating characters that your heart breaks for, and honestly just leaving the pieces where they fall.
You would think after reading all of Claire Fuller's novels, I would be used to the quiet tragedies. But I was not prepared for the sadness of this.
Again, the author writes beautifully, creating characters that your heart breaks for, and honestly just leaving the pieces where they fall.
tfsheridan95's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
applesodaperson's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I think this book had a bunch of potential, but ended up falling short at the end. I think the ending was pretty predictable. I also wish the more spooky aspects of seeing ghosts and stuff would have been in it more. I like the atmosphere of the ruined old house though. I also think that there wasn’t a clear enough motive for what happens at the end of the book.
Read from the Provo library.
Read from the Provo library.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Murder and Pregnancy
annabeller's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
justdavid3113's review against another edition
4.0
What Claire Fuller does with her characters is nothing short of beautiful. She has a way of creating these people that you root for, while constantly questioning them. They take on a life in your mind in a way very few authors even attempt to do.
Bitter Orange is very different from her previous two books. In saying that, all three are markedly different. But this one is much more of a slow burn, a piece driven more so by the development of the characters than anything else. I’m not always a fan of the slow burn method, I can often get bored and find them anticlimactic. But the characters here made me want to know how their stories ended. And I was not disappointed.
Bitter Orange is very different from her previous two books. In saying that, all three are markedly different. But this one is much more of a slow burn, a piece driven more so by the development of the characters than anything else. I’m not always a fan of the slow burn method, I can often get bored and find them anticlimactic. But the characters here made me want to know how their stories ended. And I was not disappointed.