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colleenlovestoread's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-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? Yes
4.0
judithdcollins's review
3.0
In Melanie Golding's latest, THE SIGHT , Faith has a special gift and is often misunderstood. She sees how a person dies; people fear her and think she is weird. Some say she is cursed. Her name is Oracle of Death. She feels safe inside the traveling circus.
Do not look into her eyes. She can tell you how you will die.
Due to Faith's special gift, she has put her life into the circus. Her world revolves around her family, the circus, her friend, Betsy, and her horse Macha, after getting kicked out of school and bullied.
She did not ask for the gift/curse. She must learn to manage it.
Foreseeing a family tragedy, a customer attacks her, having a vision in full view of the crowd, and is banned from the carnival. She is devastated because she loves her dying mom so much, and her income helps support her. She loved traveling with her mom and performing.
Now she must earn money. When she sees herself in a man's future death, Faith must face her fear of her powers and tune into her gift to fight against a future that would ruin her life—and end someone else's.
Dark, eerie, twisty, and creepy. I am sure the author is very talented, but I am not a fan of horror or supernatural, so this was not the book for me. I did enjoy the heroine and felt for her, and the author did a great job with the atmosphere and the backdrop of the circus/carnival. It was slow-moving, and I was bored and kept fast-forwarding to see how it would turn out.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator, Ella Lynch, did a great job. For those who like this genre, it is sure to appeal to a specific audience.
Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an ALC in exchange for an honest opinion.
Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 3 Stars
Pub Date: Sept 5, 2023
Do not look into her eyes. She can tell you how you will die.
Due to Faith's special gift, she has put her life into the circus. Her world revolves around her family, the circus, her friend, Betsy, and her horse Macha, after getting kicked out of school and bullied.
She did not ask for the gift/curse. She must learn to manage it.
Foreseeing a family tragedy, a customer attacks her, having a vision in full view of the crowd, and is banned from the carnival. She is devastated because she loves her dying mom so much, and her income helps support her. She loved traveling with her mom and performing.
Now she must earn money. When she sees herself in a man's future death, Faith must face her fear of her powers and tune into her gift to fight against a future that would ruin her life—and end someone else's.
Dark, eerie, twisty, and creepy. I am sure the author is very talented, but I am not a fan of horror or supernatural, so this was not the book for me. I did enjoy the heroine and felt for her, and the author did a great job with the atmosphere and the backdrop of the circus/carnival. It was slow-moving, and I was bored and kept fast-forwarding to see how it would turn out.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator, Ella Lynch, did a great job. For those who like this genre, it is sure to appeal to a specific audience.
Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an ALC in exchange for an honest opinion.
Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 3 Stars
Pub Date: Sept 5, 2023
fastewart's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
thereadingbee's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
oliviasfantasyreads's review
3.0
I received an audio arc of this book and am giving my honest feedback.
As far as the audio goes it’s great. I really enjoyed the narration and no problem seeing the story as she told it.
As for the actual story… I am angry.
Her family sucked so bad. Even with the reveal at the end, they still did so many horrible things!
They blamed her for deaths because as a child she had a dream and did not tell anyone about it.
They then treated her like a curse or evil person because she could see people’s deaths.
They put the blame of the circus losing people on her.
Then she had to see her mothers death.
And as her mother got sicker and sicker, they forced her to pay for her care… even though atleast her uncle had money to spare as he was always offering to pay for anything but his sisters care.
No wonder the girl created an imaginary friend.. Everyone in her life sucked!
When her family saw her talking to herself did they try to get her help or treatment… no!
They manipulated her out of her family’s shares in a very condescending and humiliating scene.
Even at her mother’s funeral everyone was an ass to her.
Best part of this whole story was when I thought Callum was going to get off’ed by the very thing he stole from her… okay I’m being dramatic but that would have been some sweet karma!
Also I don’t know any 10 year old boy who would spend 12+ years with some weird ass grudge against a girl who had a dream.
Let’s not mention that same boy stalked her out and tried to kill her… almost killing others in the process… but didn’t receive any punishment. I’m glad he got stabbed.
So my main issue is by the end it seems like we’re suppose to understand why the family treated her that way. It’s as though all is forgiven. No! Her condition did not justify any of the actions above.
Best thing that girl could do was get her horse and wagon and get as far as she can from those people.
The reveal towards the end is what makes this story. I did not see that coming. Golding does a fantastic job of laying clues throughout but keeping your attention elsewhere. So at the time I didn’t realize it, but once you find out it’s like “ohhhhhh!”
