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3.41 AVERAGE
3.41 AVERAGE
Meh.
Got 50 pages in and could not engage with any of the characters, didn't enjoy the writing style. I hate a wishy washy bland protagonist. A friend recently said, "We've only got so many books left to read in our lives, it's ok to jump ship". So....splash.
Got 50 pages in and could not engage with any of the characters, didn't enjoy the writing style. I hate a wishy washy bland protagonist. A friend recently said, "We've only got so many books left to read in our lives, it's ok to jump ship". So....splash.
I now have a new definition of "unputdownable." When you sit all sweaty in the fitness center locker room after your cycle workout staring at your kindle because you're about 80% into The Witch of Little Italy and you just. Can't. Stop. A student says "must be some good book." You nod vigorously, barely looking up. "Almost at the end," you tell her. Almost at the end of the book you started last night, the book that deprived you some serious sleep, the first book in years that you read in a day because you simply had to. So there. The plot strands in this book are marvelous and Palmieri ties them together beautifully--not too loose, not too tight or too neat.
Oh, please please get here this month! I've got a gap after my next book and could get this read lickety split! I can't wait!
Again, thank you to First Reads for letting me be a winner!
I read this in one sitting and would really give it a 3.5 stars right now, though after some tidying and maybe a few changes in final publication, I'd gladly bump it to 4.
I'm going to start with what I didn't like.
I didn't like Eleanor. I know, I know, that's horrible. I didn't like her romance with li'l Tony, either, because it was just too convenient, too already-in-place. She didn't have to work for it at all; he just gave her everything and that was that. I was a bored by Elly and Tony and their "No, this cannot be but..ok, let's just be boyfriend and girlfriend" relationship. Of course, I'm not a fan of romance so I'm sure that had a lot to do with my eye-rollery of their LEGO relationship.
Elly bothered me because everything that happened to her just happened; she didn't really do much to push her situation one way or another, not even after she'd found her confidence. I'm glad she ditched the "My Mom" hat, but...it wasn't enough to make me like her. Just like everything else about her wasn't enough to make me like her. Come to think of it, I probably would have been kinder to her had she been 16. This would have been a good YA book.
And the whole Cotton Mather...wait, no, Cooper Bakersmith...thing could have been much scarier, much more intense, much more believable and to me it just wasn't.
You know what I LOVED though? The sisters. And the mother-daughter relationships. And the food and the gardens and the seaside bungalow. Oh my gosh, I am such a sucker for family sagas about witchy women, especially when sisters are involved. I was not disappointed on any of those fronts. Oddly, this did not remind me of an Alice Hoffman novel, as I'd expected. Rather, it was like reading something like [b:The Watchtower|9663855|The Watchtower (Black Swan Rising #2)|Lee Carroll|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1312050044s/9663855.jpg|14551548] if it were written by [a:Adriana Trigiani|9219|Adriana Trigiani|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1332376218p2/9219.jpg]. I would have liked a few more food references (and maybe recipes) and a few more garden references, but that's just me. I love food and gardens.
I adored the Amore Sisters, though. I could really "feel" them as I read. I enjoyed their current story, their history, everything. They reminded me a bit of me and my two sisters. I was captivated by their mother. In fact, I really hope to see another book about Margaret Green's family (I hope I got that right; I don't have the book with me and can't look up the Amore mom's actual name)
I liked that there was a mystery going on, though not one that took up the whole story. I liked that there was a ghost story, though not one that encompassed everything. I really REALLY liked half of this book!
Now, I have to keep in mind that I have an uncorrected proof and most of the typos and errors will be fixed before final publication. Maybe Elly will be beefed-up a bit, too. I dunno. But I do know that I want to keep watching this author. I think she's going to give us some great stories and I'm going to want to read them.
Again, thank you to First Reads for letting me be a winner!
I read this in one sitting and would really give it a 3.5 stars right now, though after some tidying and maybe a few changes in final publication, I'd gladly bump it to 4.
I'm going to start with what I didn't like.
I didn't like Eleanor. I know, I know, that's horrible. I didn't like her romance with li'l Tony, either, because it was just too convenient, too already-in-place. She didn't have to work for it at all; he just gave her everything and that was that. I was a bored by Elly and Tony and their "No, this cannot be but..ok, let's just be boyfriend and girlfriend" relationship. Of course, I'm not a fan of romance so I'm sure that had a lot to do with my eye-rollery of their LEGO relationship.
