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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
Too many twists and turns. Nora was a horrible, manipulative person.
The plot of the book is as good. Unfortunately the telling of the story took entirely too long. Each character gave their point of view three times it seemed. So redundant made me want to skip chapters. A slog of a story that did not need to be.
3.5 - I love Kate Morton and have been waiting for this book. But this was slooooooow. As always, beautifully written and takes you on a time traveling journey!
This was a great story, but it dragged on and on in a really repetitive way and it felt like the author had a thesaurus next to her at all times. It took me so much longer to read this book (and that includes a 6 hour plane flight) than most books. I enjoyed it but felt like it could have been condensed into being a more effective narrative.
While I really enjoyed the story, it rambled a lot and I thought the “twist” was pretty predictable. I learned a bit about Southern Australia, though not as much as I hoped to.
While I really enjoyed the story, it rambled a lot and I thought the “twist” was pretty predictable. I learned a bit about Southern Australia, though not as much as I hoped to.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I found this book way longer than it needed to be. Nothing happened over many many pages. The plot twist was not surprising.
This is 250 pages too long. The first 100 pages are excellent, and the ending it tight, but I cannot in good faith recommend it due to the length.
This book is way too long for what it delivers. The book truly starts in the last 10% and I wished this book had been 50% shorter. It's such a slow burn and I couldn't wait to finish it.
This was a wonderful companion during a long airport layover - I loved the description of the Australian landscape, and the plot felt true to the characters. A satisfying unraveling of a family mystery.
Thanks to NetGalley for the early copy!
Unlike many other reviews I have seen of this book, I was unfamiliar with Kate Morton and her works prior to reading this book. But the summary seemed interesting to me, so I decided to check it out. What I got was a wordy and slow paced story revolving around a family and their mysteries. And sadly, I don't think it was for me.
This book felt the need to describe every detail of every thing that happens in the novel. Not necessarily a bad thing, but that combined with an abundance of far too many side characters results in a clumsy read. The story will start to pick up some steam, but then come to a screeching halt because we need to learn about the backstory of a reverend. Does this character have a role in the story? Yes, but what was told about him in several pages could have easily been told in a paragraph or two. I wouldn't be as mad if it only happened once or twice, but this happens constantly throughout the book. The book could have been much sorter yet more effective if it just cut out so much of these descriptions
The story only starts to really pick up in the last third, but by then it was honestly hard for me to find the time to care. And when the big reveals hit, I was more compliant with it rather than blown away. I was like "Yeah, that makes sense" and didn't feel much of anything else.
This all being said, I just don't think this book is for me. I am sure people who enjoy a more slow pace story will enjoy it. But for me, I feel more meh about it if anything.
Unlike many other reviews I have seen of this book, I was unfamiliar with Kate Morton and her works prior to reading this book. But the summary seemed interesting to me, so I decided to check it out. What I got was a wordy and slow paced story revolving around a family and their mysteries. And sadly, I don't think it was for me.
This book felt the need to describe every detail of every thing that happens in the novel. Not necessarily a bad thing, but that combined with an abundance of far too many side characters results in a clumsy read. The story will start to pick up some steam, but then come to a screeching halt because we need to learn about the backstory of a reverend. Does this character have a role in the story? Yes, but what was told about him in several pages could have easily been told in a paragraph or two. I wouldn't be as mad if it only happened once or twice, but this happens constantly throughout the book. The book could have been much sorter yet more effective if it just cut out so much of these descriptions
The story only starts to really pick up in the last third, but by then it was honestly hard for me to find the time to care. And when the big reveals hit, I was more compliant with it rather than blown away. I was like "Yeah, that makes sense" and didn't feel much of anything else.
This all being said, I just don't think this book is for me. I am sure people who enjoy a more slow pace story will enjoy it. But for me, I feel more meh about it if anything.