Scan barcode
bzzkolla's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for this eCopy to review
The Story Collector is an epic story following Kitty a German in London during WWI who has the second sight, Miriam a nurse in a German POW camp and Edie who has moved to Cornwall following the death of her husband in the present day. As Edie unravels the mystery of the strange box she found in her cottage she finds out how she is linked to Kitty and Miriam.
A remarkable story about overcoming grief and learning to live again. The 3 protagonists where well characterised and I was engrossed in each of their stories and the secrets of the past. A gripping read
The Story Collector is an epic story following Kitty a German in London during WWI who has the second sight, Miriam a nurse in a German POW camp and Edie who has moved to Cornwall following the death of her husband in the present day. As Edie unravels the mystery of the strange box she found in her cottage she finds out how she is linked to Kitty and Miriam.
A remarkable story about overcoming grief and learning to live again. The 3 protagonists where well characterised and I was engrossed in each of their stories and the secrets of the past. A gripping read
kolakubez07's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
4.0
A random book picked up at a charity shelf and one that I’ve not been able to put down.
Three different years, three different people.. all connected - this is definitely a flip floppy book as I call it, which I love..
We meet a Miriam, Kitty and Edie as our main characters all dealing with different situations but throughout the story we find that their lives are interlinked, but by who and how?
ashieee's review against another edition
slow-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
2.0
The plot was quite promising and had a lot of potential but I did not enjoy the prose or dialogue at all, which was melodramatic and often cliche, and I found it difficult to differentiate between or care about the main characters because they all seemed like caricatures of typical British people (although thanks to some vague hints from the author I suspect there were at least two characters who were maybe meant to be POC but it was skimmed over so awkwardly that they might as well not be). The mystery of it all was pretty intriguing however there were so many “wtf” moments for me that I just didn’t enjoy. Sad to be giving this a relatively poor rating but I just can’t recommend it unless you want to read a historical fiction mystery novel that has the same tone and quality of writing as a booktok romcom.
adireadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
kayleighashurst's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
t_barnett207's review against another edition
challenging
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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
bethan_ellise's review
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
chrissypops's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-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
4.5
Thank you Iris Costello, Penguin General UK, Viking | Penguin and Netgalley for the eArc of The Story Collector.
This is my first read from Iris Costello and really enjoyed this historical fiction which entwine 3 women, one in the present and 2 in the First World War. This story was well paced and kept my attention, but also invoked a few emotions, especially near the end when everything falls in place. Iris blends the horrors of war with the very need of Hope, Love and Forgiveness. The main characters are well fleshed out and I bonded with them completely and read this book in 2 sittings.
Ill be looking out for more of Iris's books.
4.5 on Storygraph and 4 on Netgalley
This is my first read from Iris Costello and really enjoyed this historical fiction which entwine 3 women, one in the present and 2 in the First World War. This story was well paced and kept my attention, but also invoked a few emotions, especially near the end when everything falls in place. Iris blends the horrors of war with the very need of Hope, Love and Forgiveness. The main characters are well fleshed out and I bonded with them completely and read this book in 2 sittings.
Ill be looking out for more of Iris's books.
4.5 on Storygraph and 4 on Netgalley