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madamelacy's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I enjoyed reading this book overall, but I found aspects of it frustrating. I’ll start with what I did like: the setting for the bulk of the story was really interesting, I loved the aspects of magical realism and I really enjoyed the stories within the stories.
What I didn’t like: it felt very predictable and contrived rather than a story that unfurled organically. The romance between Liddy and the Keymaker just wasn’t credible as they’d barely interacted and it felt so twee. The story took ages to get going, so I nearly abandoned it a third of the way through. The answer to all questions was ‘the sorrowing stars’. The descriptions were a bit lacking at times, so I just couldn’t picture what was being described. The relationship between Vivienne and the shopkeeper was under-developed. Finally Rosa… who? She was obviously mentioned early on but was very unmemorable.
What I didn’t like: it felt very predictable and contrived rather than a story that unfurled organically. The romance between Liddy and the Keymaker just wasn’t credible as they’d barely interacted and it felt so twee. The story took ages to get going, so I nearly abandoned it a third of the way through. The answer to all questions was ‘the sorrowing stars’. The descriptions were a bit lacking at times, so I just couldn’t picture what was being described. The relationship between Vivienne and the shopkeeper was under-developed. Finally Rosa… who? She was obviously mentioned early on but was very unmemorable.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Child death, and Animal death
Minor: Blood
drannieg's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Trite. Weird mix of YA staccato and more interesting prose. And I know it's supposed to be set in a magical parallel not quite here world, but the mix of 1650s (sugar banquets and marchepane), 1850s (arsenic and candles), and 1950s (buses and metal coathangers) was quite annoying. Soz.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Terminal illness, Child death, Blood, and Pregnancy
Minor: Abandonment
ellenigrace's review
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Grief, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, and Death
Moderate: War
Minor: Rape
hitheremynameislisa's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
One of the most beautifully written books I ever read. It made my heart ache in the best way and I'm sure the poetry hidden in these pages will stick with me for a long time
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, and Child death
Minor: Blood, War, Animal death, and Physical abuse
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