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lostinagoodbook's review against another edition
4.0
A thoroughly enjoyable modern gothic mystery.
I picked this one up because I loves me a gothic mystery. Spooky old houses and a centuries old mystery? Sign me up. The mystery of this creepy old house was compelling and the results surprising. What I didn’t expect from this book was such a nuanced look at motherhood and its complexities. Children are not perfect. I mean we all know that right? But I feel like until you’ve experienced parenting a child with developmental or emotional issues or neurodivergence then it can be hard to comprehend how challenging that can be. This book speaks to that.
“We all look for hope in the narrative, for a positive trajectory, but sometimes there isn’t hope. It’s more of the same for decades, and parents have to adjust. Not just take things day by day, with everything unpredictable. Hoping against hope that their kid will become the child of their dreams, instead of reconciling themselves to the person their child actually is.”
Oh hell, that quote hit me right in the heart at 2 in the morning. In my home, as with many other parents we are dealing with increased anxiety and depression. In large part this is because of the things these kids have been experiencing the last few years. Climate anxiety, increasing gun/school violence, the pandemic and quarantines … it’s been a lot for them to deal with. I know that many of us are finding ourselves in the position of trying to shepherd our children through this seemingly unsurmountable worries. I don’t have any answers for how to help our young ones through this morass, except to keep loving them and keep adjust our own expectations. Adjust adjust adjust and then adjust some more with empathy.
Ok, big sigh, but back to the book and the main conceit of this novel, which is unravelling the mystery of who this dead corpse belongs to. Figuring that out was definitely intriguing and I enjoyed that aspect of the book a great deal. I’m going to keep an eye on this author for future books. I really liked their style. I enjoy an interesting story that also speaks to the human condition in a complex say. I hope you will like this book as well.
Disclaimer: I received this book free from Netgalley.
I picked this one up because I loves me a gothic mystery. Spooky old houses and a centuries old mystery? Sign me up. The mystery of this creepy old house was compelling and the results surprising. What I didn’t expect from this book was such a nuanced look at motherhood and its complexities. Children are not perfect. I mean we all know that right? But I feel like until you’ve experienced parenting a child with developmental or emotional issues or neurodivergence then it can be hard to comprehend how challenging that can be. This book speaks to that.
“We all look for hope in the narrative, for a positive trajectory, but sometimes there isn’t hope. It’s more of the same for decades, and parents have to adjust. Not just take things day by day, with everything unpredictable. Hoping against hope that their kid will become the child of their dreams, instead of reconciling themselves to the person their child actually is.”
Oh hell, that quote hit me right in the heart at 2 in the morning. In my home, as with many other parents we are dealing with increased anxiety and depression. In large part this is because of the things these kids have been experiencing the last few years. Climate anxiety, increasing gun/school violence, the pandemic and quarantines … it’s been a lot for them to deal with. I know that many of us are finding ourselves in the position of trying to shepherd our children through this seemingly unsurmountable worries. I don’t have any answers for how to help our young ones through this morass, except to keep loving them and keep adjust our own expectations. Adjust adjust adjust and then adjust some more with empathy.
Ok, big sigh, but back to the book and the main conceit of this novel, which is unravelling the mystery of who this dead corpse belongs to. Figuring that out was definitely intriguing and I enjoyed that aspect of the book a great deal. I’m going to keep an eye on this author for future books. I really liked their style. I enjoy an interesting story that also speaks to the human condition in a complex say. I hope you will like this book as well.
Disclaimer: I received this book free from Netgalley.
gwalt118's review against another edition
4.0
"Never judge a book by its cover" is a fine motto, until you do and it turns out to be a great decision. I happened upon Ashton Hall by Lauren Belfer in the library last week because of its wonderfully gothic and sinister-looking cover. I was in the mood for dark, eccentric, and immersive fiction, and this novel did not disappoint.
Ashton Hall is a fictional place, but Belfer makes it feel real. Like Hannah, the narrator, I was quickly engrossed in the history of this historic home turned part museum and part apartment building in the English countryside. Hannah's son, Nicky, discovers a skeleton and the mystery of this skeleton becomes the central focus of the novel. Around the periphery, Hannah also has to make some decisions about herself, her marriage, and Nicky. We learn early on that Nicky is neurodiverse, and I commend Belfer for her writing of such a nuanced character who - in more ways than one - turns out to be the hero of this novel.
Hannah, an academic whose career has been sidelined by motherhood, spends the novel researching the life of the discovered skeleton while also contemplating her own life. As she unravels the truth about the skeleton, she also comes to terms with the truth about herself. The parallelism was striking, and I really enjoyed that aspect of the novel. The truth about the skeleton focuses on the Catholic vs. Protestant aspects of Tudor England, a history that I have always found intriguing. I loved learning even more that I didn't know through that element of this novel.
There are certain elements of Gothic literature - my favorite genre! - that are essential. Belfer does a great job of marrying the contemporary with the historical throughout this novel. Admittedly, some aspects worked better for me than others, but I think it's an incredibly challenging feat to assume and to accomplish well. I won't go into too much detail because I don't want to spoil anything -- but, if you read this one, let's chat.
Belfer captured the American and British tensions accurately and - at times - hilariously in her writing. She has some intriguing caricatures of British culture and immensely witty one-liners. My favorite occurs on pg. 179: "On Saturday afternoon, July 25, I threw a stick to Duncan and contemplated adultery." What a wonderful way to start a chapter. Truly.
