emtees's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I don’t think I was really expecting a political murder mystery when I went into this book - by the cover and description, I mostly thought I’d be reading about music - but that’s what I got and I didn’t mind it at all. The Musician’s Daughter is a really strong YA historical mystery.
Theresa Maria is the daughter of a professional musician in 18th century Vienna. When her father is murdered, seemingly by someone trying to steal his precious violin, her family is thrown into chaos. Theresa must ensure that there is money to pay for her brother’s apprenticeship while dodging her mother’s attempts to force her into a marriage, so she takes a job as a copyist for her godfather, the famous (and real) musician Haydn. At the same time, Theresa is determined to discover why her father died. With the help of the young musician Zoltan, she learns about the connection her father had made with the local Romany population and from there is drawn into a world of politicals, intrigue, spies, and death.
The plot is really strong in this book. There are so many twists to the murder mystery as Theresa keeps finding deeper and deeper implications behind her father’s death. There are some great set pieces - I always love a scene where the characters have to infiltrate a fancy party to get information and that happens at least twice in this book. The setting of 1790’s Vienna with its musicians and Romany camps and tunnels beneath the city really comes to life. And Theresa is a perfect YA heroine - a bit sheltered and naive at the beginning, which gives her room to grow, but also strong, determined, protective and loyal.
I do think the story sometimes struggled with balancing the historical realities against the YA genre expectations. The setting is a specific one, which most readers probably won’t be very familiar with, but Dunlap does a good job setting the political and social landscape (it helps that Theresa needs to be educated on a lot of it by the more experienced characters around her.) This is the kind of historical fiction I love, where detailed attention is given to things like clothes, transportation, food, as well as the bigger items like governments and social customs. And there are times when Dunlap manages to subtly convey the realities of this time without bogging the story down in the darker aspects of the past, such as in Theresa’s interactions with her creepy rich uncle. But there are other places where it is clear the need to avoid topics that were too dark or controversial strains the suspension of disbelief just a bit, and the ending works out a little too neatly for a wide variety of characters. I also thought the romance subplot was unnecessary and a bit awkward. Theresa is fifteen, and while I know that would be considered an adult for her time and place, she feels very much like a contemporary teenager, so her attraction to an obviously older and far more mature and experienced love interest just felt odd. I assume it was there to set up the next book in the series (which I will definitely be reading), but I found myself much more invested in the female friends Theresa made during her adventures.
Theresa Maria is the daughter of a professional musician in 18th century Vienna. When her father is murdered, seemingly by someone trying to steal his precious violin, her family is thrown into chaos. Theresa must ensure that there is money to pay for her brother’s apprenticeship while dodging her mother’s attempts to force her into a marriage, so she takes a job as a copyist for her godfather, the famous (and real) musician Haydn. At the same time, Theresa is determined to discover why her father died. With the help of the young musician Zoltan, she learns about the connection her father had made with the local Romany population and from there is drawn into a world of politicals, intrigue, spies, and death.
The plot is really strong in this book. There are so many twists to the murder mystery as Theresa keeps finding deeper and deeper implications behind her father’s death. There are some great set pieces - I always love a scene where the characters have to infiltrate a fancy party to get information and that happens at least twice in this book. The setting of 1790’s Vienna with its musicians and Romany camps and tunnels beneath the city really comes to life. And Theresa is a perfect YA heroine - a bit sheltered and naive at the beginning, which gives her room to grow, but also strong, determined, protective and loyal.
I do think the story sometimes struggled with balancing the historical realities against the YA genre expectations. The setting is a specific one, which most readers probably won’t be very familiar with, but Dunlap does a good job setting the political and social landscape (it helps that Theresa needs to be educated on a lot of it by the more experienced characters around her.) This is the kind of historical fiction I love, where detailed attention is given to things like clothes, transportation, food, as well as the bigger items like governments and social customs. And there are times when Dunlap manages to subtly convey the realities of this time without bogging the story down in the darker aspects of the past, such as in Theresa’s interactions with her creepy rich uncle. But there are other places where it is clear the need to avoid topics that were too dark or controversial strains the suspension of disbelief just a bit, and the ending works out a little too neatly for a wide variety of characters. I also thought the romance subplot was unnecessary and a bit awkward. Theresa is fifteen, and while I know that would be considered an adult for her time and place, she feels very much like a contemporary teenager, so her attraction to an obviously older and far more mature and experienced love interest just felt odd. I assume it was there to set up the next book in the series (which I will definitely be reading), but I found myself much more invested in the female friends Theresa made during her adventures.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual harassment
The main character is sexually harassed by an older manwhatifem's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
danicapage's review against another edition
4.0
Theresa is the daughter of a famous musician from the Prince Nicholas Eserhazy's court in eigtheenth century Vienna. When she's faced with her father's murder, Theresa is determined to reveal the truth.
