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lizzycatslibrary's review against another edition
3.0
I felt like this book started off really well and then eventually just kept going and going and going. Towards the end of the book I kept flipping pages to see how many were left.
kyra_c_c's review against another edition
2.0
I don't get the hype for this book at all. It is poorly written, with characters speaking into the void instead of having real, meaningful conversations. I cared about none of them and the central "mystery" of the book comes to nothing.
gamecocksara's review against another edition
2.0
I found this one hard to get into... and then once I did, things got pretty interesting & I enjoyed the story, but I found the ending somewhat lacking. Just... meh.
vlookup's review against another edition
5.0
More like 4.5 stars. My goodness! I've never read anything so exquisite. I love how this book is well-written, the way the story was told. (I also have come to appreciate how close Dutch is to German so it was easy to understand the foreign words used in the book.) All the loose ends scattered all over the pages and then you reach the end where every lose end is tied to a close (well, except for one thing thus the missing half star). Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
cshume's review against another edition
5.0
This book has been described as “fabulously gripping”, “a delight on every page…”, and “haunting, magical and full of surprises.” Let me tell you, they do not lie. This book was such a page turner, so intriguing.
The easy read of the book with the fast paced actions allows me to finish in a short period of time. I found myself wanting to continue to read when I had to put it down to step back into ordinary life (well, as I’m on holiday relaxing by the pool, not the normal everyday life unfortunately)
The characters were everything they were but everything more to be discovered. Each their own little cabinet to be explored and opening each door to reveal new truths. Descriptive and enticing. I found my self holding breaths and on the edge of me seat with every page.
The life of the 17th century Amsterdam brought to life. The politics of society was greatly highlighted, I was left shocked and sympathising with the character through the course of the story. I was taken down a route completely different from what I expected.
A marvel to read if you get the chance and with the recent news of a sequel, I’ll be sure to be picking it up!
The easy read of the book with the fast paced actions allows me to finish in a short period of time. I found myself wanting to continue to read when I had to put it down to step back into ordinary life (well, as I’m on holiday relaxing by the pool, not the normal everyday life unfortunately)
The characters were everything they were but everything more to be discovered. Each their own little cabinet to be explored and opening each door to reveal new truths. Descriptive and enticing. I found my self holding breaths and on the edge of me seat with every page.
The life of the 17th century Amsterdam brought to life. The politics of society was greatly highlighted, I was left shocked and sympathising with the character through the course of the story. I was taken down a route completely different from what I expected.
A marvel to read if you get the chance and with the recent news of a sequel, I’ll be sure to be picking it up!
barton_cottage's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
hazel11111's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Religious bigotry
Minor: Sexual content and Racism