Ashton Hall is a fictional place, but Belfer makes it feel real. Like Hannah, the narrator, I was quickly engrossed in the history of this historic home turned part museum and part apartment building in the English countryside. Hannah's son, Nicky, discovers a skeleton and the mystery of this skeleton becomes the central focus of the novel. Around the periphery, Hannah also has to make some decisions about herself, her marriage, and Nicky. We learn early on that Nicky is neurodiverse, and I commend Belfer for her writing of such a nuanced character who - in more ways than one - turns out to be the hero of this novel.
Hannah, an academic whose career has been sidelined by motherhood, spends the novel researching the life of the discovered skeleton while also contemplating her own life. As she unravels the truth about the skeleton, she also comes to terms with the truth about herself. The parallelism was striking, and I really enjoyed that aspect of the novel. The truth about the skeleton focuses on the Catholic vs. Protestant aspects of Tudor England, a history that I have always found intriguing. I loved learning even more that I didn't know through that element of this novel.
There are certain elements of Gothic literature - my favorite genre! - that are essential. Belfer does a great job of marrying the contemporary with the historical throughout this novel. Admittedly, some aspects worked better for me than others, but I think it's an incredibly challenging feat to assume and to accomplish well. I won't go into too much detail because I don't want to spoil anything -- but, if you read this one, let's chat.
Belfer captured the American and British tensions accurately and - at times - hilariously in her writing. She has some intriguing caricatures of British culture and immensely witty one-liners. My favorite occurs on pg. 179: "On Saturday afternoon, July 25, I threw a stick to Duncan and contemplated adultery." What a wonderful way to start a chapter. Truly.
jainicole's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
abradybuysbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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? Yes
3.5
readingwithmycats's review against another edition
I kept putting this down and honestly not caring at all about the characters or story line. I was hoping for something more spooky I think. Meh
smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
4.0
I love a good dual timeline historical mystery! This book gave me tons of Possession vibes with a great investigation into a dead Elizabethan woman's past life in an English manor house, Ashton Hall. Staying at Ashton Hall for the summer, American mother Hannah Larson and her son Nicky get wrapped up in the history of the house when Nicky discovers a dead body hidden in the walls. I loved how Hannah and Nicky both get drawn into figuring out what the dead woman's life was like and the focus on what mothering a child with special needs is like through Hannah's eyes. Her son has an undiagnosed condition (somewhere along the lines of ADHD or Autism, with a unique violent tendency). Great on audio and perfect for fans of Kate Morton or AS Byatt, I got sucked into this story right from the start and didn't want it to end. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!
magicacat's review against another edition
1.0
First DNF of the year!
I can't decide whether the attempted justification of a homosexual affair irked me most, or the insufferable brat who isn't violent or dickish, but "so yoo-neek uwu uwu"
I suppose the constant head-up-the-arse naval gazing mother who has literally no other interests besides her shitty son should be in there too.
All this and I couldn't even stomach 100 pages
Avoid. Avoid, avoid, avoid.
I can't decide whether the attempted justification of a homosexual affair irked me most, or the insufferable brat who isn't violent or dickish, but "so yoo-neek uwu uwu"
I suppose the constant head-up-the-arse naval gazing mother who has literally no other interests besides her shitty son should be in there too.
All this and I couldn't even stomach 100 pages
Avoid. Avoid, avoid, avoid.
daniellersalaz's review against another edition
4.0
I received an advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review.
Ashton Hall is set in present-day Cambridge, England, but reconstructs aspects of life of the family who lived in the fictional house in the sixteenth century. The action opens with the discovery of a skeleton and takes the reader through investigation into the cause and circumstances of the death, while also inviting us into the daily life of protagonists Hannah and her son Nicky.
I found this an interesting and transporting story, filled with details large and small that brought me into the world of Ashton Hall. However, having completed the book, I realize that many characters and plot points feel incomplete and slightly unsatisfying. I would have liked to have seen some of the minor characters brought back into the story before its conclusion.
All in all, an enjoyable read, perfect for summer.
Ashton Hall is set in present-day Cambridge, England, but reconstructs aspects of life of the family who lived in the fictional house in the sixteenth century. The action opens with the discovery of a skeleton and takes the reader through investigation into the cause and circumstances of the death, while also inviting us into the daily life of protagonists Hannah and her son Nicky.
I found this an interesting and transporting story, filled with details large and small that brought me into the world of Ashton Hall. However, having completed the book, I realize that many characters and plot points feel incomplete and slightly unsatisfying. I would have liked to have seen some of the minor characters brought back into the story before its conclusion.
All in all, an enjoyable read, perfect for summer.
sarah_reading_party's review against another edition
3.0
What a great book to read in the fall, specifically around Halloween! This book had just enough mystery and atmosphere to be a tad bit creepy/haunting without being scary or filled with horror. At the core, this book had a past/present divide - the modern day story centered around Hannah and her son Nicky, as well as her husband Kevin and her "father" Christopher. Hannah and Nicky entered the past as they stayed with Christopher at Ashton Hall in England, and discovered more about the past than they expected. This book was layered, and while I truly enjoyed the past mystery/drama, I was less captivated by Hannah's story in the present. The writing was great and the sense of place was strong, so I really enjoyed that. This wasn't my favorite book but I am glad I read it and had a hard time putting it down. I will be thinking about the themes of family, faith (specifically the Catholic vs. Protestant division in the Tudor era), and women's roles in the coming days.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.