Instead, she becomes involved with a world full of secret plots and murder attempts.
Throughout all of this, Theresa abandonds society protocol and eagerly dives in headfirst in the attempt to solve her father's murder.
The novel is beautifully woven and involves love, murder, desire, and ambition.
Dunlap presents a poignant novel that will stick with the reader long after they finish reading it.
I loved this book! Definitely recommend to anybody.
Instead, she becomes involved with a world full of secret plots and murder attempts.
Throughout all of this, Theresa abandonds society protocol and eagerly dives in headfirst in the attempt to solve her father's murder.
The novel is beautifully woven and involves love, murder, desire, and ambition.
Dunlap presents a poignant novel that will stick with the reader long after they finish reading it.
I loved this book! Definitely recommend to anybody.
nbrickman's review against another edition
3.0
It has a lot to it that I like- historical-particularly music history-, mystery and romance. It didn't all gel together in an ultimately thrilling way though. Uneven. More like 2.5 stars!
carlylwbug's review against another edition
I made it two chapters in until I gave and started to skim. This book really just failed to impress me maybe I'll try a go at it again sometime...
danicapage's review against another edition
4.0
Theresa is the daughter of a famous musician from the Prince Nicholas Eserhazy's court in eigtheenth century Vienna. When she's faced with her father's murder, Theresa is determined to reveal the truth.
Instead, she becomes involved with a world full of secret plots and murder attempts.
Throughout all of this, Theresa abandonds society protocol and eagerly dives in headfirst in the attempt to solve her father's murder.
The novel is beautifully woven and involves love, murder, desire, and ambition.
Dunlap presents a poignant novel that will stick with the reader long after they finish reading it.
I loved this book! Definitely recommend to anybody.
Instead, she becomes involved with a world full of secret plots and murder attempts.
Throughout all of this, Theresa abandonds society protocol and eagerly dives in headfirst in the attempt to solve her father's murder.
The novel is beautifully woven and involves love, murder, desire, and ambition.
Dunlap presents a poignant novel that will stick with the reader long after they finish reading it.
I loved this book! Definitely recommend to anybody.
canamac's review against another edition
3.0
fast-paced and light read! really nice touches of geographic and temporal accuracy to flesh out an otherwise fairly rich and fun narrative. a solid 3.5/5 for me!
book_nut's review against another edition
3.0
I read Liszt's Kiss by this author, and loved it for its musicality and passion. Unfortunately, neither of those were terribly strong in this book. However, it's a decent political thriller (set in 1790s Vienna) and adventure story. Liked the heroine, and how she managed to be assertive rather than waiting to be rescued. That worked for me.
alexrambles's review against another edition
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved the portrayals of the Romany people, and I loved the protagonist's fierce love for music and her brother. All in all a very enjoyable read!
I'll give it a 4/5 only because it was not a drop-jaw-amazing book, merely a really good one.
I would reread it in a heartbeat.
I'll give it a 4/5 only because it was not a drop-jaw-amazing book, merely a really good one.
I would reread it in a heartbeat.
etkahler's review against another edition
2.0
2016 Reading Challenge #27: a murder mystery.
It wasn't that bad. Definitely teen lit, but I enjoyed those last 50-100 pages a lot. More than anything I enjoyed the appearances of Haydn and the talk of music in Vienna at that time. (Meeting Mozart, things like that.)
It wasn't that bad. Definitely teen lit, but I enjoyed those last 50-100 pages a lot. More than anything I enjoyed the appearances of Haydn and the talk of music in Vienna at that time. (Meeting Mozart, things like that.)