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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
I love Kate Morton books. She has such a way of drawing you in - the houses, the landscapes, the people, they all really come to life and stick with you. When I finish the book, I recognize their presence still lingering.
I enjoyed many parts of this book. But I ultimately felt like it simultaneously dragged on out, but somehow also felt rushed through various plot points. The big reveal felt clunky, there were soo many moving parts involved in what ultimately happened to the Turners; it was hard to keep track of and kind of lost the spark.
Things I wanted more resolution on:
- will Jess return to London? Did she realize Australia is home?
- I don’t feel like it was fully flushed out how terrible Nora was. She was incredibly manipulative, the things she said to Polly and how she practically stole Jess. Polly finally realized Nora was making her small, but Jess still idolized Nora
- I assume Nora lied about Isabel putting a pillow over the baby’s face, and also lied about Polly doing it? That was never clear
I enjoyed many parts of this book. But I ultimately felt like it simultaneously dragged on out, but somehow also felt rushed through various plot points. The big reveal felt clunky, there were soo many moving parts involved in what ultimately happened to the Turners; it was hard to keep track of and kind of lost the spark.
Things I wanted more resolution on:
- will Jess return to London? Did she realize Australia is home?
- I don’t feel like it was fully flushed out how terrible Nora was. She was incredibly manipulative, the things she said to Polly and how she practically stole Jess. Polly finally realized Nora was making her small, but Jess still idolized Nora
- I assume Nora lied about Isabel putting a pillow over the baby’s face, and also lied about Polly doing it? That was never clear
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The story, having two timelines, really fascinated me, and kind of drew you in from the beginning, because you learnt more about the plot through two different timelines. Also have the book was set in different locations being in Sydney, America, and in Adelaide hills, you kind of got to learn a lot about the different areas and the different characters associated with the different areas. In a white throughout the first half of the novel, I kind of felt sorry for Isabel and I know she was painted as a murderer, I still like to character and I liked the character of her children as well. The last 100 pages was just plot twist after plot twist (the murderer actually being Meg, who got pufferfish from her son Marcus after he was initially going to poison Isabel because he caught Percy and Isabel having an affair; Nora not actually being Polly’s mum, and Polly being Thea, but she raised her as her own), and it was honestly some of the best plot twists I’ve read in a while.
OOF.
The last 50 pages of this boosted it up a whole star. It's beautifully and atmospherically written, and very slow-paced. Perfect if you want to FEEL like you are in the middle of a tiny town in the middle of Australia with a bit of a mystery going on.
The last 50 pages of this boosted it up a whole star. It's beautifully and atmospherically written, and very slow-paced. Perfect if you want to FEEL like you are in the middle of a tiny town in the middle of Australia with a bit of a mystery going on.
I saw this book on my library's new releases display. When I picked it up and read quotes on the cover - things like "a page turner," "a mystery lover's delight," and "leaves surprises for even the keenest of detectives" - I thought it sounded like a book I'd love. But, in reality, none of these quotes proved all that true for me:
"A page turner" - From Jess to Nora to Polly to Percy to Daniel, this novel jumps through so many points of view that it's kind of a page turner in the sense that you keep reading because you're desperate to get back to a storyline left hanging 4 people ago.
"A mystery lover's delight" - This book actually isn't much of a mystery? It's more like: something happened in 1959, the person involved didn't tell her kid or grandkid about it, but there was a book published about it, so now we're going to read the book. And no one involved is actually going to solve anything, they are going to have the story pieced together for them from suspiciously convenient diaries, notebooks, and recordings that turn up at the perfect time.
"Leaves surprises for even the keenest of detectives" - This one I really have to call bullshit on. I never am able to put together clues in mysteries or guess the murderer, but the big surprise here is incredibly obvious from the very beginning of the book. Other "surprises" are actually confusing because the characters assume things that make no sense when the obvious answer is, well, obvious.
This book wasn't a complete loss for me, even if I knew where the story was going the entire time and I hated a certain character long before I was supposed to. I liked the Australian setting, I appreciated the historic element, and I enjoyed how multifaceted the novel was. Because some other reviews say that this was their least favorite Kate Morton, I think I will give her another try.
"A page turner" - From Jess to Nora to Polly to Percy to Daniel, this novel jumps through so many points of view that it's kind of a page turner in the sense that you keep reading because you're desperate to get back to a storyline left hanging 4 people ago.
"A mystery lover's delight" - This book actually isn't much of a mystery? It's more like: something happened in 1959, the person involved didn't tell her kid or grandkid about it, but there was a book published about it, so now we're going to read the book. And no one involved is actually going to solve anything, they are going to have the story pieced together for them from suspiciously convenient diaries, notebooks, and recordings that turn up at the perfect time.
"Leaves surprises for even the keenest of detectives" - This one I really have to call bullshit on. I never am able to put together clues in mysteries or guess the murderer, but the big surprise here is incredibly obvious from the very beginning of the book. Other "surprises" are actually confusing because the characters assume things that make no sense when the obvious answer is, well, obvious.
This book wasn't a complete loss for me, even if I knew where the story was going the entire time and I hated a certain character long before I was supposed to. I liked the Australian setting, I appreciated the historic element, and I enjoyed how multifaceted the novel was. Because some other reviews say that this was their least favorite Kate Morton, I think I will give her another try.
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Normally like Kate Morton's historical fiction with good character building and a few great twists. However, this book dragged on for too long and the twists were unnecessarily winding (but also predictable).
Libro espectacular, tanto en el desarrollo de la historia como en su desenlace
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A mystery spanning three generations of women, set primarily in Australia. Long-past events have a surprising effect on the present.
This was a stellar read. The writing is lush and emotional. The characters are vivid and well-developed. The story is captivating and propulsive. I loved it.
The novel isn't short- 560 pgs./17hr48min audiobook. But it was perfect for my drive to/from St. Louis. The engaging writing, well-researched historical elements and stellar narration kept my interest over every page and every minute. When all the pieces started falling into place I was pleased to find that the pieces I'd assumed were wrong. The best surprise.
Now that I'm done I've fallen down the rabbit hole to learn everything I can about the Australian elements- gum trees, the history of hyphenated last names, South East Australia and more.
The novel isn't short- 560 pgs./17hr48min audiobook. But it was perfect for my drive to/from St. Louis. The engaging writing, well-researched historical elements and stellar narration kept my interest over every page and every minute. When all the pieces started falling into place I was pleased to find that the pieces I'd assumed were wrong. The best surprise.
Now that I'm done I've fallen down the rabbit hole to learn everything I can about the Australian elements- gum trees, the history of hyphenated last names, South East Australia and more.