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cattyb's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
paper_dragon's review against another edition
Sentence structure and styling of prose.
henrymarlene's review against another edition
3.0
There is so much to "The Ripping Tree". Nothing is what it seems in the story, and for Tom, previously known as Thomasina.You see, Tom is about to marry a vicar when the Australian seas collide with her ship and leave her for dead. She is rescued by an Aboriginal man who carries her to her capture at Willowbrae, unknowingly reuniting her with a world she no longer wished to be a part of. Tom is a woman who speaks her own mind. She can swim. She is nick-named the Mermaid, and escapes her vanity by cutting off her hair and being more comfortable in pants than a dress and panatloons and wanting to run around outside. At Willowbrae she hopes to use all of this to her advantage, but something is not right. In fact, nothing is right.
It is almost like a fisherman reeling in his catch in slow motion; a little slack is offered, and then the reel tightens its grip around Tom the more steps she thinks she is taking in the right direction. Tom's androgyny is a strong metaphor for the liberation she was seeking, and the life being created around her through the hybrid of her history in London and future at Willowbrae. Is she seeking salvation, or was the choice never hers to make? Tom stumbles across a horrifying secret at the heart of this Willowbrae world of colonial decorum - she may have exchanged one kind of prison for another.
Thank you NetGalley for the e-ARC; book to be released April 2021.
It is almost like a fisherman reeling in his catch in slow motion; a little slack is offered, and then the reel tightens its grip around Tom the more steps she thinks she is taking in the right direction. Tom's androgyny is a strong metaphor for the liberation she was seeking, and the life being created around her through the hybrid of her history in London and future at Willowbrae. Is she seeking salvation, or was the choice never hers to make? Tom stumbles across a horrifying secret at the heart of this Willowbrae world of colonial decorum - she may have exchanged one kind of prison for another.
Thank you NetGalley for the e-ARC; book to be released April 2021.
angeliki7's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting story, but repetitive - it needed to be more tightly reined in and edited. And some inconsistencies that were frustrating. A protagonist that is somewhat unbelievable, like a 2021 woman time travelling back, casting judgement and speaking like she’s 40. In fact, it might’ve been an improvement if like Outlander, she was! It also has a whiff of white saviour complex about it. I used to love Nikki Gemmell’s writing 20 years ago, now I find it a bit overblown and pretentious. The one good thing about this book is that it is unafraid to show aspects of Australia’s dark history that we still struggle to confront.
heleli's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
lowlandsbeach's review against another edition
5.0
Surprisingly better than I thought. Shocking distressing massacre. Reminiscent of wuthering Heights, turn of the screw, Rebecca etc. But characters & plot do not quite pan out the same way. Very accessible and readable. Starts with grandmother retelling her story. A sequel may be on the cards for the wild child heroine