Elly bothered me because everything that happened to her just happened; she didn't really do much to push her situation one way or another, not even after she'd found her confidence. I'm glad she ditched the "My Mom" hat, but...it wasn't enough to make me like her. Just like everything else about her wasn't enough to make me like her. Come to think of it, I probably would have been kinder to her had she been 16. This would have been a good YA book.
And the whole Cotton Mather...wait, no, Cooper Bakersmith...thing could have been much scarier, much more intense, much more believable and to me it just wasn't.
You know what I LOVED though? The sisters. And the mother-daughter relationships. And the food and the gardens and the seaside bungalow. Oh my gosh, I am such a sucker for family sagas about witchy women, especially when sisters are involved. I was not disappointed on any of those fronts. Oddly, this did not remind me of an Alice Hoffman novel, as I'd expected. Rather, it was like reading something like [b:The Watchtower|9663855|The Watchtower (Black Swan Rising #2)|Lee Carroll|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1312050044s/9663855.jpg|14551548] if it were written by [a:Adriana Trigiani|9219|Adriana Trigiani|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1332376218p2/9219.jpg]. I would have liked a few more food references (and maybe recipes) and a few more garden references, but that's just me. I love food and gardens.
I adored the Amore Sisters, though. I could really "feel" them as I read. I enjoyed their current story, their history, everything. They reminded me a bit of me and my two sisters. I was captivated by their mother. In fact, I really hope to see another book about Margaret Green's family (I hope I got that right; I don't have the book with me and can't look up the Amore mom's actual name)
I liked that there was a mystery going on, though not one that took up the whole story. I liked that there was a ghost story, though not one that encompassed everything. I really REALLY liked half of this book!
Now, I have to keep in mind that I have an uncorrected proof and most of the typos and errors will be fixed before final publication. Maybe Elly will be beefed-up a bit, too. I dunno. But I do know that I want to keep watching this author. I think she's going to give us some great stories and I'm going to want to read them.
In honor of [b:The Witch of Bourbon Street: A Novel|23014676|The Witch of Bourbon Street A Novel|Suzanne Palmieri|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1426111542s/23014676.jpg|42580802] having been released two days ago, I'm listening to this to see if there's anything new in here that I missed my first go'round.
I'm so glad I listened to this! That was a brilliant move on my part.
You'll note that my rating hasn't changed from the first read but my appreciation for some of the elements has.
Let's start with the bad again:
I hate Elly. I mean, I get it, she's been lost and abused for, like, 13 years of her life, or somesuch. Of course she's a little jacked-up but she doesn't even get close to finding herself and becoming who she wants to be until way too late. I gave up on her (again) around the halfway mark, as she showed no signs of progress and served only to infuriate me. I'd have given her shaken character syndrome by the end, had I been able to get my hands on her.
Carmen. She's no peach, either. She's another Elly, only less pathetic and more cruel. At least she's an interesting person, probably.
This time around, though, Anthony is the one I despise the most. He is exactly the kind of man I do not like. He's possessive from the very start, assuming that because Elly professed her love for him when she was 10 and 13, he has the right to touch her whenever he wants, knowing full well she doesn't really remember him or anything that happened between them when they were kids. He's the kind of man who believes "NO" does not mean NO! but, rather, means "Keep trying until she gives in" and of course she'll give in, she's the victim of domestic abuse. For instance, early on, he grabs her and holds her in his arms and she struggles to get away because she is super uncomfortable. She asks him to let go and he flat out says, "No"...oh, I guess No means No only when it's coming from him. He does this again when they have sex. She says, "We shouldn't" and she's giving every physical indication she's not ready but when she turns away from him to let him do as he pleases - again, abused - he gets angry because not only does he press the issue, he presses for her consent, as well. Forced consent! This guy is a piece of work. He's the kind of guy lots of girls dig. I'm not one of those girls.
I would have been just as happy had these three never existed in this story. Ugh.
Now for the fun:
There are more connections than I'd remembered to [b:The Witch of Belladonna Bay: A Novel|18404320|The Witch of Belladonna Bay A Novel|Suzanne Palmieri|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1383353054s/18404320.jpg|26038182] and [b:The Witch of Bourbon Street: A Novel|23014676|The Witch of Bourbon Street A Novel|Suzanne Palmieri|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1426111542s/23014676.jpg|42580802], more than just the Green and Amore families. There are addicted mothers, Carmen in this one and Naomi in Belladonna Bay. Willow Bliss, friend and accidental troublemaker, shows up in this story. Millie Bliss, friend and maybe-not-so accidental troublemaker, shows up in Bourbon Street. The nickname "Bitsy" is suggested in this book while Belladonna's Bronwyn's nickname is Bitsy(Wyn).
