Scan barcode
pinkvogue's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sarita26's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
atgerstner's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
It’s just . . . very French.
goffjennam's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
4.0
annamitchell's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
novelvisits's review against another edition
4.0
Note: I received a copy of this book from Hogarth (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.
Margot, 17-years old, has had an unusual childhood. She lives with her mother, Anouk, a moderately successful actress in Paris. Her father is a politician, slowly rising up the ranks of the French government. He has another family, so Margot and Anouk have always been a secret. This has been Margot’s norm and though she’s always been aware of the strange circumstances of her existence, it hasn’t bothered her much. Then one spring day, she and her mother glimpse Madame Lapierie, her father’s wife, from a distance. This sighting, not even an encounter, sets Margot’s mind in motion, questioning the circumstances, the fairness of her life.
“We were, I realized, on the wrong side of Father’s double life.”
The Margot Affair is told by Margot herself in a very direct, matter-of-fact way with little emotion. Very earnest and easy to like, I immediately found myself drawn to Margot. She’s reached a point in her life where many things are colliding. She’s facing her last year of school, exams and decisions on what to do with her life, and now she can’t stop thinking about the “other family,” the “real family.” She begins to feel small and insignificant and because she’s a secret Margot has few people to confide in. A chance encounter with a journalist and his wife, set in motion an end to the secret that is Margot.
“I lived in a strange space, caught between the guilt of being his weakness and the desire to be everything.”
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, especially the first half where Margot never quite felt secure in her mother’s devotion to her. Sanaë Lemoine cleverly played that out in Margot hearing several stories of mothers who had lost their children. She had much to consider about her parent’s choices, own life, and her relationships with them. As Margot grew more confused and influenced by others, I felt the story slowed down a bit. However, the story all came together in an ending I truly enjoyed. If you’re a fan of coming-of-age stories or books set in Paris, put The Margot Affair on your library hold list.
Original Source: https://novelvisits.com/the-margot-affair-by-sanae-lemoine-review/
Margot, 17-years old, has had an unusual childhood. She lives with her mother, Anouk, a moderately successful actress in Paris. Her father is a politician, slowly rising up the ranks of the French government. He has another family, so Margot and Anouk have always been a secret. This has been Margot’s norm and though she’s always been aware of the strange circumstances of her existence, it hasn’t bothered her much. Then one spring day, she and her mother glimpse Madame Lapierie, her father’s wife, from a distance. This sighting, not even an encounter, sets Margot’s mind in motion, questioning the circumstances, the fairness of her life.
“We were, I realized, on the wrong side of Father’s double life.”
The Margot Affair is told by Margot herself in a very direct, matter-of-fact way with little emotion. Very earnest and easy to like, I immediately found myself drawn to Margot. She’s reached a point in her life where many things are colliding. She’s facing her last year of school, exams and decisions on what to do with her life, and now she can’t stop thinking about the “other family,” the “real family.” She begins to feel small and insignificant and because she’s a secret Margot has few people to confide in. A chance encounter with a journalist and his wife, set in motion an end to the secret that is Margot.
“I lived in a strange space, caught between the guilt of being his weakness and the desire to be everything.”
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, especially the first half where Margot never quite felt secure in her mother’s devotion to her. Sanaë Lemoine cleverly played that out in Margot hearing several stories of mothers who had lost their children. She had much to consider about her parent’s choices, own life, and her relationships with them. As Margot grew more confused and influenced by others, I felt the story slowed down a bit. However, the story all came together in an ending I truly enjoyed. If you’re a fan of coming-of-age stories or books set in Paris, put The Margot Affair on your library hold list.
Original Source: https://novelvisits.com/the-margot-affair-by-sanae-lemoine-review/
ktpie85's review against another edition
4.0
A beautiful book about the complicated relationships between mothers and daughters and their love and hate.
lattelibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Is it reasonable to say that this is the modern-day, political Bonjour Tristesse? Margot only sees her father a few times a year--that is, in person. The rest of the time, she can watch him on the television as the grand politician that he is. She is the result of her mother's affair with him years ago, and both her mother and her father are very trusting in each other's ability to keep their relationship from all those years ago secret. But the more that Margot grows older, the more she wants a father figure in her life. After all, his other children have that, so why not her?
When she meets a reporter at one of her mother's dramatic performances, she toys with the idea of letting the truth be known. And if the truth was known, then perhaps the problem of her lacking a father would be solved. But what will her father's wife say? And how will such a release of information affect his political status?
When she anonymously spills the beans, she quickly realizes how her words have meaning and power. She has affected relationships, inserted her life into a world of gossip and articles, and finds and loses friendships based on her being the illegitimate child of an actress and a politician. As she comes to terms with her decision to let her genealogy be known, she also must come to terms that she can't always get what she wants.
Overall, this was a compelling novel that I adored on the basis that I knew what they were talking about, what with the Bacs and the tabacs cobblestone streets. It took me back to another time, and made it easy for me to feel transported to another place. It's well crafted, and makes for quite a good story. Definitely worth reading, especially if you're a fan of the political and personal.
When she meets a reporter at one of her mother's dramatic performances, she toys with the idea of letting the truth be known. And if the truth was known, then perhaps the problem of her lacking a father would be solved. But what will her father's wife say? And how will such a release of information affect his political status?
When she anonymously spills the beans, she quickly realizes how her words have meaning and power. She has affected relationships, inserted her life into a world of gossip and articles, and finds and loses friendships based on her being the illegitimate child of an actress and a politician. As she comes to terms with her decision to let her genealogy be known, she also must come to terms that she can't always get what she wants.
Overall, this was a compelling novel that I adored on the basis that I knew what they were talking about, what with the Bacs and the tabacs cobblestone streets. It took me back to another time, and made it easy for me to feel transported to another place. It's well crafted, and makes for quite a good story. Definitely worth reading, especially if you're a fan of the political and personal.
rkhill's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
cjule4's review against another edition
2.0
ugh. finished so fast bc i needed it to be done. writing was good but where did so much cannibalism come from??