Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death
Moderate: Sexual assault
emotional
funny
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:
Yes
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I am not sure why I didn't enjoy this more. The characters are lovingly realised and felt very real to me, and I like the setting and the writing. The children were charming and their worlds and worries and feelings very realistic and enjoyable. And yet I found that I was bored a lot of the time. Maybe it was just the wrong book at the wrong time for me.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Possibly the best introduction to a family saga I've ever read. I was amazed at how easy it was to keep up with all of the characters and this is a testament to how well written they were. The time and place just leapt from the page and I was truly immersed and hooked. I am filled with both excitement and dread to see what happens to the characters in the following books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Incest, Pedophilia, Sexual assault
Mixed feelings about this book. The setting is right up my alley (the amount of detail is amazing), and the characters are well drawn, but the lack of plot (other than waiting and worrying to see if war breaks out) hurts. It also doesn't help that there are no chapters, just three long sections (and quite long, it's a good sized book).
After reading reviews from a couple of friends, I took a chance and bought the entire series. Since I have them all now, I'm sure I'll read the rest, especially as the next three deal with the war and immediate post-war hardships. I'm not sure I would if I'd only bought the first one to start.
After reading reviews from a couple of friends, I took a chance and bought the entire series. Since I have them all now, I'm sure I'll read the rest, especially as the next three deal with the war and immediate post-war hardships. I'm not sure I would if I'd only bought the first one to start.
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
dark
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Infidelity, Sexual assault
Minor: Child abuse
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
No
4.5 stars! How marvellous! This was beyond my expectations. The story follows the Cazalet family before the WWII as they gather in the family house in Sussex. Reading this felt like watching Downton Abbey until a major revelation. Howard gave unique voices to so many characters brilliantly and the revelation came as a shock, narrated by Louise in a childish and in a very innocent manner. I wish it was explored more, but nothing is discussed further in the book. That is the only reason why I felt that I could not give this book a 5-star rating, because I needed some topics to be discussed more in depth, which is not a bad thing as I will continue reading the series for sure. The characters have many layers to them which I think will unfold throughout the series.