Scan barcode
lorena_n's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
laurend's review against another edition
4.0
Almost 5 stars! What a great little book! Could be for any age over 7--not just young adult.
I'll definitely read this author again.
I'll definitely read this author again.
annmarie_in_november's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. Lucy Strange feels like an author who’ll be an instant-read for me now after reading this book. I was absolutely gripped and so keen to know what would happen that I finished it in less than a day. A brave, resilient and imaginative heroine, Henry, faces the seemingly impossible task of standing alone to save her mentally ill mother from the clutches of a pitiless, chauvinistic medical establishment. Post-WWI in the British upper middle-class, a society in which a girl is a nothing person – despite her very real concerns about how the local doctor is ‘caring’ for her mother, Henry is ignored, chivvied off by the nanny, kept away from the business of grownups and told almost nothing about what is happening to her own family.
I snapped this up when I saw reviews mention that it was evocative of classic children’s novels of the Victorian and Edwardian eras – The Secret Garden, The Railway Children, Alice in Wonderland, Little Women. It very much lives up to its reputation. In the same way that those books can be appreciated on many different levels by readers of all ages, children and adults alike, so too can The Secret of Nightingale Wood. There’s nothing whatsoever childish about it aside from the fact that its protagonist, Henry, is a 12-year-old girl. In fact, if I was reminded of any classic novels reading this, then the tense, suffocating atmosphere and the mounting mental stress Henry goes through put me in mind of Jane Eyre, with a touch of Rebecca.
Dr Hardy is a brilliant adversary who at no point does anything outlandish or evil. He simply works within the structure of society perfectly as he is permitted as a man of authority and as a doctor, which makes him all more frightening. Smug and utterly confident that he is right, he sneers at Henry’s attempts to help her mother by being gentle with her, reading to her, telling her stories. Instead, he doles out total confinement, sedation and enforced rest as a means of ‘curing’ her of entirely normal reactions to bereavement – which he and the era deem neuroses and hysteria.
Henry’s frustration with Dr Hardy puts her in a lose-lose cycle. The more power Dr Hardy exerts, the angrier Henry gets, the angrier she gets, the more she too is deemed ‘ill’ and exhibiting ‘symptoms’ just like her mother. This increasingly ramps up the tension and I felt borderline panicked in parts, as Henry’s anxiety, impotent rage, her doubts about her own sanity and her despair for her mother became so crushing.
It’s a rather Gothic mystery at times, opening up intrigue within intrigue, but there’s also a heartfelt core to the story that brought me to tears – that the key to treating people who diverge from ‘normal’, who’ve had breakdowns, lost their way, is gentle respect, dignity, and of course, time and talking.
I snapped this up when I saw reviews mention that it was evocative of classic children’s novels of the Victorian and Edwardian eras – The Secret Garden, The Railway Children, Alice in Wonderland, Little Women. It very much lives up to its reputation. In the same way that those books can be appreciated on many different levels by readers of all ages, children and adults alike, so too can The Secret of Nightingale Wood. There’s nothing whatsoever childish about it aside from the fact that its protagonist, Henry, is a 12-year-old girl. In fact, if I was reminded of any classic novels reading this, then the tense, suffocating atmosphere and the mounting mental stress Henry goes through put me in mind of Jane Eyre, with a touch of Rebecca.
Dr Hardy is a brilliant adversary who at no point does anything outlandish or evil. He simply works within the structure of society perfectly as he is permitted as a man of authority and as a doctor, which makes him all more frightening. Smug and utterly confident that he is right, he sneers at Henry’s attempts to help her mother by being gentle with her, reading to her, telling her stories. Instead, he doles out total confinement, sedation and enforced rest as a means of ‘curing’ her of entirely normal reactions to bereavement – which he and the era deem neuroses and hysteria.
Henry’s frustration with Dr Hardy puts her in a lose-lose cycle. The more power Dr Hardy exerts, the angrier Henry gets, the angrier she gets, the more she too is deemed ‘ill’ and exhibiting ‘symptoms’ just like her mother. This increasingly ramps up the tension and I felt borderline panicked in parts, as Henry’s anxiety, impotent rage, her doubts about her own sanity and her despair for her mother became so crushing.
