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A review by purnuhja
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-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
A unique and enjoyable mystery where the line between reality and myth blurs! I did stop reading this book for a couple months just because life got in the way, and it was a little harder to return because of its slow pacing and intertwined storylines. This isn't a bad thing, just feels wrong to try to rate this book because my own choices impeded my enjoyment.
I still thought the story was interesting with really vivid prose. I loved all of the imagery around the river and how it's portrayed with a certain amount of sentience. I also just enjoyed that this is a story about the power of stories. Sometimes the characterization felt repetitive and lacking subtlety in the writing style, and the book has a slow start in general, but overall a good read.
I still thought the story was interesting with really vivid prose. I loved all of the imagery around the river and how it's portrayed with a certain amount of sentience. I also just enjoyed that this is a story about the power of stories. Sometimes the characterization felt repetitive and lacking subtlety in the writing style, and the book has a slow start in general, but overall a good read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault