kaydkenn's review
2.0
More like 2.5 stars.
THE ENDING AND WHAT HAPPENED TO BIRDIE IS AGGRAVATINGLY DULL. I was expecting much more, but ah well. This’ll be an interesting discussing with book club, if only to rip on it a bit.
THE ENDING AND WHAT HAPPENED TO BIRDIE IS AGGRAVATINGLY DULL. I was expecting much more, but ah well. This’ll be an interesting discussing with book club, if only to rip on it a bit.
ernis's review
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
bonniereads777's review
5.0
This book was just beautifully woven together. There were several points of view and different stories that may have seemed unrelated but tied together into a wonderful symphony. The symphony was about many things: Love, history, death, heartbreak, and especially about a house and the people connected to it. It takes an absolute genius storyteller to weave something like this together. And Kate Morton is a genius.
eatssleepsreads's review
3.0
My first Kate Morton novel. Enjoyed but not loved as you can tell from the 3 stars of my rating.
The back-and-forth between times felt disjointed to me. It wasn’t a smooth transition between times or points of view in my opinion. Then were too many protagonist’s stories, that in her attempt to connect, made me feel like she was rushing to bring together in a way that would make sense so she could end the book. Too many things happen by chance or just because.
What was enjoyable about the story for me was how we get two points of view about each “main” character. Lily’s ghost tells us her observations of these people, and then we get their stories from them as well.
The back-and-forth between times felt disjointed to me. It wasn’t a smooth transition between times or points of view in my opinion. Then were too many protagonist’s stories, that in her attempt to connect, made me feel like she was rushing to bring together in a way that would make sense so she could end the book. Too many things happen by chance or just because.
What was enjoyable about the story for me was how we get two points of view about each “main” character. Lily’s ghost tells us her observations of these people, and then we get their stories from them as well.
booksmoving's review
3.0
I had to deduct two stars for this book purely because I was so ENRAGED and disappointed by the ending. It felt like the whole book led up to it and then it became a waste because the ending was so dull and inexplicable. LIKE-- Lucy literally remembers that Lily/Birdie is in the stairs as soon as she wakes up from her random coma thing? That in itself felt like a copout. But what's so exasperating is that Lucy doesn't even CHECK the damn hideaway until twenty damn years later. Are you kidding me? And she never voices her concerns to her brother so he spends the rest of his sad life wondering if Lily/Birdie deserted him. I am bitter.
Other things that didn't make sense or that I missed the point of: the Night of the Following-- wtf was that about? It felt like a half-cracked excuse for Edward's obsession with the house. Also, the warm bend at the stair? Now Morton is just trying to make the house quirky. At first I thought it was there because that's where Lily/Birdie died but it was there before she was apparently. Sigh.
The writing itself was beautiful and felt elevated from the other books I've read from Kate Morton. But this is my least favourite she's written. There were too many threads that didn't end up connecting. I felt like I was watching one of those videos where it says "wait till' the end" and then the end was not worth waiting for.
Other things that didn't make sense or that I missed the point of: the Night of the Following-- wtf was that about? It felt like a half-cracked excuse for Edward's obsession with the house. Also, the warm bend at the stair? Now Morton is just trying to make the house quirky. At first I thought it was there because that's where Lily/Birdie died but it was there before she was apparently. Sigh.
The writing itself was beautiful and felt elevated from the other books I've read from Kate Morton. But this is my least favourite she's written. There were too many threads that didn't end up connecting. I felt like I was watching one of those videos where it says "wait till' the end" and then the end was not worth waiting for.
joeymc's review against another edition
3.0
I love Kate Morton. I love her style of writing, it somehow suits my brain. I love her stories, they are always so involved and intriguing. I struggled with The Clockmaker’s Daughter. The beautiful writing style is still present but it jumps around a lot and there are just so many characters and it’s not until the very end that you work out how they are related.
For much of the book it feels like separate short stories set in the same house. Characters come and go and I wondered if I’d hear from them again and some didn’t leave enough impression the first time around that when I came across them again, I couldn’t work out who they were.
Although disappointing for me, this won’t put me off reading Kate Morton in the future. Wasn’t the book for me but others might love it.
For much of the book it feels like separate short stories set in the same house. Characters come and go and I wondered if I’d hear from them again and some didn’t leave enough impression the first time around that when I came across them again, I couldn’t work out who they were.
Although disappointing for me, this won’t put me off reading Kate Morton in the future. Wasn’t the book for me but others might love it.
carlajo713's review
5.0
This was a great book. I loved all the twists and turns and interwoven lives. It was a long book, but I couldn't put it down!
beccakoebrick's review
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
It’s a good/ok read, felt very slow at time, especially at the end. Liked how all the stories interwoven.