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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
emotional
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
informative
mysterious
medium-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:
Yes
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Ashton Hall is full of potential, but I don’t know if I ever felt it was realized. The issue is that it promises too much, and was at least somewhat mismarketed. It’s not historical enough for the historical fiction lover in me, although history does make up a good part of the story, and does have creepy atmospheric vibes, but I don’t know if I’d call it a conventional “mystery.” As such, it’s so easy for the reader to go in with the wrong expectations.
I did like the history that was conveyed, although it is largely secondhand through the contemporary characters’ research. And the way it discusses the role of women, both in secular and religious cultural contexts, and compares it to the issues women face today is pretty well done, and I ultimately feel like Hannah, with all she's been through, is the right person to bring to light Isabelle’s story.
And the atmosphere is super well done, and I love how the environs of Ashton Hall feel so real. And to find out at the end that it was inspired by Blickling Hall, where Anne Boleyn, a real-life tragic woman of the Tudor period, spent her early years, adds a layer of authenticity to the narrative.
But I had mixed feelings about Hannah’s narrative overall. As alluded to prior, there are some parallels, like Hannah being in a marriage falling apart, and depending on her husband for financial security, but being hurt by his infidelity and secrets. I love mess, so I did enjoy reading about the soapy elements of her life. But I can’t say I was as endeared to her as I was to Isabelle, even with my small glimpses of her. She just lacks any real spine, because of how she’s backed into a corner. The only consolation is that the husband is worse in his manipulation of her.
I also had mixed feelings about the son, Nicky. He’s depicted as neurodiverse, and that feels like a mixed bag for me. He contributes to the “research” part of the storyline in a positive way, but I also feel like he is often treated by both his parents as “difficult,” with emphasis on his challenges. It’s something we often see with the portrayal of neurodivergent people, especially from an outside perspective. And while this may have been a safe perspective to take, as based on the author’s note, Belfer herself is likely neurotypical, it still comes off as disingenuous to say that he’s the “real star” of the book.
While this book was a disappointment for the most part, there are some redeeming features. However, I’d caution people to go in aware that this isn’t straight historical or mystery, but a contemporary with vibes of both. If you go in with that mindset, I think you’ll enjoy this a bit more than I did.
Ashton Hall is full of potential, but I don’t know if I ever felt it was realized. The issue is that it promises too much, and was at least somewhat mismarketed. It’s not historical enough for the historical fiction lover in me, although history does make up a good part of the story, and does have creepy atmospheric vibes, but I don’t know if I’d call it a conventional “mystery.” As such, it’s so easy for the reader to go in with the wrong expectations.
I did like the history that was conveyed, although it is largely secondhand through the contemporary characters’ research. And the way it discusses the role of women, both in secular and religious cultural contexts, and compares it to the issues women face today is pretty well done, and I ultimately feel like Hannah, with all she's been through, is the right person to bring to light Isabelle’s story.
And the atmosphere is super well done, and I love how the environs of Ashton Hall feel so real. And to find out at the end that it was inspired by Blickling Hall, where Anne Boleyn, a real-life tragic woman of the Tudor period, spent her early years, adds a layer of authenticity to the narrative.
But I had mixed feelings about Hannah’s narrative overall. As alluded to prior, there are some parallels, like Hannah being in a marriage falling apart, and depending on her husband for financial security, but being hurt by his infidelity and secrets. I love mess, so I did enjoy reading about the soapy elements of her life. But I can’t say I was as endeared to her as I was to Isabelle, even with my small glimpses of her. She just lacks any real spine, because of how she’s backed into a corner. The only consolation is that the husband is worse in his manipulation of her.
I also had mixed feelings about the son, Nicky. He’s depicted as neurodiverse, and that feels like a mixed bag for me. He contributes to the “research” part of the storyline in a positive way, but I also feel like he is often treated by both his parents as “difficult,” with emphasis on his challenges. It’s something we often see with the portrayal of neurodivergent people, especially from an outside perspective. And while this may have been a safe perspective to take, as based on the author’s note, Belfer herself is likely neurotypical, it still comes off as disingenuous to say that he’s the “real star” of the book.
While this book was a disappointment for the most part, there are some redeeming features. However, I’d caution people to go in aware that this isn’t straight historical or mystery, but a contemporary with vibes of both. If you go in with that mindset, I think you’ll enjoy this a bit more than I did.
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It lost the plot. So it starts out strong, I was enjoying the characters and the plot was interesting. The mystery is mild which was fine. Right up until it seemed like the mystery took a major step back and became background noise. This book was listed as historical fiction and mystery/thriller. It's not any of that. It is a contemporary novel set in England at Ashton Hall. So the locale has history but it's not set in history.
All that being said, for a contemporary novel, it was okay. However, it was a bit scattered, too much happening at once and not well formulated. Since it wasn't actually a mystery, I'm not really sure what the plot was. There's family drama, that was a pretty big focus so maybe that's what we were supposed to focus on.
All that being said, for a contemporary novel, it was okay. However, it was a bit scattered, too much happening at once and not well formulated. Since it wasn't actually a mystery, I'm not really sure what the plot was. There's family drama, that was a pretty big focus so maybe that's what we were supposed to focus on.
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Injury/Injury detail
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced