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kbkittyb's review
5.0
I write this with difficuly as a never ending stream of tears finds its way onto this beautiful book. Stunning! Very rarely, if ever, do I give a five star rating, especially to contemporary novels. But this one blew me away in every possible way.
Beautifully written, the research perfect, the story more breathtaking than I have the ability to put into words. This is a book that will stay with me. Haunting me, trying to draw me back in at any available opportunity. A bit like the curse itself. And I will happily return time after time.
There is so much I have to say about this true work of art, a piece that somehow realistically spans centuries.
Throughout I found myself not really understanding the romance between the heroine and luke. Constantly changing, never feeling quite real. Until the end, and then it all seems to click into place just like it does for our final heroine, Helen. And at that point it ends and my heart broke. The idea that this book and story is forever finished for me is one that I am truly struggling to come to terms with.
Despite somehow both loving and hating each heroine in turn I am ridiculously sad to be saying goodbye to all of these characters.
It is one of those books I with I had annotated just so I could revisit the joy I felt while reading it for the first time.
This review is in no way an exaggeration. I am still crying. And I am usually a very robotic human who treats all emotions with disdain.
But this book has influenced me in more ways than I can count. I would strongly recommend reading this lovely and heartbreaking tale. My only advise would be to savour the experience while it lasts. Books like these don't come around too often...
I will be always keeping an eye out for more Constance Sayers books. She possesses the talent I wish I had.
And yes, I am choosing to believe Luke comes back to her at the end. Although, the choice of a surfer is questionable.
I could rave about this book for days...
Beautifully written, the research perfect, the story more breathtaking than I have the ability to put into words. This is a book that will stay with me. Haunting me, trying to draw me back in at any available opportunity. A bit like the curse itself. And I will happily return time after time.
There is so much I have to say about this true work of art, a piece that somehow realistically spans centuries.
Throughout I found myself not really understanding the romance between the heroine and luke. Constantly changing, never feeling quite real. Until the end, and then it all seems to click into place just like it does for our final heroine, Helen. And at that point it ends and my heart broke. The idea that this book and story is forever finished for me is one that I am truly struggling to come to terms with.
Despite somehow both loving and hating each heroine in turn I am ridiculously sad to be saying goodbye to all of these characters.
It is one of those books I with I had annotated just so I could revisit the joy I felt while reading it for the first time.
This review is in no way an exaggeration. I am still crying. And I am usually a very robotic human who treats all emotions with disdain.
But this book has influenced me in more ways than I can count. I would strongly recommend reading this lovely and heartbreaking tale. My only advise would be to savour the experience while it lasts. Books like these don't come around too often...
I will be always keeping an eye out for more Constance Sayers books. She possesses the talent I wish I had.
And yes, I am choosing to believe Luke comes back to her at the end. Although, the choice of a surfer is questionable.
I could rave about this book for days...
yazzzzberry's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sarahreadstories's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sanpadhi's review
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
meganh589's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kimzeyk's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-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? No
3.5
I’ve enjoyed some of the author’s later books, so I was excited about this one. I liked the concept overall, and the entwining of multiple lives was interesting.
For me, the parts aboutthe curse didn’t feel like they fit. I felt that Lucian’s role needed less explanation - every time they called him the administrator, it made it feel more like comic fantasy, á la Michael Moore. It seemed sort of shoehorned in as a way to have a third point in the love triangle.
I expected that Helen would be the most powerful of the four, but we never see that. I assumed she would bring Lucian back, but just before he reappears, she says she doesn’t use her powers because the cost is too great. It made the ending fall flat for me.
You can definitely see that Sayers has grown as a writer since this novel.
For me, the parts about
I expected that Helen would be the most powerful of the four, but we never see that. I assumed she would bring Lucian back, but just before he reappears, she says she doesn’t use her powers because the cost is too great. It made the ending fall flat for me.
You can definitely see that Sayers has grown as a writer since this novel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Stalking, Suicide, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Domestic abuse, and Miscarriage
Minor: Vomit, War, Infertility, and Pregnancy
tracyksmith_reads's review against another edition
5.0
I did not expect to be so blown away by this story or so attached to the characters! What an awesome debut novel!
---More to come...
---More to come...
hannah_reads_2020's review
1.0
This book had such promise. A girl cursed by her mother. Demons and blood curses. But what I got was a slightly pedophilloic love story that was doomed throughout the ages and some weak magic about the power of suggestion.
The story focuses the first 40% on Juliette, a 16 year old in provincial France. She is not a likeable character. She is whiney, even for a 16 year old. Her lover Marchant is a creepy middle aged man who preys on her naivety. When her mother find out she tries to curse the relationship but instead dooms them to be reincarnated forever and have their relationship.
Her other lives are almost as equally insufferable. I didn't really like any of her reincarnations and found they didn't have many redeeming qualities. Nora was the exception but she was also incredibly naive. Granted as we go through the reincarnations the "magic" gets stronger, but it felt like a sleepy romance novel rather than one of magic and the macabre.
The story focuses the first 40% on Juliette, a 16 year old in provincial France. She is not a likeable character. She is whiney, even for a 16 year old. Her lover Marchant is a creepy middle aged man who preys on her naivety. When her mother find out she tries to curse the relationship but instead dooms them to be reincarnated forever and have their relationship.
Her other lives are almost as equally insufferable. I didn't really like any of her reincarnations and found they didn't have many redeeming qualities. Nora was the exception but she was also incredibly naive. Granted as we go through the reincarnations the "magic" gets stronger, but it felt like a sleepy romance novel rather than one of magic and the macabre.
kelseymgorrell's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0