Scan barcode
riaz's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
susancanread's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
tyufekchieva's review
4.0
‘Grief is being lost in familiar places. It is not seasonal. It doesn’t bloom brightly in the sunshine and wither away during the winter months. It is evergreen, and it is entirely your own.’
Such a wonderfully homey book. The writing and world building were very atmospheric and achieved what the book had set out to do. The themes of grief, forgiveness, regret brought on a gentle, tranquil feeling that soothed me and perhaps other readers alike. It’s a perfect autumn read and I might reread it later in the year, to experience the sombre elements of the story to the fullest.
Such a wonderfully homey book. The writing and world building were very atmospheric and achieved what the book had set out to do. The themes of grief, forgiveness, regret brought on a gentle, tranquil feeling that soothed me and perhaps other readers alike. It’s a perfect autumn read and I might reread it later in the year, to experience the sombre elements of the story to the fullest.
leilaxx's review
5.0
wow. I just completed a brilliant atmospheric book. The dread I felt when I realised how few pages were left until the end. The fantastic world-building. How easy it was to get lost in it. AND THE GARDEN. THE GARDEN. AND THE LIBRARY and the TEA. This book is beautiful, haunting, fanciful, and sorrowful and tells a hopeful story with an ethereal setting and exquisite description of detail. The pages are filled with beautiful writing and characters that match the emotion the story told. Fitting book for the current weather. A cosy, beautiful book. Snug, wrapped in a woolly scarf, a heater on, and a cat sleeping beside me. Folklore and evermore (once again) made an appearance in the background. I freaking love this book.
This story has convinced me to try Marchpane. Love, love, love it.
4.5/5
This story has convinced me to try Marchpane. Love, love, love it.
4.5/5
cat_queen005's review
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
paula_tkacikova's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
hewlettelaine's review against another edition
2.0
An interesting concept but ultimately a frustrating read!
I liked the ideas that Cartwright created in this book. The concept of a magic house that helps people with their grief is very interesting and I liked the way the house was described and all the mysterious people in it. For me, however, the plot went awry in the second half.
Liddy starts as a seemingly strong female character - rejecting an unsatisfactory marriage and heading off to the House on an adventure. All that falls apart once she meets Raphaelle, who she swiftly decides she's in love with despite him being rude to her and their having exchanged about 3 words. I really hate this kind of vapid romance where female characters are won over purely by Mr Brooding's magnetic "charm". There was no chemistry to get into and the idea that Liddy was fated to come and "save" him completely undermines the agency and independence that she is given at the start. Similarly, the marchpane. It's a big deal at the start of the book but it's significance seems to get lost along the way. It's Liddy's great skill and she does absolutely nothing with it and it has very little point.
Secondly - the ghost wife. Ravanna is Raphaelle's first wife who died in an accident after losing their child. She is presented as a restless soul, tethered to the house by Raphaelle's grief and a danger. I thought the story was going to turn fully supernatural in the latter half but after one brief episode, she is swept to the side. Raphaelle makes his key and deals with her entirely off stage and she is never mentioned again while he gets his happy ending with Liddy. Again, a missed opportunity to explore the other side of the grieving experience and to give Raphaelle some much needed character too.
Lastly, the house itself. Every so often there are interludes where the house speaks. This aspect of the story is left frustratingly unfulfilled. It would have been great to make the house more of an active character and to use its voice more often. I'm not sure what the author intended with this but it could potentially have been very interesting.
Overall, there is a lot of potentially very interesting things about this atory and the writing is enjoyable. It simply gets bogged down in too many unsatisfactory points and characters that do not hang together well enough for me.
I liked the ideas that Cartwright created in this book. The concept of a magic house that helps people with their grief is very interesting and I liked the way the house was described and all the mysterious people in it. For me, however, the plot went awry in the second half.
Liddy starts as a seemingly strong female character - rejecting an unsatisfactory marriage and heading off to the House on an adventure. All that falls apart once she meets Raphaelle, who she swiftly decides she's in love with despite him being rude to her and their having exchanged about 3 words. I really hate this kind of vapid romance where female characters are won over purely by Mr Brooding's magnetic "charm". There was no chemistry to get into and the idea that Liddy was fated to come and "save" him completely undermines the agency and independence that she is given at the start. Similarly, the marchpane. It's a big deal at the start of the book but it's significance seems to get lost along the way. It's Liddy's great skill and she does absolutely nothing with it and it has very little point.
Secondly - the ghost wife. Ravanna is Raphaelle's first wife who died in an accident after losing their child. She is presented as a restless soul, tethered to the house by Raphaelle's grief and a danger. I thought the story was going to turn fully supernatural in the latter half but after one brief episode, she is swept to the side. Raphaelle makes his key and deals with her entirely off stage and she is never mentioned again while he gets his happy ending with Liddy. Again, a missed opportunity to explore the other side of the grieving experience and to give Raphaelle some much needed character too.
Lastly, the house itself. Every so often there are interludes where the house speaks. This aspect of the story is left frustratingly unfulfilled. It would have been great to make the house more of an active character and to use its voice more often. I'm not sure what the author intended with this but it could potentially have been very interesting.
Overall, there is a lot of potentially very interesting things about this atory and the writing is enjoyable. It simply gets bogged down in too many unsatisfactory points and characters that do not hang together well enough for me.
katiebee995's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
hmlx91's review
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0