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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
medium-paced
This was our July book for the PatiosandPagesYYV bookclub and the theme was “a place you have visited” chosen by Renee.
I honestly have never read a book set in this time period or in Pompeii. I did enjoy the read but it wasn’t the best for me. There were too many characters and all of their names were very similar so it was hard to keep track. But I did enjoy the setting and I could picture it in my head what I thought it would look like. The his book almost glamorized the girls working in the brothels or see med more glamorous than what I picture in my head which is like old London and it cold and people are coughing and living in the streets. I found it interesting that it was about prostitutes/ escorts. I find their lives interesting. I did like our main character Amara are how she was trying to do better and get out at whatever costs and did get there. She did have a lot of loss in her life. It so did the others.
We did have. A good discussion of how people would have viewed their jobs depending on if they were born into slavery vs. Being kidnapped/ sold into it and how that helped them adapt or not. It was very readable and the pacing was good.
I personally don’t think I’ll be continuing on but I’ll ask the girls who do what happens.
I honestly have never read a book set in this time period or in Pompeii. I did enjoy the read but it wasn’t the best for me. There were too many characters and all of their names were very similar so it was hard to keep track. But I did enjoy the setting and I could picture it in my head what I thought it would look like. The his book almost glamorized the girls working in the brothels or see med more glamorous than what I picture in my head which is like old London and it cold and people are coughing and living in the streets. I found it interesting that it was about prostitutes/ escorts. I find their lives interesting. I did like our main character Amara are how she was trying to do better and get out at whatever costs and did get there. She did have a lot of loss in her life. It so did the others.
We did have. A good discussion of how people would have viewed their jobs depending on if they were born into slavery vs. Being kidnapped/ sold into it and how that helped them adapt or not. It was very readable and the pacing was good.
I personally don’t think I’ll be continuing on but I’ll ask the girls who do what happens.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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:
Complicated
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
I liked this book in theory. It just didn’t keep my attention. It was slow going when I expected something a bit faster paced. I did like the main character and was sympathetic to her plight.
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
No one gets a happy ending, which I would usually be okay with, except that the book is so dark and gruesome that I would have liked some redemption at the end to make it worthwhile.
It's also historically inaccurate. I didn't write anything down, so I won't give a list, but one thing I noticed: men joke about being "big", or criticize a guy for being small, when that's actually a more modern insecurity. In the ancient world it was believed to be a sign of intelligence if a man was small.
It also wouldn't make sense for them to want to be big, since they don't care about whether the woman (one from a brothel, especially) gets any pleasure out of the interaction.
The explicit statues and lamps everywhere make me suspicious, this doesn't seem realistic. She goes to the lamp shop and they're on display. Do we have proof of a lamp shop displaying this so openly? I'd have a hard time thinking they would do that, even the shops in the seedy parts of town.
The book itself is cheaply made, the spine creaks and the paper is cheap. There are typos, and questions that don't have question marks at the end.
Way too many explicit things in this book that make it hard to stomach - which I understand is sort of the point, she wants to get out just as much as the reader does. However, that did make for an unpleasant read. I still finished the book, but I was sick of it by the end of chapter one - I just assumed it would get better, but it never does.
It's also historically inaccurate. I didn't write anything down, so I won't give a list, but one thing I noticed: men joke about being "big", or criticize a guy for being small, when that's actually a more modern insecurity. In the ancient world it was believed to be a sign of intelligence if a man was small.
It also wouldn't make sense for them to want to be big, since they don't care about whether the woman (one from a brothel, especially) gets any pleasure out of the interaction.
The explicit statues and lamps everywhere make me suspicious, this doesn't seem realistic. She goes to the lamp shop and they're on display. Do we have proof of a lamp shop displaying this so openly? I'd have a hard time thinking they would do that, even the shops in the seedy parts of town.
The book itself is cheaply made, the spine creaks and the paper is cheap. There are typos, and questions that don't have question marks at the end.
Way too many explicit things in this book that make it hard to stomach - which I understand is sort of the point, she wants to get out just as much as the reader does. However, that did make for an unpleasant read. I still finished the book, but I was sick of it by the end of chapter one - I just assumed it would get better, but it never does.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Bullying, Infidelity, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Abortion, Classism
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Pedophilia, Vomit, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
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:
No
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I honestly had a hard time getting through this book. It was a real drag for me to read.
Most of the characters were pretty bland, though I’ll give honorable mentions to Dido for her growth, Britannica for being a total badass, and Menander (if you know, you know).
I was tempted to DNF this one a few times. The only reason I didn’t is because this was a bookclub read.
It’s not that I dislike slow-paced stories; I actually usually enjoy them! What I have trouble with is when an author introduces so many interesting plot possibilities… and then doesn’t explore any of them.
I understand that this is the first book in a trilogy, and a lot of groundwork has to go into world-building and character development. However, a first book should still make you want to read the next two. This didn’t do that for me at all.
That said, I’m glad the story wraps up without a cliffhanger, so I can close the book, seal it away, and consider it forgotten.
Most of the characters were pretty bland, though I’ll give honorable mentions to Dido for her growth, Britannica for being a total badass, and Menander (if you know, you know).
I was tempted to DNF this one a few times. The only reason I didn’t is because this was a bookclub read.
It’s not that I dislike slow-paced stories; I actually usually enjoy them! What I have trouble with is when an author introduces so many interesting plot possibilities… and then doesn’t explore any of them.
I understand that this is the first book in a trilogy, and a lot of groundwork has to go into world-building and character development. However, a first book should still make you want to read the next two. This didn’t do that for me at all.
That said, I’m glad the story wraps up without a cliffhanger, so I can close the book, seal it away, and consider it forgotten.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
“Why read so much suffering?”
An exercise in empathy (for those who deserve it, even as they are not perfect people)
Thought I wouldn’t be able to bear continuing this series but then the book ended and I suddenly couldn’t bear to leave this woman. Love an author who brings out my masochistic side.
An exercise in empathy (for those who deserve it, even as they are not perfect people)
Thought I wouldn’t be able to bear continuing this series but then the book ended and I suddenly couldn’t bear to leave this woman. Love an author who brings out my masochistic side.