lisam0183_bookworm's review against another edition
5.0
I've just devoured this story and now sad it ended.
It's been 24 years since Helena has been to the house that is Pandora. In that one summer there are so many secrets and lies exposed, family and friends whose lives are intertwined and emotions running extremely high.
It's been 24 years since Helena has been to the house that is Pandora. In that one summer there are so many secrets and lies exposed, family and friends whose lives are intertwined and emotions running extremely high.
hazelj's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-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
3.75
booksbycc's review against another edition
3.0
"For the real Alexander"
When Alex and his family go on holiday, Pandora's box accidently opens and family secrets spills everywhere.
What if you discover a secret that changes your life completely, your entire existence, your entrance into the world?
Can you forgive the secret holder and accept the Olive branch?
Hello Book Buddies
When Alex and his family go on holiday, Pandora's box accidently opens and family secrets spills everywhere.
What if you discover a secret that changes your life completely, your entire existence, your entrance into the world?
Can you forgive the secret holder and accept the Olive branch?
Hello Book Buddies
bujobyfilo's review against another edition
1.0
Couldn't even finish. It's been years since that happened to me. I hate not to finish a book.
But this one is not worth my time...and I'm on quarantine, that's how bad it is.
But this one is not worth my time...and I'm on quarantine, that's how bad it is.
rhonaea's review against another edition
3.0
The twisting and turning of life through the eyes of Helena and her son Alex. Yes, it’s soap operaesque but it’s beautifully narrated by the late author Lucinda Riley, especially Alex by her son Harry Whitaker, who has Alex spot on. Thoroughly enjoyable and nothing wrong with escapist fiction at all!
nonabgo's review against another edition
1.0
I don't understand how this book has this rating on Goodreads. I mean... it's a soap opera. One more generation and we would have talked "The Young and the Restless". I'm not one to leave books aside once I've started them - call it Aries persistency - but this was one of the few books that made me cringe every step of the way. My definition for this genre is "frustrated housewife who never gets any".
I don't even know where to start. Was there anything I liked? I'm really struggling to find something. I could have said the setting, but no, because Pandora and its location are barely described, so I didn't even get to be immersed into the atmosphere. And too bad, because I love a good location book, but this one was far from making me want to buy the first ticket to Cyprus.
Moving on to the plot, it's a very simple one. No one knows who their real father is, apparently, and it takes a summer vacation by the sea to make them discover their genealogy. Sprinkle a little drama - because apparently people are not allowed to keep secrets - plus a little pointless jealousy, like in all "good" soap operas, and you have a garbage book that's best fitted for middle-aged divorcees who will never find love again and drown their sorrow in red wine.
The characters are so stereotypical that I just wanted to burn them with the fire of a thousand suns. Of course Helena is beautiful and amazing in each and every way, but of course, she gets condemned by everyone for keeping a secret that bears no relevance to her family. Of course, her son is an asshole who sounds 13 even in his 2os. Of course, the same mistakes are repeated over and over again, because no one learns from their mistakes. And in all that, the most interesting characters are left aside to make room for the boring ones.
And above all, this book is purely misogynistic. Why did the author feel the need to give her male characters permission to treat their women like that? All the male characters are judgemental creeps, including Alex. It feels like the women don't have the right to have a life outside of their family. "Oh, you had sex with another man before you were my wife/my mother? You depraved whore!"
I'm not even going to go into the writing style... actually, I will. Endless dialog. Pointless dialog. Chats that have nothing to do with the story progression and don't help build up the characters. There's absolutely no narrative depth, it's like the writer didn't want to show her skills. If she has them. This feels like a book written by a 15-year old.
Ok, now I'm done. Initially, I wanted to give this book 2 stars, but nope. Not even that. It's bad. Not even Nicholas Sparks bad. Not even Sandra Brown bad. Just bad.
I don't even know where to start. Was there anything I liked? I'm really struggling to find something. I could have said the setting, but no, because Pandora and its location are barely described, so I didn't even get to be immersed into the atmosphere. And too bad, because I love a good location book, but this one was far from making me want to buy the first ticket to Cyprus.
Moving on to the plot, it's a very simple one. No one knows who their real father is, apparently, and it takes a summer vacation by the sea to make them discover their genealogy. Sprinkle a little drama - because apparently people are not allowed to keep secrets - plus a little pointless jealousy, like in all "good" soap operas, and you have a garbage book that's best fitted for middle-aged divorcees who will never find love again and drown their sorrow in red wine.
The characters are so stereotypical that I just wanted to burn them with the fire of a thousand suns. Of course Helena is beautiful and amazing in each and every way, but of course, she gets condemned by everyone for keeping a secret that bears no relevance to her family. Of course, her son is an asshole who sounds 13 even in his 2os. Of course, the same mistakes are repeated over and over again, because no one learns from their mistakes. And in all that, the most interesting characters are left aside to make room for the boring ones.
And above all, this book is purely misogynistic. Why did the author feel the need to give her male characters permission to treat their women like that? All the male characters are judgemental creeps, including Alex. It feels like the women don't have the right to have a life outside of their family. "Oh, you had sex with another man before you were my wife/my mother? You depraved whore!"
I'm not even going to go into the writing style... actually, I will. Endless dialog. Pointless dialog. Chats that have nothing to do with the story progression and don't help build up the characters. There's absolutely no narrative depth, it's like the writer didn't want to show her skills. If she has them. This feels like a book written by a 15-year old.
Ok, now I'm done. Initially, I wanted to give this book 2 stars, but nope. Not even that. It's bad. Not even Nicholas Sparks bad. Not even Sandra Brown bad. Just bad.
bibielle's review against another edition
dark
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
slow-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
4.75
babibooker's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
hedgehogsa101's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-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
4.0