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
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
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
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
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
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
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.