The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
kellymacbrown's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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? No
3.75
This was a cozy, historical, mystery. A great cold weather read. Just what I was in the mood for. Almost 4 stars. I admit, I was not expecting the truth that was unveiled about Flora Lea. Truly surprised. The spicy scene in the first part felt very out of place for the mood of the book.Â
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Self harm and War
terrirankl's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, War, Grief, and Kidnapping
laurenabeth's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I enjoyed this one. It starts just a tiny bit slow, but picks up pretty quickly and is engaging throughout. The one thing that didn’t land for me was the side story about the Americans. I felt they were included just to emphasize how stories evolve and travel over time, but it seemed almost as though those characters were written as an afterthought. I wasn’t especially interested or concerned in the few chapters that focused on them, and in fact, I’d argue that those chapters were disruptive considering how small a part they played in the overall conclusion of the story. Still, I found this to be great historical fiction about a very particular but rarely discussed tragedy of the war - lost children. I’m fascinated by the idea of crime taking place during and being ultimately overshadowed by world events (think a kidnapping on the morning of 9/11), and Flora Lea captures the urgency and helplessness of those situations well. The characters are believable and endearing, and while I don’t love how frequently the chapters jumped back and forth between 1940 and 1960, the tales ultimately wrap together fittingly and make this a satisfying whodunit of sorts. This is truly a book about the power of fairytales, the love of sisters and mothers, and finding the many truths of yourself.Â
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Grief
Moderate: Death
Minor: Kidnapping
markedwithanm's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, War, and Child death
Minor: Child abuse
gondorgirl's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Grief
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Kidnapping, Death of parent, Death, and Pregnancy
momma_needs_to_read's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book. Wow. It is incredible, beautiful, heartbreaking! I was completely captivated by this story. This is, without a doubt, my favourite book of the year so far. It was so hard to put this book down and all I could think about was, what happened to Flora. There wasn’t a single moment in this book that I didn’t find myself completely absorbed in. I felt like I was on this journey with Hazel.
This is historical fiction, which is my favourite genre and this partially takes place during WWII. It is a dual timeline, 1960 and around 1939-1945. I’ve read a lot of WWII historical fiction novels but not many of them where it shows the war through the eyes of a young teen, aged 14/15. It’s a completely different point of view for a child, especially a young teen. They are old enough to know what’s happening but not necessarily old enough to really understand it all. This book also taught me about Operation Pied Piper, which I had not specifically known about. As a parent, I couldn’t imagine sending my children away to live with another family for years, but I also couldn’t imagine having them in constant danger of bombings.
Throughout this book I felt that the way it was written really helped me build a connection to the characters and the story. The way Patti Callahan Henry built this story was perfection. The character development for Hazel was done so beautifully. She learned so much about herself and how she wanted to see her life in such a short period of time.
The Lost Book of Flora Lea is full of love and hope. Hope that somehow, someway Flora might still be alive. Hope that throughout all of this, there will be clear answers to what happened that day. The love of a sister, that kind of love that never goes away. The love of books, stories and storytelling brings.
If you’re a book lover, if you love magical and whimsical stories, if you love fairytales, this book is for you. This book is also for you if you love historical fiction, romance, and mystery.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for sending me this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
This is historical fiction, which is my favourite genre and this partially takes place during WWII. It is a dual timeline, 1960 and around 1939-1945. I’ve read a lot of WWII historical fiction novels but not many of them where it shows the war through the eyes of a young teen, aged 14/15. It’s a completely different point of view for a child, especially a young teen. They are old enough to know what’s happening but not necessarily old enough to really understand it all. This book also taught me about Operation Pied Piper, which I had not specifically known about. As a parent, I couldn’t imagine sending my children away to live with another family for years, but I also couldn’t imagine having them in constant danger of bombings.
Throughout this book I felt that the way it was written really helped me build a connection to the characters and the story. The way Patti Callahan Henry built this story was perfection. The character development for Hazel was done so beautifully. She learned so much about herself and how she wanted to see her life in such a short period of time.
The Lost Book of Flora Lea is full of love and hope. Hope that somehow, someway Flora might still be alive. Hope that throughout all of this, there will be clear answers to what happened that day. The love of a sister, that kind of love that never goes away. The love of books, stories and storytelling brings.
If you’re a book lover, if you love magical and whimsical stories, if you love fairytales, this book is for you. This book is also for you if you love historical fiction, romance, and mystery.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for sending me this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: War
Minor: Death, Death of parent, Sexual content, and Child abuse
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