Scan barcode
knapier5's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Death of parent, Abandonment, and War
chloe_acceber's review against another edition
dark
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? Yes
4.5
This book will really tug at your heartstrings. It's family drama and incredible, heartbreaking family history. The characters are real and believable, the story heart wrenching. Couldn't put it down
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Abandonment and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content
kam_h's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book took me a minute to get into. I think it definitely would resonate more with mother's, but once it got going it was so good. The characters were flawed and frustrating at times, but came across very realistic. If you love a good generational trauma book this one is definitely for you 🤣. I also always love the use of stories and fairy tales to tell a story within a story, and this one did that very well. It was much sadder than expected but the ending made it all worth it. Definitely recommend if you're wanting something that'll make you tear up a bit.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Abandonment, and War
tctimlin's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Came close to DNF several times, but stick with it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and War
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
4.5
Finished reading: May 30th 2023
"And maybe that was how it was supposed to be, how life unfolded when you lived it long enough. Joy and sadness were part of the package; the trick, perhaps, was to let yourself feel all of it, but to hold on to the joy just a little more tightly because you never knew when a strong heart could just give out."
I've actually had a physical copy of Winter Garden hanging out on my shelves since 2019, but somehow I never actually picked it up... Until it was recently recommended to me again, and I decided to pick it up on a whim to avoid it slipping between the cracks of my TBR mountain like before. And boy, am I glad that I did! Winter Garden turned out to be such a powerful story, and without doubt one of my favorite stories by Kristin Hannah so far. This story definitely leans more heavily on the contemporary than the historical fiction, and it focuses a lot on family, grief and relationship problems. The Russian fairy tale was never far away though, and I personally really enjoyed how the historical part of the plot was slowly introduced in the story. It is true that Anya's past really took the plot to the next level, but it was already a very interesting story with the family dynamics and the remaining family members crumbling after the father's death. There is a lot of character growth, and I had a great time learning more about the characters and how the past can explain present behavior. Winter Garden is a beautifully written, poignant and sometimes heartbreaking read, and it's made me want to return for even more of Kristin Hannah's backlist ASAP.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and War
Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol
laurynsmith's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Kristin Hannah is one of my favorite writers and this was a beautiful story. I’m so bummed that it didn’t hit for me like her other ones have. I just didn’t care and feel connected to the characters. I think a big issue with it was the format—if the “fairytale” had been hold from a then and now perspective rather than as a story I think I would’ve been able to get into it more. I was just simply more invested in the sisters than their mom. I didn’t hate it though—it just wasn’t a favorite!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and War
denisesbookstory's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Violence, Grief, Abandonment, and War
barrettcmyk's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
If you know anything at all about the siege of Leningrad, you’ll know this is not going to be an easy read.
First third or so of the book (before it’s clear the fairy tale is a veiled story of the Siege) was tough to get through for entirely different reasons. At that point each of the family members did such a marvelous job of isolating themselves from one another I found myself yelling “just hug, dammit!” at the pages.
The last two chapters or so were sob-fests, sweet and heart breaking, but … maybe a little far-fetched? Still, a good story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and War
mel_s_bookshelf's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, and War
Moderate: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Blood, and Abandonment