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rachcannoli's review against another edition
4.0
There are random historical moments that just fill me with morbid curiosity, usually they’re insanely tragic moments like the Titanic or the Holocaust, and while The Tudor reign is not nearly at this level it still has similar moments. Henry VIII and his wives have always fascinated me but having found the incredible musical Six, I’m right back into them all over again.
This book is a YA fictional take on these events and what I love is it’s mainly from the perspectives of his wives since they are far more interesting than he’d ever be. I love that, being fictional, it’s written in a way to be easily absorbed and gets quick to the point of what we want to know. It doesn’t mess around and are all first perspective POVs which really endears me even more to these women.
What bothers me is I felt this didn’t go deep enough. Since each POV is written by someone else, there isn’t really a uniformed style which is frustrating. I preferred how Katherine of Aragon and Catherine Howard start at the beginning and worked their way to the climax in a more linear way hitting all of the beats that interested me. Anna of Cleves didn’t do this, but still similarly covered all her story and I really loved her portrayal as well. I was most disappointed with Anne Boleyn since it basically only covered the weeks leading up to her execution and nothing about her earlier years with Henry. She’s the women that legit broke apart England and they didn’t cover any of that which was so frustrating. I think I just love her so much and wanted so so much more.
Overall, this was a really fun and easy read of a fictionalized version of real history. For people that aren’t as weirdly obsessed with this time of history as I am, this might be just the perfect little taste to give some fun info without being too much. It’s a good take on it and again I love that it focuses on the women, but I just wanted so much more. I would have read the book if it was twice as long if I got every dramatic bit of each woman’s story. But I still really enjoyed it and am super glad I read it, just fulling my obsession and excitement to see the musical!
This book is a YA fictional take on these events and what I love is it’s mainly from the perspectives of his wives since they are far more interesting than he’d ever be. I love that, being fictional, it’s written in a way to be easily absorbed and gets quick to the point of what we want to know. It doesn’t mess around and are all first perspective POVs which really endears me even more to these women.
What bothers me is I felt this didn’t go deep enough. Since each POV is written by someone else, there isn’t really a uniformed style which is frustrating. I preferred how Katherine of Aragon and Catherine Howard start at the beginning and worked their way to the climax in a more linear way hitting all of the beats that interested me. Anna of Cleves didn’t do this, but still similarly covered all her story and I really loved her portrayal as well. I was most disappointed with Anne Boleyn since it basically only covered the weeks leading up to her execution and nothing about her earlier years with Henry. She’s the women that legit broke apart England and they didn’t cover any of that which was so frustrating. I think I just love her so much and wanted so so much more.
Overall, this was a really fun and easy read of a fictionalized version of real history. For people that aren’t as weirdly obsessed with this time of history as I am, this might be just the perfect little taste to give some fun info without being too much. It’s a good take on it and again I love that it focuses on the women, but I just wanted so much more. I would have read the book if it was twice as long if I got every dramatic bit of each woman’s story. But I still really enjoyed it and am super glad I read it, just fulling my obsession and excitement to see the musical!
hayleybeale's review against another edition
3.0
Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. Typically, the six wives of Henry VIII are thought of only in the context of their relationship to Henry and how it ended. In this anthology, six top YA fiction and nonfiction female authors write from the perspective of each of the women. The stories are a mixed bag and the topic may not be of much interest to American teens. See my (rather long) review here.
sunshine169's review
4.0
When I learned about this book I knew it would be jumping its way to the top of my TBR pile. Besides librarianship my passion has always been history and Tudor England has always intrigued me. This book is a combined effort of multiple writers speaking as each of Henry's Queens and the King himself. I adored this so much. I believe it to be a decent glimpse into each of their lives. I actually found myself wanted to read up more about Anne of Cleves after finishing her chapter. The last three Queens were, in my opinion, the best written.
book_aholic_no1's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
emmasdilemma's review against another edition
4.0
I think this whole book was serving my specific tutor interests.
missbecca's review
dark
emotional
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
johnnymacaroni's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked how the different wives (and Henry) were written by different authors- you could really tell a difference in the voice. And even though it's fiction I felt like I learned a lot. I was also talking about this book and the women in it A LOT which is a surefire sign that I was enjoying it!
kathythelibraryteacher's review
5.0
I loved this book. Each queen is given a unique voice, letting us glimpse the personalities long shadowed by that of their king. It is amazing that we know so little about them on their own, this book helps to bridge that gap without exploitation or gaudy embellishment. History is story. This book tells these women’s stories.