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odmay's review
5.0
Ember Island, set in two different eras I found to be a very enjoyable read. The style of writing, the descriptions of place and the characters was superb. I became very absorbed in this book and found it hard to put down.
The only downside for me was that the present day story did not seem to be quite as strong and perhaps was also looking for more connections with the past.
I have read Wildflower Hill and am looking forward to reading more novels by Kimberley Freeman.
The only downside for me was that the present day story did not seem to be quite as strong and perhaps was also looking for more connections with the past.
I have read Wildflower Hill and am looking forward to reading more novels by Kimberley Freeman.
shantti's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
andipants's review
2.0
I really liked the first third or so of this book. I found Tilly's character sympathetic and, while it was hard to read about her husband's behavior toward her, it was satisfying to see how she finally stood up for herself. Nina's storyline interested me less, but I'm a sucker for people finding old papers and journals and figuring out the story behind them, so I was willing to go with it - but then everything went off the rails.
Tilly quickly went from being flawed but sympathetic to straight-up irrational and out of control - the very descriptors that put her into what the reader is clearly supposed to see as a righteous rage when others accuse her of it. It's hard to sympathize with her when they have such a strong point. All her plans and actions leading up to the climax of the book struck me as ridiculous and poorly thought out, the plot twists were facile, and the ending of her storyline came out of nowhere, completely unearned.
Nina's storyline just kind of wandered off on its own, losing any real connection with Tilly's. Nina gained no particular insight from reading Nell's journals, and she never found out what happened to Tilly, or even confirmed for sure who she was. Even the big reveal came off as pretty hollow; no one else seemed to care at all, so the idea that she'd been torturing herself with the guilt over the issue just seemed a little silly.
I also never found Nell as a character compelling in the slightest. As a child, she was presented as attention-starved and extraordinarily precocious, but instead of a precocious child, she came across as a mini-adult. She conveniently knew everything that was going on all the time (thanks to her ridiculously overstated fondness for eavesdropping) and had a beyond-precociously-mature perspective on anything and everything. We also never got to see what happened to her after age 13, which is disappointing, because Nina hinted at her having become a really awesome, fascinating person and having a really engaging perspective in her adult papers, but we the readers never got to see any of that.
The writing was uneven and sloppy in some places, particularly with regards to maintaining believability in some of the first-person sections. The voice in the diary passages was especially problematic; there was no real differentiation between Nell's supposedly child voice and the general narration, and very little attention paid in some places to how first-person narration works. This led to some extremely awkward bits, such as this gem on page 34, where Nell notes, "He nodded, then remembered he couldn't see me in the dark." Really?
I wanted to like this book, but overall it ended up a disappointment, made all the more so for the promising start. I'd give this one a pass.
Tilly quickly went from being flawed but sympathetic to straight-up irrational and out of control - the very descriptors that put her into what the reader is clearly supposed to see as a righteous rage when others accuse her of it. It's hard to sympathize with her when they have such a strong point. All her plans and actions leading up to the climax of the book struck me as ridiculous and poorly thought out, the plot twists were facile, and the ending of her storyline came out of nowhere, completely unearned.
Nina's storyline just kind of wandered off on its own, losing any real connection with Tilly's. Nina gained no particular insight from reading Nell's journals, and she never found out what happened to Tilly, or even confirmed for sure who she was. Even the big reveal
Spoiler
of her having kind-of-but-not-really plagiarized her booksI also never found Nell as a character compelling in the slightest. As a child, she was presented as attention-starved and extraordinarily precocious, but instead of a precocious child, she came across as a mini-adult. She conveniently knew everything that was going on all the time (thanks to her ridiculously overstated fondness for eavesdropping) and had a beyond-precociously-mature perspective on anything and everything. We also never got to see what happened to her after age 13, which is disappointing, because Nina hinted at her having become a really awesome, fascinating person and having a really engaging perspective in her adult papers, but we the readers never got to see any of that.
The writing was uneven and sloppy in some places, particularly with regards to maintaining believability in some of the first-person sections. The voice in the diary passages was especially problematic; there was no real differentiation between Nell's supposedly child voice and the general narration, and very little attention paid in some places to how first-person narration works. This led to some extremely awkward bits, such as this gem on page 34, where Nell notes, "He nodded, then remembered he couldn't see me in the dark." Really?
I wanted to like this book, but overall it ended up a disappointment, made all the more so for the promising start. I'd give this one a pass.
nataliegriffin's review
5.0
I'm slowly making my way through all of Kimberley Freeman's books. This one certainly does not disappoint! It takes you on a journey, blurring right and wrong in all the perfect ways. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and can't wait to get my hands on another of her books!
defran's review
4.0
My mother actually got me this book and I didn't know a thing about it.
Turns out, it was reeeeally good and beyond my expectations. I loved loved the characters and the story.
Turns out, it was reeeeally good and beyond my expectations. I loved loved the characters and the story.
marlo_c's review
4.0
I don't know why I'm so drawn to books that have dual storylines in the past and the present, but I am. Ember Island does it well. I found both stories intriguing, but the one set in the past more so. I felt it was better developed. The ideas explored of guilt and atonement were interesting, as were the differing opinions of the severity of the sin based on the perspective of the people. While I felt the end was a bit rushed, I still enjoyed it.
busyreading's review against another edition
5.0
Ember Island is written in two time periods. The first time period is 1890 where we meet Tilly Kirkland, who was orphaned as a young child, but she was lucky enough to encounter a loving home with her grandfather. Unfortunately, as time passes her loving grandfather's health starts deteriorating and Tilly will have to come to terms of being left on her own. That is until she meets Jasper Dellafore who turns her life around. She believes Jasper is the love of her life, but after marrying him she soon learns she may have made a big mistake.
The second time period 2012 tells the story of Nina Jones a bestselling novelist who is struggling with writer's block. Having her Stillwater House on Ember Island damaged from a storm, Nina decides to stay whilst the repairs are being managed. For Nina this seems like a good way of escaping her problems. It is during this time that Nina comes across diary pages hidden in the wall of the old house. The more pages Nina reads, the more intrigued, she becomes and is determined to solve the mystery.
Ember Island was a thoroughly enjoyable read which was full of intrigue and mystery. If you enjoy reading historical fiction, then you'll most definitely love this book. I have no hesitation in highly recommending this book.
The second time period 2012 tells the story of Nina Jones a bestselling novelist who is struggling with writer's block. Having her Stillwater House on Ember Island damaged from a storm, Nina decides to stay whilst the repairs are being managed. For Nina this seems like a good way of escaping her problems. It is during this time that Nina comes across diary pages hidden in the wall of the old house. The more pages Nina reads, the more intrigued, she becomes and is determined to solve the mystery.
Ember Island was a thoroughly enjoyable read which was full of intrigue and mystery. If you enjoy reading historical fiction, then you'll most definitely love this book. I have no hesitation in highly recommending this book.
angeld04's review against another edition
5.0
Pleasantly delighted to have loved this book, especially since I knew nothing about the author or story. It was very good. I couldn't stop thinking about the characters when I wasn't reading it. I will definitely read more of her books!
sophiesaur's review
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
it was very unexpected that i would enjoy this one. i love dual POVs and it switched between modern time and the 1890s. quite long but i still liked it.