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A review by birdykinsreads
The Majestic Sisters by Jessica Ilse
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Set in the late 1930s and then back and forth 25 years later, Majestic Melly recounts her life story from her humble beginning as a hometown It girl in Halifax Nova Scotia performing as a sisterly-duo, to making it big in Hollywood during the Golden Age of movie stardom.
It's very charming, brightly narrated with a tone of voice and POV that really feels convincingly authentic. Jessica Ilse has quite a few narrative twists and surprises that keep us wondering what exactly happened between these two estranged sisters and how Melly managed to get in front of the right people and realize her dream.
I really enjoyed the conversational tone Ilse writes in, it felt like Melly was telling me this herself, pushing and pulling the curtain, careful of what she revealed and when. The atmosphere is just right, and experiencing my home city Halifax right before the war felt very cinematic in and of itself.
My only qualms with this book were saving the Hollywood part of the story for the last few chapters, I'd have liked to spend equal amount of time in Halifax and Hollywood, while narratively I understand why she told it this way, I'd have enjoyed experiencing as much time in her come up in Hollywood as in Halifax. I was so invested!
This was a fun little romp and a super quick read, I'd highly recommend it to fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid and especially The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo--the vibes were super similar and just as great. An impressive debut and an author I hope to read more from in the future!
It's very charming, brightly narrated with a tone of voice and POV that really feels convincingly authentic. Jessica Ilse has quite a few narrative twists and surprises that keep us wondering what exactly happened between these two estranged sisters and how Melly managed to get in front of the right people and realize her dream.
I really enjoyed the conversational tone Ilse writes in, it felt like Melly was telling me this herself, pushing and pulling the curtain, careful of what she revealed and when. The atmosphere is just right, and experiencing my home city Halifax right before the war felt very cinematic in and of itself.
My only qualms with this book were saving the Hollywood part of the story for the last few chapters, I'd have liked to spend equal amount of time in Halifax and Hollywood, while narratively I understand why she told it this way, I'd have enjoyed experiencing as much time in her come up in Hollywood as in Halifax. I was so invested!
This was a fun little romp and a super quick read, I'd highly recommend it to fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid and especially The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo--the vibes were super similar and just as great. An impressive debut and an author I hope to read more from in the future!