salve58's review
5.0
This was a lovely and surprising story narrated by a deaf and blind girl who sees 'visitors'. Unique and thought provoking.
chrissireads's review
3.0
I have had my eye on The Visitors for a while now. The cover is so simple, but there was something about it, that made me want to read it! I’m glad that I got my hands on a copy, as I thought The Visitors was an incredibly accomplished début that I can imagine many historical fiction fans devouring. The Visitors does fit into many genres though including romance, a slight mystery and a slice of paranormal.
The Visitors centres around Adeliza who emerges into adulthood at the end of the Victorian era. Adeliza is deaf-blind and she’s trying to find her way in a world that she feels incredibly isolated from. It is through the help of a friend that her world begins to open up. The characters within this story are intriguing and easy to like.
I thought this was a stunning read. It was incredibly atmospheric. If you’re not a fan of paranormal reads, I wouldn’t let that put you off. It is the paranormal edge that creates the atmosphere- it’s never anything scary. I found it to be one of the most gripping elements of the story.
The Visitors centres around Adeliza who emerges into adulthood at the end of the Victorian era. Adeliza is deaf-blind and she’s trying to find her way in a world that she feels incredibly isolated from. It is through the help of a friend that her world begins to open up. The characters within this story are intriguing and easy to like.
I thought this was a stunning read. It was incredibly atmospheric. If you’re not a fan of paranormal reads, I wouldn’t let that put you off. It is the paranormal edge that creates the atmosphere- it’s never anything scary. I found it to be one of the most gripping elements of the story.
mazza57's review
4.0
This book has given me real conflicts in rating it.
The first 100 pages are a masterpiece of detail and description to portray the emotions involved in being deaf- blind and in having a child with those disabilities. The power that derived from bringing "language" into that situation was truly immense. There were parts that I found harrowing in the way Liza was treated even by her own parents. Some of the reactions that people had towards her were i felt made worse by the almost acceptance of that was what she should expect. I really did not like the people around her for most of this section.
The idea of "the visitors" was obviously - because of the title - the main premise of this book but in that first section I felt it was almost drowned out of substance. The latter 2/3 of the book emphasises how Liza grows and develops due in no small part to her relationship with Lottie. It ahs more of an historic fiction feel and for me really has little to do with the first section. I found I was struggling to get through some of this. As Liza and Lottie take their cause (I am trying not to give it away) to Africa the notion of "the visitors" become more central to the storyline. I found this part once more picked up the pace and the emotive tenor of the story.
Overall it felt like 2 books with a glue of ghosts joining the two together. If I had rated it at page 100 it would no doubt have merited 5 stars. I could not understand it's modest rating overall on GR. At the end I am veering towards 3 but will probable average it out at 4.
The first 100 pages are a masterpiece of detail and description to portray the emotions involved in being deaf- blind and in having a child with those disabilities. The power that derived from bringing "language" into that situation was truly immense. There were parts that I found harrowing in the way Liza was treated even by her own parents. Some of the reactions that people had towards her were i felt made worse by the almost acceptance of that was what she should expect. I really did not like the people around her for most of this section.
The idea of "the visitors" was obviously - because of the title - the main premise of this book but in that first section I felt it was almost drowned out of substance. The latter 2/3 of the book emphasises how Liza grows and develops due in no small part to her relationship with Lottie. It ahs more of an historic fiction feel and for me really has little to do with the first section. I found I was struggling to get through some of this. As Liza and Lottie take their cause (I am trying not to give it away) to Africa the notion of "the visitors" become more central to the storyline. I found this part once more picked up the pace and the emotive tenor of the story.
