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lexb's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
After the expected main event happened in the very beginning of the book I really wasn’t sure what to expect however the rest of the book kept me reading and explored the fall out and ripple effects of the events at the beginning which I found interesting.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Death
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
On Valentine’s Day 1900 the young ladies from Appleyard College enjoy an outing to a local landmark. After lunch most of the party are content to rest in the shade but a small group decide to scale the rock. Only one girl returns; another is later discovered but the rest are never seen again. Picnic at Hanging Rock looks at the aftermath for some of the girls, the school and the wider community. It is cleverly written to give the appearance of being an actual event and I felt it captured the Australian environment, especially the heat, really well. The overall tone was eerie and mysterious, gothic without the brooding house! The fate of the girls is never revealed, meaning this will be an unsatisfactory reading experience for many. I did struggle a little while reading this one, frustrated by the attitudes and behaviour of the girls which was often petty and classist. I had to remind myself that it was representative of its time. Overall I’m glad I can finally say that I’ve read this Antipodean classic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
sarah984's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This book is a tale of the unsolved disappearance of a group of schoolgirls on a picnic trip and how that shock reverberates through their community and changes other characters’ lives forever.
The points of view are all well done in terms of having different voices and showing which aspects of what had happened mattered to them. I understand from the introduction that there were originally supernatural elements that were toned down for publication and I think that was a good call.
Due to the setting and the publication date, there are a few things that seem pretty dated, including racially insensitive language and a weird obsession with bullying one of the children for being fat.
The points of view are all well done in terms of having different voices and showing which aspects of what had happened mattered to them. I understand from the introduction that there were originally supernatural elements that were toned down for publication and I think that was a good call.
Due to the setting and the publication date, there are a few things that seem pretty dated, including racially insensitive language and a weird obsession with bullying one of the children for being fat.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Suicide, and Grief
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Fatphobia, and Blood
Minor: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Vomit, Medical content, Death of parent, and Murder
francestea's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
A not-too-dark mystery with intriguing and many love-em or hate-em type characters. This book never really seemed to go where I expected and jumps around to follow different characters, often doing a bit of foreshadowing for the next section. Great writing and a great read. Definitely wait and read the forward at the end as, with many forwards, it spoils the ending. Also do yourself a favour and look-up an image of Hanging Rock- it’s very cool!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, and Suicide