It’s a rather Gothic mystery at times, opening up intrigue within intrigue, but there’s also a heartfelt core to the story that brought me to tears – that the key to treating people who diverge from ‘normal’, who’ve had breakdowns, lost their way, is gentle respect, dignity, and of course, time and talking.
emily_1215's review against another edition
5.0
Second read: November 2021
"She is tossed by the waves, but she does not sink."
Yeah, listening to this book a second time has locked it in as my favorite book of the year, and I would love to get a tattoo inspired by this book at some point.
First read: April 2021
"The Yellow Wallpaper," but make it for kids!
I read Our Castle by the Sea a couple years ago, and I wasn't super impressed, but I've been hoping to read Lucy Strange's newest novel, which is categorized as gothic. I checked out this audiobook, and it's perfection. First of all, Strange narrates this herself, and her voice is delightful to listen to and so perfect for this kind of story. I very highly recommend the audiobook.
I'm writing a research paper about everyone's favorite decor-centered horror story ("The Yellow Wallpaper" obviously), so it lives rent-free in my brain right now, and the connections to it were immediately obvious to me in The Secret of Nightingale Wood. This book would be a great starting point for talking to kids about the treatment of women, mental illness, and disfigurement in the twentieth century and how all of those things are used to take power away from people. I can see myself giving this as a gift to eleven to fourteen-year-olds. It's pretty emotionally intense, so I would consider this an upper-middle grade into lower YA novel, but adults will definitely enjoy it too, especially if they like "The Yellow Wallpaper" and feminist literature.
Henry is precious, imaginative, and unafraid to challenge authority. She loves her family so much, and she will do anything to protect them. (To absolutely no one's surprise, I fell in love with another hard-hitting middle grade about siblings and grief.) Her independence and loneliness reminds me a lot of Lenora from The Woods, which is another one of my favorite middle grades, and these books have similar spooky, ominous vibes. I liked the little bit of mystery in this one, too.
I was really concerned about the descriptions of disability and disfigurement as a result of war at the beginning of the novel, but it resolved in a perfect way. I loved the beginning of this book, but the last two hours (about 30%) made this a new favorite middle grade. The ending is so perfect in the way it resolves things but doesn't "fix" anything or anyone. The inclusion of fairy tales, John Keats, and other books is always something I love, especially in kid's books, as a kid who understood the world through books.
I think this is my favorite book of 2021 so far, and I am very excited to read Strange's other novels which seem ghosty and gothic.
"She is tossed by the waves, but she does not sink."
Yeah, listening to this book a second time has locked it in as my favorite book of the year, and I would love to get a tattoo inspired by this book at some point.
First read: April 2021
"The Yellow Wallpaper," but make it for kids!
I read Our Castle by the Sea a couple years ago, and I wasn't super impressed, but I've been hoping to read Lucy Strange's newest novel, which is categorized as gothic. I checked out this audiobook, and it's perfection. First of all, Strange narrates this herself, and her voice is delightful to listen to and so perfect for this kind of story. I very highly recommend the audiobook.
I'm writing a research paper about everyone's favorite decor-centered horror story ("The Yellow Wallpaper" obviously), so it lives rent-free in my brain right now, and the connections to it were immediately obvious to me in The Secret of Nightingale Wood. This book would be a great starting point for talking to kids about the treatment of women, mental illness, and disfigurement in the twentieth century and how all of those things are used to take power away from people. I can see myself giving this as a gift to eleven to fourteen-year-olds. It's pretty emotionally intense, so I would consider this an upper-middle grade into lower YA novel, but adults will definitely enjoy it too, especially if they like "The Yellow Wallpaper" and feminist literature.
Henry is precious, imaginative, and unafraid to challenge authority. She loves her family so much, and she will do anything to protect them. (To absolutely no one's surprise, I fell in love with another hard-hitting middle grade about siblings and grief.) Her independence and loneliness reminds me a lot of Lenora from The Woods, which is another one of my favorite middle grades, and these books have similar spooky, ominous vibes. I liked the little bit of mystery in this one, too.
I was really concerned about the descriptions of disability and disfigurement as a result of war at the beginning of the novel, but it resolved in a perfect way. I loved the beginning of this book, but the last two hours (about 30%) made this a new favorite middle grade. The ending is so perfect in the way it resolves things but doesn't "fix" anything or anyone. The inclusion of fairy tales, John Keats, and other books is always something I love, especially in kid's books, as a kid who understood the world through books.