Overall it felt like 2 books with a glue of ghosts joining the two together. If I had rated it at page 100 it would no doubt have merited 5 stars. I could not understand it's modest rating overall on GR. At the end I am veering towards 3 but will probable average it out at 4.
milanameow's review
3.0
The beginning of the book was the most interesting part, after that it just went downhill for me. This could’ve been a five-star book if it didn’t focus on details that add absolutely nothing to the story. (Spoiler ahead)Also, the love story between Liza and Caleb made me deeply uncomfortable because of the creepy age gap.
hayley_mariep's review
5.0
This book was amazing. It felt like I just flew through it and I was so disappointed when I finished it because I just wanted to keep reading more and more about Adeliza and her growing knowledge of the world. I'd love a sequel to this book please Ms. Mascull!
The descriptions at the beginning really helped me identify with Adeliza's blindness. This is particularly amazing as for 18 years of my life I had perfect vision, but it honestly felt like I was there with Adeliza learning to finger spell and stumbling through life.
The relationship Lottie built with Adeliza, despite their huge differences was heart warming, and her empathy and understanding was remarkable. She was an amazing character, definitely my favourite. However, I did not at all care for Caleb, Lottie's brother. I felt he led Adeliza on despite having no romantic feelings for her at all, and I can't help but feel he took advantage of her before he went off to war.
The Visitors added a wonderfully eerie side to the novel, it had me questioning whether or not humans who are lacking in some/most senses can develop a sixth sense leaving them more open to the paranormal world. It really made me think, which isn't common for me (when reading of course!)
The writing of the novel was astounding, Mascull's descriptions and syntax was charming and out of this world, I loved everything about it.
Overall, I adored this book, I wish I could reread it over and over for the first time.
I rated this book 5 stars on Goodreads.
This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review, my views are in no way affected by the author or publishers.
Originally posted here: http://thereadingwonderland.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/review-visitors-by-rebecca-mascull.html
The descriptions at the beginning really helped me identify with Adeliza's blindness. This is particularly amazing as for 18 years of my life I had perfect vision, but it honestly felt like I was there with Adeliza learning to finger spell and stumbling through life.
The relationship Lottie built with Adeliza, despite their huge differences was heart warming, and her empathy and understanding was remarkable. She was an amazing character, definitely my favourite. However, I did not at all care for Caleb, Lottie's brother. I felt he led Adeliza on despite having no romantic feelings for her at all, and I can't help but feel he took advantage of her before he went off to war.
The Visitors added a wonderfully eerie side to the novel, it had me questioning whether or not humans who are lacking in some/most senses can develop a sixth sense leaving them more open to the paranormal world. It really made me think, which isn't common for me (when reading of course!)
The writing of the novel was astounding, Mascull's descriptions and syntax was charming and out of this world, I loved everything about it.
Overall, I adored this book, I wish I could reread it over and over for the first time.
I rated this book 5 stars on Goodreads.
This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review, my views are in no way affected by the author or publishers.
Originally posted here: http://thereadingwonderland.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/review-visitors-by-rebecca-mascull.html
quossie's review
5.0
I stumbled across this book purely by chance, and the thought that I came so close to never finding it was enough to cause me to have a "how many other utterly amazing books are out there that I've just completely overlooked?!" crisis.
I saw Rebecca Mascull's next book listed on Netgalley and, liking the sound of the summary, decided to flick through The Visitors first to get a feel for her writing style. That was all it took. I devoured it in one sitting. The writing is lush and gorgeous, and while the story is a mashup of genres that sound like they shouldn't work together Mascull weaves them together to create something fresh and new.
Also, on a purely shallow note, I adore the cover.
Highly recommended. I'm very much looking forward to Song of the Sea Maid.
I saw Rebecca Mascull's next book listed on Netgalley and, liking the sound of the summary, decided to flick through The Visitors first to get a feel for her writing style. That was all it took. I devoured it in one sitting. The writing is lush and gorgeous, and while the story is a mashup of genres that sound like they shouldn't work together Mascull weaves them together to create something fresh and new.
Also, on a purely shallow note, I adore the cover.
Highly recommended. I'm very much looking forward to Song of the Sea Maid.
dabieyo's review
4.0
"One does not need sight and hearing to be fully human, only communication."
