mhoffrob's review against another edition
4.0
A Hundred Suns relates the relocation of two couples to Indochina from France, told in the alternate narration of two woman. Both have secrets to hide, and agendas of their own. Jessie desperately fleeing her upbringing and family in rural Virginia has built a life with Victor Lesage, an heir of the Michelin family. Marcelle, also of an underprivileged background, arrives in Hanoi with revenge on her mind as she seeks to remain near her true love, a native scion of a wealthy silk family, who is not her husband. Their lives cross as soon as the Lesage's arrive, but Marcelle had been planning their "friendship" for months, researching Jessie's past and personality from afar.
Well told with a rich sense of place and time, this novel is engagin and intriguing. Twists and turns lead to an eventful ending! Highly recommend.
Well told with a rich sense of place and time, this novel is engagin and intriguing. Twists and turns lead to an eventful ending! Highly recommend.
bibliopage's review against another edition
5.0
Set against the backdrop of Vietnam in the 1930s, this novel shows how many are affected by French colonialism. I really enjoyed this novel as it winds its thread to a most thrilling conclusion!
bibliotequeish's review against another edition
2.0
While the concept sounded gripping, and the first few chapters were great, I very quickly lost interest.
This book just wasn't for me, I found the writing style choppy and the story itself lacking.
Unfortunately I found this to be a forgettable book.
This book just wasn't for me, I found the writing style choppy and the story itself lacking.
Unfortunately I found this to be a forgettable book.
rochellehickey's review against another edition
4.0
A Hundred Suns is a pleasant, well-written surprise. The novel starts with Jessie Lesage alone in a train station looking for her family that no one remembers being with her. The story backtracks three months and the plot slowly unfolds leading up to the events at the train station. I could not put the book down once time caught up to the beginning.
Secrets are kept for the characters which all come to light but they don’t feel like forced secrets to keep the plot moving. There are many interweaving components to the story that keep it moving and evolving bringing everything together. It’s one of the few books that doesn’t make the ending feel rushed or suddenly has an ending out of no where.
A Hundred Suns felt well researched without reading like a textbook or having wooden characters. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for an advanced readers copy for my unbiased and honest opinion.
Secrets are kept for the characters which all come to light but they don’t feel like forced secrets to keep the plot moving. There are many interweaving components to the story that keep it moving and evolving bringing everything together. It’s one of the few books that doesn’t make the ending feel rushed or suddenly has an ending out of no where.
A Hundred Suns felt well researched without reading like a textbook or having wooden characters. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for an advanced readers copy for my unbiased and honest opinion.
bookalorian's review against another edition
5.0
This is the fabulous story of Jessie Lesage. An American woman accompanying her French husband Victor to the shores of vietnam during the 1930s. Money makes the world go round and no matter the date, this is always true.
I found Jessie to be quite an fascinating woman. Soaked in intrigued and the secrets that spiral around her, add a charm and mystery to her that made me want to know more and more. The life she leads begins to wear thin and a power struggle emerges around her...... The life she has built is fraught with holes and the whole thing becomes quite an ordeal.. The glitz and glamour soon start to lose their shine and the whole story comes to the climax of the symphony and I couldn't stop my jaw dropping!
I thoroughly enjoyed the setting, the characters blew me away and the author had a real way of building a world around you that you never want to emerge from. If you are looking for the kind of historical fiction that will keep you on your toes and have you thirsting for more than this book is the one for you. I loved everything about it and now I'm hunting for more of this incredible authors work. This extravaganza of a read while ensnare your senses and make you lose track of your day.
I found Jessie to be quite an fascinating woman. Soaked in intrigued and the secrets that spiral around her, add a charm and mystery to her that made me want to know more and more. The life she leads begins to wear thin and a power struggle emerges around her...... The life she has built is fraught with holes and the whole thing becomes quite an ordeal.. The glitz and glamour soon start to lose their shine and the whole story comes to the climax of the symphony and I couldn't stop my jaw dropping!
I thoroughly enjoyed the setting, the characters blew me away and the author had a real way of building a world around you that you never want to emerge from. If you are looking for the kind of historical fiction that will keep you on your toes and have you thirsting for more than this book is the one for you. I loved everything about it and now I'm hunting for more of this incredible authors work. This extravaganza of a read while ensnare your senses and make you lose track of your day.
mbondlamberty's review against another edition
3.0
A gripping read/listen about Vietnam before WWII.
Can't use the word that I want to describe it because that would give too much away but it will come to you when you finish and that thriller aspect is enjoyable.
The end was a little simplistic and some characters should have been fleshed out a little more to make them more credible/believable.
However a good way to pass the time.
Can't use the word that I want to describe it because that would give too much away but it will come to you when you finish and that thriller aspect is enjoyable.
The end was a little simplistic and some characters should have been fleshed out a little more to make them more credible/believable.
However a good way to pass the time.
teddyreads2's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
booklvrkat's review against another edition
4.0
Indochine (what we now know as Vietnam), 1933. The narration on this story was great. I really enjoyed the accents that make characters come alive. The painted picture of a glamorous life of the green everywhere, the dens, the riches of the life of the French. Beautiful and tragic at the same time.