I think this is my favorite book of 2021 so far, and I am very excited to read Strange's other novels which seem ghosty and gothic.
seashell's review against another edition
Hmmmm... I was recommended this book at a book fare. The recommendation came from a 40+ woman, who said it was the most thrilling read and you just couldn't put the book down, she was so sad that it was the only one translated by the author. So I borrowed it from the library. It is a children's book apparently... It was a cute story, but my expectations were very different. I was hoping to read some easy and captivating romcom, buuut well. It is a children's book apparently
sams's review against another edition
3.0
Originally bought this for a Primary library based on the cover and blurb. I was expecting a light, fantastical yarn. I did like the story and couldn't put it down. My problem is that I spent the entire book angry with circumstances and hating certain characters with such passion. I guess a sign of a good writer but am left wondering if it's just too dark for upper primary.
I need to mull this one over...
I need to mull this one over...
barnettbunch's review against another edition
5.0
It is beautiful in every way you want a book to be. It is filled with the truths of life—the sorrow, the surviving, the fear and the hope. And when you read the last page you will breathe a sigh of satisfaction because it is perfect.
acetokki99's review against another edition
5.0
I just want to say that I LOVE when houses have names! What better place for our protagonist dealing with the loss of her brother and the PTSD that wraps around her with every thought of him, the separation from her mother whom is being kept prisoner in her room, her father that moves away and the pressure to care for her infant sister, than a home named Hope House?
This book is filled with literary delights as the author knits in these stories we all know to connect us to the characters. The mystery was such a pleasant surprise that kept me guessing - at some point I came to the conclusion that Henry could communicate with the dead, then later I was convinced that she herself was dead. The addition of the asylum worked really well and gave a sort of "Shutter Island" feel to the story around her mother that added so much to the story. Moth and Robert were fantastic spirit guides! Oh! There is also the most perfect villain- so easy to hate and be scared of!
The story deals with grief and loss, some of the hardest things to live through and heal with. Though I believe Henry was much to young to have been doing so much on her own, she was an incredibly strong character that was set on saving her family. I smiled and cried, laughing between the moments of heart grinding solitude that made it hard to breathe. Those moments where the author shared bits of Alice in Wonderland and Hansel and Gretel really bound the story together in a way that pushed into something personal. We all have histories with these stories and the connections they have in our own lives.
All in all, this book was NOTHING that I expected it to be. I picked it up because it was pretty and I thought it would be a little sweet book to read outside on a warm summers day. Instead I was met with something that pulled on all the strings that attach me to who I am.
I absolutely loved it!
This book is filled with literary delights as the author knits in these stories we all know to connect us to the characters. The mystery was such a pleasant surprise that kept me guessing - at some point I came to the conclusion that Henry could communicate with the dead, then later I was convinced that she herself was dead. The addition of the asylum worked really well and gave a sort of "Shutter Island" feel to the story around her mother that added so much to the story. Moth and Robert were fantastic spirit guides! Oh! There is also the most perfect villain- so easy to hate and be scared of!
The story deals with grief and loss, some of the hardest things to live through and heal with. Though I believe Henry was much to young to have been doing so much on her own, she was an incredibly strong character that was set on saving her family. I smiled and cried, laughing between the moments of heart grinding solitude that made it hard to breathe. Those moments where the author shared bits of Alice in Wonderland and Hansel and Gretel really bound the story together in a way that pushed into something personal. We all have histories with these stories and the connections they have in our own lives.
All in all, this book was NOTHING that I expected it to be. I picked it up because it was pretty and I thought it would be a little sweet book to read outside on a warm summers day. Instead I was met with something that pulled on all the strings that attach me to who I am.
I absolutely loved it!
noraleest's review against another edition
4.0
1919 — nadat Henry haar oudere broer is verloren verhuist ze met haar gezin naar de kust. Haar vader vertrekt om te werken en haar moeder slaapt de hele dag. In het bos achter haar huis ontmoet ze de mysterieuze Mot, maar wie is zij?
Ik vond het echt een prachtig boek, ik ga hem deze kerst gelijk meenemen zodat mijn moeder hem ook kan lezen! Heel mooi geschreven, een beetje magisch, een beetje tragisch, precies zoals ik het graag zie <3
Ik vond het echt een prachtig boek, ik ga hem deze kerst gelijk meenemen zodat mijn moeder hem ook kan lezen! Heel mooi geschreven, een beetje magisch, een beetje tragisch, precies zoals ik het graag zie <3
its_cold_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0