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lberestecki's review
3.0
I enjoyed the atmosphere of the book, and I liked the writing style. I didn't expect the book to rely so heavily on Shakespearian plots, so that was a bit of a surprise, but it didn't bother me since I enjoy retellings. However, I had a few issues with the book. First of all, I'm not a huge fan of books that switch perspectives a lot - it's rare that books like that work for me. Here, I felt that there were too many characters and POVs for the author to really flesh out any of them. Consequently, I had trouble getting invested in the characters and I didn't feel like any of the relationships were particularly well developed. I really WANTED to love Luca and Veronica, but because there were so many characters I didn't feel like I got to know them enough. My other big issue was the ending; I felt like nothing was resolved at the end of the book and that's a big pet peeve of mine.
cassie_the_weird's review
5.0
This book was awesome.
I'll admit, I wasn't a huge fan to begin with, but it wasn't even 100 pages in before I began to love it...and then I didn't stop loving it.
Full review found here: http://cassietheweird.wordpress.com/2014/07/23/review-masquerade/
I'll admit, I wasn't a huge fan to begin with, but it wasn't even 100 pages in before I began to love it...and then I didn't stop loving it.
Full review found here: http://cassietheweird.wordpress.com/2014/07/23/review-masquerade/
cupiscent's review
3.0
I started out rather charmed by this--perhaps unsurprisingly, since I'm a pretty easy sell for Venetian society hijinks. The characters were interesting, the setting vivid without being tortuous, and it leapt straight into plot-on-the-go. (It's also a very Australian blend of light-hearted hijinks and consequences with teeth.)
Unfortunately, I finish it rather disappointed. There was just sort of too much of it--too many POV characters (about seven all up), too much going on. The former meant we dipped too shallowly into each of the characters, and tended to spend the first half of every scene reminding ourselves who this person was and what their priorities were and what they'd been doing since last we saw them. The latter meant events felt rushed to me, especially the dumping of a whole suite of Big Happenings in the final third.
Overall, it just felt like the plot lacked the significance to carry the epic nature of its telling. This wasn't an epic story, it was seven small personal stories. Each of those stories was individually interesting, satisfying, worthy of exploration. But though intertwined, they didn't enhance each other, to my mind. More like two and a half stars, rounded up because, like I said, I'm an easy sell for Venetian society hijinks.
Unfortunately, I finish it rather disappointed. There was just sort of too much of it--too many POV characters (about seven all up), too much going on. The former meant we dipped too shallowly into each of the characters, and tended to spend the first half of every scene reminding ourselves who this person was and what their priorities were and what they'd been doing since last we saw them. The latter meant events felt rushed to me, especially the dumping of a whole suite of Big Happenings in the final third.
Overall, it just felt like the plot lacked the significance to carry the epic nature of its telling. This wasn't an epic story, it was seven small personal stories. Each of those stories was individually interesting, satisfying, worthy of exploration. But though intertwined, they didn't enhance each other, to my mind. More like two and a half stars, rounded up because, like I said, I'm an easy sell for Venetian society hijinks.
melbsreads's review
4.0
3.5 stars. It's hard to know what to say about this book. It's essentially the story of...seven? eight??...18-21 year old kids in eighteenth century Venice during Carnevale. Although based on that description in the blurb, it sounds like they're all friends and travelling around as a group when that couldn't be further from the truth. Some are nobility, some are servants. But all of them have secrets. Major secrets.
The setting was absolutely glorious. It felt rich and sumptuous and Venice was beautifully described. But where it fell a little flat for me is the sheer number of narrators. Yes, all their stories were interesting. But their voices were often a little too similar, and seven is a LOT of narrators to keep track of, you know? Veronica was easily my favourite character, with her genius evil plan for driving away suitors. Bastian was...kind of creepy, and Marco wasn't much better. So as far as male characters go, it was a little eh.
YA books that are straight historical fiction aren't especially common, so I enjoyed it for that. And I really enjoyed the not-neatly-tied-up-happily-ever-after ending. But it wasn't as fabulous as I was expecting it to be. Sigh.
The setting was absolutely glorious. It felt rich and sumptuous and Venice was beautifully described. But where it fell a little flat for me is the sheer number of narrators. Yes, all their stories were interesting. But their voices were often a little too similar, and seven is a LOT of narrators to keep track of, you know? Veronica was easily my favourite character, with her genius evil plan for driving away suitors. Bastian was...kind of creepy, and Marco wasn't much better. So as far as male characters go, it was a little eh.
