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bookmark3brodi's review
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol
beauvisseau's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Infidelity, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Violence
bandysbooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This story follows Agnes (Anne) as she marries and then settles down with William Shakespeare. They have three children together, one of which dies due to the plague, and eventually becomes the inspiration for Hamlet. While William is in London writing plays, Agnes is grieving and trying to survive. The main focus of the story is really her grief and what she goes through after Hamnet's death.
The writing in this was very lovely. I was surprised at how flowery it was considering the darkness of the content. It was an interesting contrast, but one that I think worked fairly well.
The things that kept this from being a higher rating are as follows:
- The description was overdone at points. Others have mentioned this in great detail, but descriptions always come in sets of three. It wasn't simply good. It was magnificent, beautiful, and lovely. This can work when used sparingly, but it's repeated too much throughout the book.
- Agnes is made into an almost-fae. She's sort of a wilderwoman who is at one with nature, makes herbal remedies, and intuits things before they happen. I suppose it was an attempt to make her standout, but it felt unnecessary. It gave me a bit of Mary Sue vibes initially because she's portrayed as innately better than the other women without much proof.
-Shakespeare is never given a name. I found this to be an odd choice since I'm pretty sure 95% of the people reading this book understand it's about William Shakespeare's wife and children. I don't think it added to the narration by leaving his name out.
All in all, if you like historical fiction and have a particular interest in Shakespeare, you may enjoy this book. Just beware that it isn't written in straightforward narration.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Infidelity, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
niaaaaa's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Death, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Grief
Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Violence and Classism
lenni_sc's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Sehr emotionale Geschichte über Ängste, Verlust und die Leben, die weitergehen. Mir persönlich haben die Kapitel der Vorgeschichte besser gefallen und ich hätte gerne mehr über die Mutter von Agnes aus ihrer eigenen Perspektive erfahren. Gegen Ende hat mich die Langatmigkeit des Buches deswegen, wenn auch ein sehr geschickt eingesetztes Stilmittel, etwas gelangweilt.
Overall ein sehr bewegendes Buch und eine Leseempfehlung an alle, die gerne Tränen vergießen.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Moderate: Animal death and Physical abuse
jules_c's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Grief, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
balfies's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Blood
annoyedhumanoid's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
that out of the way, it was slow at times—part I alternates between past and present, and i felt that the past dragged on while being merely drip-fed the more interesting present—but it's a beautiful character study, heartbreaking and endearing.
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Terminal illness, Grief, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Sexism, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Sexual content, and Alcohol
excritos's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Terminal illness
Moderate: Death and Abandonment
Minor: Alcoholism and Violence
bunnyreads2's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Terminal illness, and Grief
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexism, and Violence
Minor: Abandonment