Reviews

August by Victoria Hislop

lou_mac's review against another edition

3.0

I normally love Victoria Hislop books because she creates these vivid images of the surroundings and the way the characters relate to it are beautiful. As this was a sequel I felt she made less of a picture of the surroundings despite the fact many parts are in new settings. I love the Island and I wonder if I would have benefited from rereading it before picking this up as there were moments I forgot the back story to some of the characters. Having said that, it all wrapped up really nicely and tied some knots in stories which I guess we're unfinished (although, I don't remember feeling unsatisfied at the the end of island)

vickksx's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

leraospoucos's review against another edition

3.0

“A ilha” foi um dos livros que este ano, mais me surpreendeu pela positiva. Esperava um romance nas praias gregas mas saiu-me uma história impressionante sobre uma das mais importantes colónias de leprosos.

Em “Uma noite de agosto” relembramos um momento fatídico do livro anterior e acompanhamos o destino de algumas personagens secundárias, mas não menos importantes, do primeiro livro.

Apesar de ter gostado de saber mais pormenores sobre o futuro de certas personagens, pensei que se ia focar nos habitantes da ilha de Spinalonga e que iria explorar o que sentiram os sobreviventes com o peso e o estigma da doença.

“A ilha” vai ter sempre um lugar especial e aconselho a lerem-no primeiro. Caso contrário, vão apanhar imensos “spoilers” e, apesar de conseguirem compreender a narrativa, penso que perde um pouco do encanto.

buzzingbookworm's review against another edition

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

clotalksbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Another beautiful story by Hislop. I had read The Island a long time ago, and it was a five star read for me. Although I think this book can be read in isolation, I wish I had given The Island a reread before starting this one. I couldn't remember all of the characters and so some of the significance of things was a little lost on me. 

I had loved learning about leprosy in the first book, but it is not a focus in this one. Though it does still explore love and forgiveness. I really enjoyed the multiple perspectives and the wide cast of characters. Some gems! 

I thought it would be weird reading this book at this time of year when it has August in the title, but it was fine. The book covers a long period of time, and all seasons. Can be enjoyed all year round!

stinelok's review against another edition

emotional relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

sgrainger_x's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring sad fast-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? Yes

4.5

catilopes's review against another edition

3.0

Na minha opinião o livro pode ser lido individualmente caso não haja objetivo de ler “A Ilha”, se quiserem ler o primeiro, respeitem a ordem porque há spoilers!

Eu adorei “A Ilha” e percebo que o objetivo da autora foi preencher algumas lacunas que ficaram por responder, mas senti que faltou a essência que me fez apaixonar pelo primeiro.

Foi uma leitura agradável, rápida e esclarecedora. Mas esperava mais. No entanto, gosto muito da escrita da autora, quero ler mais livros dela e viajar mais vezes para a Grécia.

the_sara_post's review against another edition

4.0

A lovely gentle read with a wonderful cast of characters. I can't believe it's 15 years since I fell in love with The Island. It was so lovely to re-visit Crete, especially as it is currently so hard to travel anywhere in real life. The writing is so wonderfully evocative and I particularly enjoyed Manolis' and Maria's stories.

bitofabookworm's review against another edition

4.0

One August Night is a follow up/ sequel to Hislop's bestselling book 'The Island' - its important to note however, that this isn't quite a follow on, as the book has an overlap - starting at the evacuation of Spinalonga, and focusing on the events of that day and beyond from an alternative perspective.
All of the familiar characters are present, as we learn more about Manolis, Maria & Andreas and specifically, their lives following 'that fateful night'.
I was looking forward to a more in depth look at the adjustment for Maria as she returned from Spinalonga which wasn't there, but I enjoyed the familiar feel to the writing and being transported back to Crete.
A short book at just over 200 pages, its great to get an opportunity to discover what happened to the characters that broke away at the end of The Island.
Thank you to Headline Books, Tandem Collective & Victoria Hislop for the gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.