Overall I enjoyed the concept and the main character’s plot. What held this book back for me was the irrational behavior of her family and the circus.
As far as the audio goes it’s great. I really enjoyed the narration and no problem seeing the story as she told it.
As for the actual story… I am angry.
Her family sucked so bad. Even with the reveal at the end, they still did so many horrible things!
They blamed her for deaths because as a child she had a dream and did not tell anyone about it.
They then treated her like a curse or evil person because she could see people’s deaths.
They put the blame of the circus losing people on her.
Then she had to see her mothers death.
And as her mother got sicker and sicker, they forced her to pay for her care… even though atleast her uncle had money to spare as he was always offering to pay for anything but his sisters care.
No wonder the girl created an imaginary friend.. Everyone in her life sucked!
When her family saw her talking to herself did they try to get her help or treatment… no!
They manipulated her out of her family’s shares in a very condescending and humiliating scene.
Even at her mother’s funeral everyone was an ass to her.
Best part of this whole story was when I thought Callum was going to get off’ed by the very thing he stole from her… okay I’m being dramatic but that would have been some sweet karma!
Also I don’t know any 10 year old boy who would spend 12+ years with some weird ass grudge against a girl who had a dream.
Let’s not mention that same boy stalked her out and tried to kill her… almost killing others in the process… but didn’t receive any punishment. I’m glad he got stabbed.
So my main issue is by the end it seems like we’re suppose to understand why the family treated her that way. It’s as though all is forgiven. No! Her condition did not justify any of the actions above.
Best thing that girl could do was get her horse and wagon and get as far as she can from those people.
The reveal towards the end is what makes this story. I did not see that coming. Golding does a fantastic job of laying clues throughout but keeping your attention elsewhere. So at the time I didn’t realize it, but once you find out it’s like “ohhhhhh!”
Overall I enjoyed the concept and the main character’s plot. What held this book back for me was the irrational behavior of her family and the circus.
lilibetbombshell's review
2.0
I enjoyed the last Golding book I read, but this book is a hard no from me.
If you’re going to write a book where your main protagonist comes from an insular and superstitious group of people like circus people, then you had better make sure to do your research and be accurate. This is my first and largest complaint. Golding simply didn’t do her research.
Who’s to know whether or not a British traditional circus would turn away a stakeholding member with the sight in real life? It’s certainly not impossible. But traditionally, circuses have been the safe haven of anyone a little different, weird, or otherwise seen as an outcast by society. It doesn’t make sense that someone would be cast out for having the sight, especially if they were family. Circus is all about found family.
Circuses also still have their own code and vernacular that’s used both during shows and when the public isn’t around. It doesn’t matter what country you’re in. The lingo pretty much doesn’t change much because it reaches across language barriers.
I was reading Golding’s book and I wasn’t seeing any of this. None of the terms that I knew the characters should be using were being spoken. And WHOMP. There goes your worldbuilding before the first half of the first act is done. If you don’t even go to the trouble to build your world, how are we supposed to care about your book?
Now, I know this book isn’t entirely about the circus, but nothing about this book made me care about it. The prose was blah. The plot was blah. The characters were blah. It just all simply felt like Golding had phoned it in.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
If you’re going to write a book where your main protagonist comes from an insular and superstitious group of people like circus people, then you had better make sure to do your research and be accurate. This is my first and largest complaint. Golding simply didn’t do her research.
Who’s to know whether or not a British traditional circus would turn away a stakeholding member with the sight in real life? It’s certainly not impossible. But traditionally, circuses have been the safe haven of anyone a little different, weird, or otherwise seen as an outcast by society. It doesn’t make sense that someone would be cast out for having the sight, especially if they were family. Circus is all about found family.
Circuses also still have their own code and vernacular that’s used both during shows and when the public isn’t around. It doesn’t matter what country you’re in. The lingo pretty much doesn’t change much because it reaches across language barriers.
I was reading Golding’s book and I wasn’t seeing any of this. None of the terms that I knew the characters should be using were being spoken. And WHOMP. There goes your worldbuilding before the first half of the first act is done. If you don’t even go to the trouble to build your world, how are we supposed to care about your book?
Now, I know this book isn’t entirely about the circus, but nothing about this book made me care about it. The prose was blah. The plot was blah. The characters were blah. It just all simply felt like Golding had phoned it in.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
jackie_reads_314's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Gripping until the very end.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
crystalblu's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25