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becca_in_a_book's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I think half listening to this via audio really helped me enjoy this, the narrator was very good! However, this didn't quite distract me from how boring/dull Lorna was as a character. I enjoyed Amber's timeline story the most, but unfortunately Lorna weakened the book too much for me to give this anything more than three stars. Glad I finally got this one off my tbr.
telltalepage's review
4.5
I stayed up until midnight to finish this last night, I just could no put it down!
The story is a family drama with gothic tones, giving me a Flowers in the Attic vibe but with less incest. It followed two different women decades apart, and while I figured out the twists about a third of the way through, I was still glued to the pages because I wanted to figure out exactly how things unfolded. Reading the characters as they figured out the "plot twists" of their lives also kept me on the edge of my seat.
Crazed, fanatical step-mothers (or grandmothers) seems to be a running theme in these family drama gothic tales, and Black Rabbit Hall didn't disappoint. I had no problems hating the character that twisted everything up and ruined lives, and that's saying something since I usually try to see the story from the villain's point of view to justify their actions. Not this time though! They were truly unforgivable things.
I just thoroughly enjoyed this to pieces and I'm so glad I finally picked it up after seeing it two years ago in a shop and being enticed by the title and cover.
The story is a family drama with gothic tones, giving me a Flowers in the Attic vibe but with less incest. It followed two different women decades apart, and while I figured out the twists about a third of the way through, I was still glued to the pages because I wanted to figure out exactly how things unfolded. Reading the characters as they figured out the "plot twists" of their lives also kept me on the edge of my seat.
Crazed, fanatical step-mothers (or grandmothers) seems to be a running theme in these family drama gothic tales, and Black Rabbit Hall didn't disappoint. I had no problems hating the character that twisted everything up and ruined lives, and that's saying something since I usually try to see the story from the villain's point of view to justify their actions. Not this time though! They were truly unforgivable things.
I just thoroughly enjoyed this to pieces and I'm so glad I finally picked it up after seeing it two years ago in a shop and being enticed by the title and cover.
thebookcases's review against another edition
I was hoping for a different vibe than I got in the first two chapters
meganchristine's review
3.0
I was really surprised how much I enjoyed this book! I normally don't go for a "family affair" novel. This one, however, was an exception.
Black Rabbit Hall is written from two points of view. We meet Lorna... a young girl who's family owns the beautiful vacation home, she calls "Black Rabbit Hall". Then fast forward three decades to Amber. Amber is a young lady who is in the midst of planning her wedding, along with mourning the loss of her mother.
Lorna's story starts off with her yearly trip to their family's Cornish country home. When tragedy strikes... her family's entire life is flipped upside down. Now she is forced to mourn her loss, take care of her siblings, and cope with the changes that inevitably comes along with it.
Then we have Amber... who knows she wants to have her wedding at the old "Black Rabbit Hall". She just doesn't understand why she feels so attached to a place she barley remembers.
Will the cottage remain a safe haven for Lorna? Will Amber uncover her secret connections to Black Rabbit Hall?
Okay.... so yes this book gets extremely boring. I normally enjoy a more fast paced plot.... which is the complete opposite of this novel. BUT..... I continued to be entranced by figuring out what happens with these two characters! Their story's were total opposites, but you can't help but to feel their connection to one another. Not to mention the overall conclusion to both stories are definitely surprising!
I would recommend this book to people who enjoy very character based stories.
Black Rabbit Hall is written from two points of view. We meet Lorna... a young girl who's family owns the beautiful vacation home, she calls "Black Rabbit Hall". Then fast forward three decades to Amber. Amber is a young lady who is in the midst of planning her wedding, along with mourning the loss of her mother.
Lorna's story starts off with her yearly trip to their family's Cornish country home. When tragedy strikes... her family's entire life is flipped upside down. Now she is forced to mourn her loss, take care of her siblings, and cope with the changes that inevitably comes along with it.
Then we have Amber... who knows she wants to have her wedding at the old "Black Rabbit Hall". She just doesn't understand why she feels so attached to a place she barley remembers.
Will the cottage remain a safe haven for Lorna? Will Amber uncover her secret connections to Black Rabbit Hall?
Okay.... so yes this book gets extremely boring. I normally enjoy a more fast paced plot.... which is the complete opposite of this novel. BUT..... I continued to be entranced by figuring out what happens with these two characters! Their story's were total opposites, but you can't help but to feel their connection to one another. Not to mention the overall conclusion to both stories are definitely surprising!
I would recommend this book to people who enjoy very character based stories.
lambsears's review
3.0
I was looking for something light to read after almost 3 weeks of ploughing through Bernsteins Hillary bio and I found this. It's certainly something light.
The quite good writing in this first novel was not enough to distract me from the trite plot, melodramatic, two dimensional characters and utterly predictable outcome.
A pleasantly quick read.
The quite good writing in this first novel was not enough to distract me from the trite plot, melodramatic, two dimensional characters and utterly predictable outcome.
A pleasantly quick read.
trinny's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
kiki01's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5