I hadn't remembered all those things when I read each of the books but what a nice tie-up, now! I love it!
And the good:
The Green/Amore family story is much more meaningful, not only because I know how this family's magics seep south and spread out, but also because I can see, with help from the narrator, a different, and potentially darker, sadder, tale.
I was just as enchanted by the garden, by the cottage by the sea, by Margaret and her children. What I hadn't noticed before, though, and it's something brought up by another reviewer, though he says it in more negative "I didn't like this book" terms, is the cruelty that pervades the lives of these women. It's not intentional but it's there and it all stems from poor decisions.
Margaret's bad decisions affect her entire family, most notably the children who survive The Day The Amores Died. Itzy's bad decisions affect Carmen and, more strongly, Elly. Mimi gives scads of terrible advice, having acted upon her own poor decisions for so long, and it trickles down, washing Carmen in misery which, in turn, does the same to Elly. These women can't see how they've created so much heaviness in their lives simply because they hold fast to beliefs and secrets and memories given to them by their mother and they never question whether or not their mother was right. Itzy goes against what she thinks her mother would have wanted but she feels horrible about it, still believing Margaret to be the pinnacle of all that is good and virtuous. None of these women claim themselves, they can only be Amore Women and that's really sad.
I think we're used to stories in which women can grab or make their own identities and we forget that, actually, that's not always the case. It might be hard for many to understand the motivations of these magical women, how they can be so cruel while talking about how much they love one another, but this is how it is for many women. It's hard to both get along with and separate yourself from your mother, let alone your maternal ancestors. Sometimes, there's no leaving that womb and that's what happens here.
Elly's baby offers hope. If she can leave the womb, literally, maybe she'll be the one to leave it figuratively, as well.
Cassandra Campbell narrates this. She succeeds in making Elly sound even more whiny and pathetic than she'd been when I read her in my head. She also adds a touch of lovely to all the descriptive elements, most especially the food, the gardens, and that wonderful little cottage by the sea.
I'm so glad I listened to this! That was a brilliant move on my part.
You'll note that my rating hasn't changed from the first read but my appreciation for some of the elements has.
Let's start with the bad again:
I hate Elly. I mean, I get it, she's been lost and abused for, like, 13 years of her life, or somesuch. Of course she's a little jacked-up but she doesn't even get close to finding herself and becoming who she wants to be until way too late. I gave up on her (again) around the halfway mark, as she showed no signs of progress and served only to infuriate me. I'd have given her shaken character syndrome by the end, had I been able to get my hands on her.
Carmen. She's no peach, either. She's another Elly, only less pathetic and more cruel. At least she's an interesting person, probably.
This time around, though, Anthony is the one I despise the most. He is exactly the kind of man I do not like. He's possessive from the very start, assuming that because Elly professed her love for him when she was 10 and 13, he has the right to touch her whenever he wants, knowing full well she doesn't really remember him or anything that happened between them when they were kids. He's the kind of man who believes "NO" does not mean NO! but, rather, means "Keep trying until she gives in" and of course she'll give in, she's the victim of domestic abuse. For instance, early on, he grabs her and holds her in his arms and she struggles to get away because she is super uncomfortable. She asks him to let go and he flat out says, "No"...oh, I guess No means No only when it's coming from him. He does this again when they have sex. She says, "We shouldn't" and she's giving every physical indication she's not ready but when she turns away from him to let him do as he pleases - again, abused - he gets angry because not only does he press the issue, he presses for her consent, as well. Forced consent! This guy is a piece of work. He's the kind of guy lots of girls dig. I'm not one of those girls.
I would have been just as happy had these three never existed in this story. Ugh.
Now for the fun:
There are more connections than I'd remembered to [b:The Witch of Belladonna Bay: A Novel|18404320|The Witch of Belladonna Bay A Novel|Suzanne Palmieri|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1383353054s/18404320.jpg|26038182] and [b:The Witch of Bourbon Street: A Novel|23014676|The Witch of Bourbon Street A Novel|Suzanne Palmieri|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1426111542s/23014676.jpg|42580802], more than just the Green and Amore families. There are addicted mothers, Carmen in this one and Naomi in Belladonna Bay. Willow Bliss, friend and accidental troublemaker, shows up in this story. Millie Bliss, friend and maybe-not-so accidental troublemaker, shows up in Bourbon Street. The nickname "Bitsy" is suggested in this book while Belladonna's Bronwyn's nickname is Bitsy(Wyn).