This was a beautiful book. That's it, plain simple. Its first 5 chapters or so were just perfection, the description of a young deaf-blind girl and the way she faces the world and handles the few inputs she can get were so beautifully written that I spent two hours crying in bed the day I read them.
I had to knock a star off just because history is not really my jam and I got slighly distracted during those parts.
The ending again was perfect, the way you see Liza all grown up, a person that went from a wild child to an educated woman in search for herself, for her home, for where she belongs left me speechless. Liza has a lot to teach the world and will do anything to achieve that.
"Every human has the capacity for thought, for language, for mind. Every waking moment we negotiate the news from our senses with what sense our mind makes of it, moving effortlessly between the mind's territory and outside."
This was a beautiful book. That's it, plain simple. Its first 5 chapters or so were just perfection, the description of a young deaf-blind girl and the way she faces the world and handles the few inputs she can get were so beautifully written that I spent two hours crying in bed the day I read them.
I had to knock a star off just because history is not really my jam and I got slighly distracted during those parts.
The ending again was perfect, the way you see Liza all grown up, a person that went from a wild child to an educated woman in search for herself, for her home, for where she belongs left me speechless. Liza has a lot to teach the world and will do anything to achieve that.
"Every human has the capacity for thought, for language, for mind. Every waking moment we negotiate the news from our senses with what sense our mind makes of it, moving effortlessly between the mind's territory and outside."
serendipity_viv's review
Reviewed by author, K.M. Lockwood.
The Visitors has a striking cover: scarlet and slate grey silhouettes on a mottled cream vintage paper. There are hops, a ribbon across a child’s eyes and a rather lovely High Victorian font - all very suitable for the story inside.
It’s a large tale which broadens out from Adeliza’s intimate childhood in Kent to her adventures in South Africa as a young woman. The intrigue of who and what the Visitors are, and what they want spans the whole two-decade time-scale. It leads you on, as does Adeliza’s engaging personality.
Whilst the story covers her emergence into adulthood, it would not be unsuitable for a younger reader of high ability. There is romance – but it is handled with grace and sensitivity. I am happy to say that the supernatural element is also delicately and convincingly portrayed. It is unlikely to cause nightmares – yet it is essential to the plot.
Ideally, readers of The Visitors would revel in all the rich sensuality of Liza’s experience. They would delight in the beautifully realised turn-of-the-century setting, language and period detail.
There are aspects of British Imperial history in the Boer War portrayed that are far more distressing than anything supernatural – not least, because they are based on truth. For me, reading about this through Caleb’s letters was less engaging than following Liza’s direct experience – but I suspect that’s a matter of personal taste. Besides, letters were often used in novels of the time, and they work well to distance the reader slightly from the events so that they are brought in gradually.
I would cheerfully recommend this book to lovers of rich, sweeping historical drama with an eerie core to it. There is a small cast of characters to engage deeply with and a fine mix of adventure, romance and ghosts.
The Visitors has a striking cover: scarlet and slate grey silhouettes on a mottled cream vintage paper. There are hops, a ribbon across a child’s eyes and a rather lovely High Victorian font - all very suitable for the story inside.
It’s a large tale which broadens out from Adeliza’s intimate childhood in Kent to her adventures in South Africa as a young woman. The intrigue of who and what the Visitors are, and what they want spans the whole two-decade time-scale. It leads you on, as does Adeliza’s engaging personality.
Whilst the story covers her emergence into adulthood, it would not be unsuitable for a younger reader of high ability. There is romance – but it is handled with grace and sensitivity. I am happy to say that the supernatural element is also delicately and convincingly portrayed. It is unlikely to cause nightmares – yet it is essential to the plot.
Ideally, readers of The Visitors would revel in all the rich sensuality of Liza’s experience. They would delight in the beautifully realised turn-of-the-century setting, language and period detail.
