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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was such a fun little mystery to read, I flew right through it!
"The Woman in the Mirror" is a very compelling Gothic thriller. It has absolutely everything you need to create the perfect storm of dread and fear - a Gothic manor perfectly placed cliffside in England with the foggy moors as a backdrop. The author creates palpable tension and unease from the beginning and manages to keep it going through the entire book. The story is set equally in the 1940s and present day but I found the transitions to be smooth and easy to follow. Overall a very atmospheric read - perfect for dark nights with a comfy blanket and cup of tea.
#TheWomanInTheMirror #NetGalley
#TheWomanInTheMirror #NetGalley
This book is not memorable in any way. It is just good if you want to read something easy, slightly creepy that doesn’t ask for any thinking.
Loved this story that is loosely based on The Turning of the Screw. Spanning two time periods, this book successfully builds the stories of two women, one based in the 1940's and the other in present day. Set mainly on a creepy estate in Cornwall, this gothic, atmospheric story is more creepy for what you don't see. The author does a great job of giving us two narrators that you constantly question as to their reliability. Each of the women narrators carriers their own burdens and past issues. I loved how the story unfolded. The end was positively gothic and made me wish there was a sequel to the story. I listened to the audiobook version of the story and loved it!
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was a solid atmospheric, gothic thriller with a modern twist. The remote setting — a dark, haunted castle in Cornwall — was perfect. It was creepy enough to make me glad I wasn’t reading it alone in the dark, but not so much that it scared me! I appreciated the complexity of the story and its feminist undertones.
The first half of the book reminded me strongly of Rebecca…perhaps a little too strongly, though I understand authors are frequently inspired by the classics. My biggest critique of this story is that it became too complicated, with multiple timelines that jumped back and forth in time. This made it a bit hard to follow at times and made it difficult to form strong connections with the characters. Still, a suspenseful, intriguing read perfect for spooky season!
The first half of the book reminded me strongly of Rebecca…perhaps a little too strongly, though I understand authors are frequently inspired by the classics. My biggest critique of this story is that it became too complicated, with multiple timelines that jumped back and forth in time. This made it a bit hard to follow at times and made it difficult to form strong connections with the characters. Still, a suspenseful, intriguing read perfect for spooky season!
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
A gothic ghost story inspired by The Turn of the Screw.
Eager to escape the haunting memories of post-war London, Alice Miller accepts a job as governess at a remote house on the coast of Cornwall. Her delight with the angelic twins and the beautiful landscape is soon overshadowed, however, by strange happenings that seem to suggest there is some truth to the rumours about the house being cursed.
In present-day New York, Rachel Wright is shocked to learn that she has inherited a manor house in England from an aunt she didn’t know she had. Putting her work and relationships on hold, she travels to Winterbourne Hall hoping to find clues about her birth mother and the rest of her biological family. What she discovers is a legacy of madness and vengeance that leads to more questions than answers.
It’s a spooky, atmospheric story with some truly chilling moments. Alice was an especially interesting POV to read because as the madness takes hold of her, and we learn about the secrets she’s been holding on to, she gradually becomes more unreliable as a narrator.
I jumped back into audiobooks at the end of 2020 and I'm glad I picked this one. It's been on my TBR for a while but I forgot about it (probably a giveaway book). There were two readers (one for Alice and another for Rachel) and I thought that was a good touch. It helped to tell the two stories apart since we get Alice's story at the same time as Rachel's. I really enjoyed hearing the reading. The readers have wonderful voices and give such emotion to characters which I think is lacking in many other audiobooks.
I've not read Turn of the Screw, but I've been told of the plot and I've read Ruth Ware's book "Turn of the Key" which is loosely based on the story. As I started this book and thought that was were this was going. It's possible that it was inspired by (I didn't look into it) but I'm not sure.
I will say the last twist wasn't something I was expecting. It doesn't totally surprise me, but I feel like there could have been more hints given to the character of that particular character.
I've not read Turn of the Screw, but I've been told of the plot and I've read Ruth Ware's book "Turn of the Key" which is loosely based on the story. As I started this book and thought that was were this was going. It's possible that it was inspired by (I didn't look into it) but I'm not sure.
I will say the last twist wasn't something I was expecting. It doesn't totally surprise me, but I feel like there could have been more hints given to the character of that particular character.
I do enjoy a bit of gothic fiction and The Woman In The Mirror ticked all the boxes with it also being a dual time frame novel.
Apart from the prologue all the of the novel takes place in either 1947 or 2018. Both women, whose connection is initially unclear both have had to rebuild their lives after suffering a devastating loss. That is their only similarity though, Rachel is much more independent than Alice and a lot more likeable.
Whilst Alice did suffer from the events that occurred at Winterbourne I found her to be frightening in her own way. I did understand the reasons why she was like she was, loneliness and the sense of going through life unloved, but I found her quite possessive. Especially with her relationship with the children who she didn’t really know.
The twins reminded me of the children in The Turning of The Screw by Henry James and whilst they did feature quite a lot I would have liked to see more of them and to know more about what happened in the intervening years. But this did not stop me enjoying the novel, I just wanted to enjoy more spookiness.
I loved the descriptions, both of the house and the area and also London during the blitz. The author did brilliant job of showing the view through the eyes of somebody who had to work there at the time.
I would love to read more books like this, its something I only read occasionally but I always enjoy it when I do.
Apart from the prologue all the of the novel takes place in either 1947 or 2018. Both women, whose connection is initially unclear both have had to rebuild their lives after suffering a devastating loss. That is their only similarity though, Rachel is much more independent than Alice and a lot more likeable.
Whilst Alice did suffer from the events that occurred at Winterbourne I found her to be frightening in her own way. I did understand the reasons why she was like she was, loneliness and the sense of going through life unloved, but I found her quite possessive. Especially with her relationship with the children who she didn’t really know.
The twins reminded me of the children in The Turning of The Screw by Henry James and whilst they did feature quite a lot I would have liked to see more of them and to know more about what happened in the intervening years. But this did not stop me enjoying the novel, I just wanted to enjoy more spookiness.
I loved the descriptions, both of the house and the area and also London during the blitz. The author did brilliant job of showing the view through the eyes of somebody who had to work there at the time.
I would love to read more books like this, its something I only read occasionally but I always enjoy it when I do.