I hadn't remembered all those things when I read each of the books but what a nice tie-up, now! I love it!
And the good:
The Green/Amore family story is much more meaningful, not only because I know how this family's magics seep south and spread out, but also because I can see, with help from the narrator, a different, and potentially darker, sadder, tale.
I was just as enchanted by the garden, by the cottage by the sea, by Margaret and her children. What I hadn't noticed before, though, and it's something brought up by another reviewer, though he says it in more negative "I didn't like this book" terms, is the cruelty that pervades the lives of these women. It's not intentional but it's there and it all stems from poor decisions.
Margaret's bad decisions affect her entire family, most notably the children who survive The Day The Amores Died. Itzy's bad decisions affect Carmen and, more strongly, Elly. Mimi gives scads of terrible advice, having acted upon her own poor decisions for so long, and it trickles down, washing Carmen in misery which, in turn, does the same to Elly. These women can't see how they've created so much heaviness in their lives simply because they hold fast to beliefs and secrets and memories given to them by their mother and they never question whether or not their mother was right. Itzy goes against what she thinks her mother would have wanted but she feels horrible about it, still believing Margaret to be the pinnacle of all that is good and virtuous. None of these women claim themselves, they can only be Amore Women and that's really sad.
I think we're used to stories in which women can grab or make their own identities and we forget that, actually, that's not always the case. It might be hard for many to understand the motivations of these magical women, how they can be so cruel while talking about how much they love one another, but this is how it is for many women. It's hard to both get along with and separate yourself from your mother, let alone your maternal ancestors. Sometimes, there's no leaving that womb and that's what happens here.
Elly's baby offers hope. If she can leave the womb, literally, maybe she'll be the one to leave it figuratively, as well.
Cassandra Campbell narrates this. She succeeds in making Elly sound even more whiny and pathetic than she'd been when I read her in my head. She also adds a touch of lovely to all the descriptive elements, most especially the food, the gardens, and that wonderful little cottage by the sea.
I loved The Witch of Little Italy so much that I literally could not put it down. It is a remarkable, sentimental story of four generations intertwined, and the enduring power of family and love.
I absolutely loved this book. It was magical and I could not put it down. It reminded me of the kinds of books I read when I was a kid...books that swept me away into another world that seemed more real than reality itself. The storyline kept me engaged right up until the very end.
If I could give this a 3.5, I totally would because I liked it better than just a 3, but not all the way to a 4. There is a twist that although I had suspicions, I didn't fully see coming til near the end, and part of it gave me chills. Other parts of it I felt were rushed and didn't make as much sense, but overall it was an interesting story about family and what that means, combined with a bit of romance, deliberation on the nature of fate and what is changeable, and even some vigilante justice (somewhat questionable).
This book had a witchy theme to it, but it wasn't witchy in the sense that I normally like. More like intuition and "old ways" witchiness. There is a lot of death in this story, and some abuse type scenes, so it's got some darker elements.
The story does have some plot twists and semi spooky moments, but I have to admit I was let down by the ending. It seemed to wrap up too neatly for my tastes.
I had a hard time connecting with the characters, I just didn't feel any emotional involvement. There wasn't a whole lot depth or growth, for that matter.
I'm hoping the author's other books are better, because I jumped the gun and bought those too, to add to my "witch" collection.
The story does have some plot twists and semi spooky moments, but I have to admit I was let down by the ending. It seemed to wrap up too neatly for my tastes.
I had a hard time connecting with the characters, I just didn't feel any emotional involvement. There wasn't a whole lot depth or growth, for that matter.
I'm hoping the author's other books are better, because I jumped the gun and bought those too, to add to my "witch" collection.
In a word, disappointing. In two? Über disappointing. I picked up this book based on a "must read" recommendation quote by my favourite author....and that, with the eternal optimism that it can only improve, I laboured to the bitter end. The premise of the book has promise but I found the main characters two-dimensional and weak. I felt the plot skipped opportunities to develop the characters and storyline and just jumped ahead to improbable conclusions. Like I said, disappointing.