There are aspects of British Imperial history in the Boer War portrayed that are far more distressing than anything supernatural – not least, because they are based on truth. For me, reading about this through Caleb’s letters was less engaging than following Liza’s direct experience – but I suspect that’s a matter of personal taste. Besides, letters were often used in novels of the time, and they work well to distance the reader slightly from the events so that they are brought in gradually.
I would cheerfully recommend this book to lovers of rich, sweeping historical drama with an eerie core to it. There is a small cast of characters to engage deeply with and a fine mix of adventure, romance and ghosts.
miggsisalot's review
4.0
The Visitors follows the story of Adeliza 'Liza' Golding, who as a young child loses her hearing to fever, followed by her sight. Though she can communicate her wants and needs with the simplest of gestures, and can navigate herself within her family's home with her remaining senses, Liza is unable to fully express herself, leaving her frustrated and isolated. Her only constant companions are the Visitors, mysterious entities she can sense with her mind.
Then one day, after escaping from her nanny and running out into her father's hop fields, Liza encounters a young hop picker named Lottie, who changes her life forever when she takes Liza by the hand and demonstrates a way to communicate. From that day forth, Lottie becomes her teacher and dearest friend, filling Liza's once empty world with newfound language and expression. The presence of the Visitors also takes on a new dimension, as they are now able to speak to Liza. It doesn't take her long to realize what the Visitors really are, and that she is the only one capable of sensing and communicating with them.
Told in the first person, The Visitors is a memorable and moving tale. Set during the waning years of the Victorian era, Liza's journey out of a lonely, sheltered existence takes her from her father's hop farm in Kent to Lottie's childhood home in Whitstable, and later, to the scorched landscape of South Africa during the Boer Wars. Liza is a compelling narrator, whose growth from a child to a capable, intelligent young woman is absorbing as it is convincing. After undergoing cataract surgery that restores her sight, Liza is able to see the Visitors as they really are; earth-bound ghosts who have not been able to pass on. In much the same way Lottie was able to reach out to her when she was a child, Liza attempts to do the same for the Visitors. Her uncanny ability to communicate with the dead becomes a vital tool much later in the story, when Liza and Lottie find themselves journeying to South Africa on a mission to prove the innocence of a loved one.
More than just a story with ghosts, The Visitors is an inspiring historical drama of a young girl's desperate desire to communicate and connect with others. It demonstrates the power of language, and how it can break down walls, bring people closer to their loved ones, and in the end, set people free.
Then one day, after escaping from her nanny and running out into her father's hop fields, Liza encounters a young hop picker named Lottie, who changes her life forever when she takes Liza by the hand and demonstrates a way to communicate. From that day forth, Lottie becomes her teacher and dearest friend, filling Liza's once empty world with newfound language and expression. The presence of the Visitors also takes on a new dimension, as they are now able to speak to Liza. It doesn't take her long to realize what the Visitors really are, and that she is the only one capable of sensing and communicating with them.
Told in the first person, The Visitors is a memorable and moving tale. Set during the waning years of the Victorian era, Liza's journey out of a lonely, sheltered existence takes her from her father's hop farm in Kent to Lottie's childhood home in Whitstable, and later, to the scorched landscape of South Africa during the Boer Wars. Liza is a compelling narrator, whose growth from a child to a capable, intelligent young woman is absorbing as it is convincing. After undergoing cataract surgery that restores her sight, Liza is able to see the Visitors as they really are; earth-bound ghosts who have not been able to pass on. In much the same way Lottie was able to reach out to her when she was a child, Liza attempts to do the same for the Visitors. Her uncanny ability to communicate with the dead becomes a vital tool much later in the story, when Liza and Lottie find themselves journeying to South Africa on a mission to prove the innocence of a loved one.
More than just a story with ghosts, The Visitors is an inspiring historical drama of a young girl's desperate desire to communicate and connect with others. It demonstrates the power of language, and how it can break down walls, bring people closer to their loved ones, and in the end, set people free.