katyduncan's review against another edition
5.0
Interesting and different idea. Beautifully written!
patchworkninja's review against another edition
4.0
An evocative story that tugs a the heart strings exploring what family means and the power of scent.
shimonamal's review against another edition
Onrealistische emoties en vlakke karakters
kristinmarzullo's review against another edition
5.0
Utterly brilliant and imaginative. I was instantly transported into this world both through the lyrical stylings of the writing and the descriptive nature of all the scents! This story is about secrets, lies, but also the hidden truths that are revealed with a coming of age. I felt everything; childlike wonder, sadness, fear, heartbreak, pride— all of it. While parts of this story broke tiny pieces of my heart others put them back together. It was wonderfully magical and yet so grounded and real.
katekate_reads_'s review against another edition
4.0
Some books are more than a story you read - they somehow draw you in and are a fully immersive experience. You are in the world - seeing what’s described, hearing the background noises - and in this case, smelling all the scents described.
At the start of the book, Emmaline and her father are living alone on a remote island - she hasn’t seen another person at all that she can remember. Her father tells her fabulous stories about a Scent hunter and teaches her to follow her nose.
This was a reading experience entirely its own - but also so many books that it made me think of in various ways. It reminded me of The Night Circus and Uprooted in the immersive experience/fairy tale like feel at points. It reminded me of Where the Crawdads Sing and Educated in the experience of growing up isolated from the rest of the world. I highly recommend lighting a favorite candle and settling in with this book.
Thank you very much to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reading copy in exchange for my honest review.
At the start of the book, Emmaline and her father are living alone on a remote island - she hasn’t seen another person at all that she can remember. Her father tells her fabulous stories about a Scent hunter and teaches her to follow her nose.
This was a reading experience entirely its own - but also so many books that it made me think of in various ways. It reminded me of The Night Circus and Uprooted in the immersive experience/fairy tale like feel at points. It reminded me of Where the Crawdads Sing and Educated in the experience of growing up isolated from the rest of the world. I highly recommend lighting a favorite candle and settling in with this book.
Thank you very much to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reading copy in exchange for my honest review.
calmcelebration9888's review against another edition
5.0
This book is everything. It’s both happy and sad; hopeful and disappointing; magical and like a warm hug. I picked up this book at the library. The title and the cover really captivated me. But I didn’t get a chance to read it and returned it. Several months later I finally got to read it.
I really enjoyed this book because of its almost magical quality. At the start of the book a young emmeline and her father live on a remote island, where they receive gifts in crates which wash up on shore. They store scents in a bottle using a machine. There is no one else around. They seem to live the perfect life. Until Emmeline finds out the secret. There are other people out there, that the gifts from mermaids are not that. She tries to get her father off the island by throwing the bottles away. Her father is so distraught that he jumps off the cliff to chase the bottles. After that Emmeline is “rescued” and taken to a resort to live with Collette and Henry. She goes to school and meets Fisher.
Emmeline struggles knowing that she killed her father and adjusting to life off the island. She loves there for several years until Fisher leaves and she finds out who her father and mother really are. Then she travels to the city in search of them.
I loved that this book had a dreamy quality about it without being too sweet. Ultimately the book touches upon grief, abuse and neglect. It shows many different complex relationships. It’s about a girl who is just trying to find her way in the world, trying to find the truth about who she is. There are so many wonderful aspects of this story. It’s so immersive and unique. Really enjoyed it.
I really enjoyed this book because of its almost magical quality. At the start of the book a young emmeline and her father live on a remote island, where they receive gifts in crates which wash up on shore. They store scents in a bottle using a machine. There is no one else around. They seem to live the perfect life. Until Emmeline finds out the secret. There are other people out there, that the gifts from mermaids are not that. She tries to get her father off the island by throwing the bottles away. Her father is so distraught that he jumps off the cliff to chase the bottles. After that Emmeline is “rescued” and taken to a resort to live with Collette and Henry. She goes to school and meets Fisher.
Emmeline struggles knowing that she killed her father and adjusting to life off the island. She loves there for several years until Fisher leaves and she finds out who her father and mother really are. Then she travels to the city in search of them.
I loved that this book had a dreamy quality about it without being too sweet. Ultimately the book touches upon grief, abuse and neglect. It shows many different complex relationships. It’s about a girl who is just trying to find her way in the world, trying to find the truth about who she is. There are so many wonderful aspects of this story. It’s so immersive and unique. Really enjoyed it.
lizruest's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
hollyg35's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
marsha1268's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0