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lenaryn's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
melinda_and_her_books's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you Netgalley and LibroFM for my gifted copies. Unfortunately I didn't really care for this book. I found myself bored and ready for the book to just be over already. It was a little boring to me. With maybe a few interesting parts here and there.
almabritta's review against another edition
3.0
I have really mixed feelings about this book. The two different storylines were enjoyable, but it made very little sense that they belonged together. It kind of felt like the author wrote two different books and then decided to mix them last minute. I also didn’t like the way it was written. Simple, with few good lines and sometimes words were missing. Maybe that was the translator’s fault?
However, the thing I liked the most about the book was it’s characters. They felt believable and lovable. I enjoyed reading about the sibling relationship between Odile and Rémy the most.
So overall the idea of the book was great, the execution not so much!
However, the thing I liked the most about the book was it’s characters. They felt believable and lovable. I enjoyed reading about the sibling relationship between Odile and Rémy the most.
So overall the idea of the book was great, the execution not so much!
melps1611's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
maddiela's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
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? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism and Physical abuse
Moderate: War, Suicidal thoughts, and Genocide
rotemd's review against another edition
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
fadingapple's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5/5 stars
I really enjoyed this for the most part, but it also wasn't the greatest historical fiction I've ever read. Enjoyable but not incredible.
My favorite part: how the focus was on those in Paris during the Occupation, not on the war itself. So many historical fiction novels set in WW2 focus on the camps and the war - which are important stories to tell for sure! - but it was refreshing to get the perspective of others that struggled differently. Plus, as a book lover, I adored the background of the library.
My least favorite part: I can't quite put my finger on it, but really....so much of the conflict seemed...petty? Margaret seriously couldn't have been that out of tune with her actions, right? Odile wasn't that naive either, was she? It just....life goes on during war, absolutely - but something just didn't fully click for me and I'm not fully sure how to verbalize it. Oh, and the whole scene at the end with the men and the woman and....I understand the anger and resentment and that there had to be a reason she left but that seemed incredibly drastic by comparison...(I'm being extremely vague on purpose to avoid spoilers).
I think it was a well constructed story with the split between 1944 and 1984 Odile, I think it just lacked some amount of realism with some of the characters. Maybe it was just me not clicking, too.
I really enjoyed this for the most part, but it also wasn't the greatest historical fiction I've ever read. Enjoyable but not incredible.
My favorite part: how the focus was on those in Paris during the Occupation, not on the war itself. So many historical fiction novels set in WW2 focus on the camps and the war - which are important stories to tell for sure! - but it was refreshing to get the perspective of others that struggled differently. Plus, as a book lover, I adored the background of the library.
My least favorite part: I can't quite put my finger on it, but really....so much of the conflict seemed...petty? Margaret seriously couldn't have been that out of tune with her actions, right? Odile wasn't that naive either, was she? It just....life goes on during war, absolutely - but something just didn't fully click for me and I'm not fully sure how to verbalize it. Oh, and the whole scene at the end with the men and the woman and....I understand the anger and resentment and that there had to be a reason she left but that seemed incredibly drastic by comparison...(I'm being extremely vague on purpose to avoid spoilers).
I think it was a well constructed story with the split between 1944 and 1984 Odile, I think it just lacked some amount of realism with some of the characters. Maybe it was just me not clicking, too.
cdnbklvr's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0