ctrahe's review against another edition
4.0
Wonderful prose, I had many underlined lines! I loved the pacing of the story and the air of mystery throughout. The two timelines played well with eachother.
Spoiler: I found the ending really refreshing. The fact that we never do find out what happens Elise. And also that Rose had an abortion, because it wasn’t her time yet. We are often told that „it’s never the right time“. But the reality is that that shouldn’t stop you from taking autonomy. I think this story does a good job of portraying that decision.
Spoiler: I found the ending really refreshing. The fact that we never do find out what happens Elise. And also that Rose had an abortion, because it wasn’t her time yet. We are often told that „it’s never the right time“. But the reality is that that shouldn’t stop you from taking autonomy. I think this story does a good job of portraying that decision.
mirandaosmelak's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Good, interesting, engaging read.
tori_17's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
georgina_bawden's review against another edition
4.0
Since being horribly disappointed by The Miniaturist I have enjoyed every Jessie Burton novel I've read. This was entertaining and quite moving by the end. I found it slow going for a minute in the middle but older Connie is a great character. I felt real affection for young Elise too. The queer aspects didn't feel sensationalised or Wrong (you guys know what I mean. Inauthentic. In fact it made me feel like Jessie Burton might be one of us?). The themes of female art/authorship, and identity and the various ways those are conflated were interesting. The book illustrated that whilst it is wrong to assume all women's writing is autofiction (reducing the role of art and creativity), part of why that's wrong is also that ALL fiction writing is partly autofiction... It also touched on what it means to tell your own story and how hard that can be at various stages of life.
tanjatuulin's review against another edition
emotional
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
sofiareadss's review against another edition
The writing and the characters are just too cringy, I can’t keep going… What a shame since the story seemed interesting and i’ve heard good things about the book.
cerilou's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jeslauwal's review against another edition
5.0
I could not put this book down! Another great story by Jessie Burton, and I look forward to reading more from her.
otterspond's review against another edition
2.25
The story was nice enough but I just could not get past the writing style. It was like every little thing became the biggest deal in the eyes of the characters and they were all so excessively self aware that it damaged the immersion.
ellereadsbooks's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
3.75
I thought I would hate this book. The writing style feels a bit cringe to begin with. But Jessie burton really knows how to draw you in! And then the scene at the end ?! Well worth a read.