YA books that are straight historical fiction aren't especially common, so I enjoyed it for that. And I really enjoyed the not-neatly-tied-up-happily-ever-after ending. But it wasn't as fabulous as I was expecting it to be. Sigh.
alice_c's review
4.0
Masquerade was a great read, initially intriguing me due to the setting of Venice, a place that has been on my bucket list almost as long as London, and Orelia's position as a guest in an unknown-to-her city.
It took me about four days to fully "get into" this novel, partly because I had a lot going on, but also because I felt that the pace was a bit slow to begin with. But once I reached a certain point around the 80 page mark I could hardly put it down.
Even without a map, I never felt lost or confused about where the characters were in the city, the descriptions of the various canals and buildings allowed my mind to create a map of it's own.
I did find that I was more interested in Orelia, Bastian and Veronica's story's as the novel progressed. And the one thing that I would have liked was more time spent with each character (particularly Claudia) as I felt that even at the end of the novel I wasn't very emotionally attached to any of them.
Because of this, I am eagerly awaiting a sequel so that I can see the characters develop further and hopefully then I will feel more empathetic towards them. (Jeez that makes me sound like a sociopath.)
Thanks again Kylie for writing Masquerade, it was great! I can't wait to read whatever you publish next :)
I would recommend Masquerade to anyone who likes Romance, Secrets and Historical fiction (or Venice for that matter.)
It took me about four days to fully "get into" this novel, partly because I had a lot going on, but also because I felt that the pace was a bit slow to begin with. But once I reached a certain point around the 80 page mark I could hardly put it down.
Even without a map, I never felt lost or confused about where the characters were in the city, the descriptions of the various canals and buildings allowed my mind to create a map of it's own.
I did find that I was more interested in Orelia, Bastian and Veronica's story's as the novel progressed. And the one thing that I would have liked was more time spent with each character (particularly Claudia) as I felt that even at the end of the novel I wasn't very emotionally attached to any of them.
Because of this, I am eagerly awaiting a sequel so that I can see the characters develop further and hopefully then I will feel more empathetic towards them. (Jeez that makes me sound like a sociopath.)
Thanks again Kylie for writing Masquerade, it was great! I can't wait to read whatever you publish next :)
I would recommend Masquerade to anyone who likes Romance, Secrets and Historical fiction (or Venice for that matter.)
emilyjmead's review
4.0
WELL THIS WAS AWESOME. I shouldn't have doubted your advice, Aussie blogglings. Kylie Fornasier knows how to make Venice come alive. I wasn't TOO fussed with all the romance-y stuff, but I mean, that's my fault (the blurb does indeed mention a lot of romance).
Basically, this book made me want to read more historical fiction - if only all of it was as good as this.
___________________________________
Masquerade by Kylie Fornasier is set in Venice. I did not read it in Venice, but I DID read it in Italy, so that’s close enough, right?
I was kind of worried while I read it, because everyone had said SUCH AMAZING things about it, and I was a bit nervous that I wouldn’t like it.
However, never fear. Today’s review is going to talk about the things I worried about that were really awesome.
1. The millions of different perspectives.
Well, okay, like seven. I thought I would get lost with all the different perspectives and have no idea what was going on. We have:
ORELIA – this girl was my fave. She’s kind of the main character and she was quite lovely.
BASTIAN – KILL HIM WITH FIRE.
ANGELIQUE – so apparently dramatic teenaged girls existed in 1700s Venice as well, which doesn’t surprise me. This girl overreacts about EVERYTHING, and is in love with Bastian.
CLAUDIA – My second favourite. I was glad she didn’t turn out to be the classic Bitchy Girl.
VERONICA – LOVED her. This one’s Angelique’s older sister and she has a great way of dealing with not wanting to marry.
ANNA – while I didn’t approve of some of her decisions, I did appreciate that she was trying to help her sister.
I didn’t get lost with all the perspectives. They were differentiated really well, and it was easy to slip into all the different stories.
2. The genre – historical fiction isn’t really my thing.
But let me tell you, KYLIE FORNASIER HAS DONE HER RESEARCH. And if you want to be breath-taken by Italian beauty, look no further than her Pinterest boards.
Luckily, the history part wasn’t hard to understand or follow. There was a glossary for the terms, but I didn’t actually need it, because it flowed so well. I loved learning about the Carnevale and the different meanings for masks. I was absolutely swept away in Kylie Fornasier’s recreation of Venice.
The setting was absolutely gorgeous. I’m pretty sure I read this on the day we went to Naples, which was beautiful – being surrounded by Italy was definitely an awesome experience.
3. The romance(s)!
Okay, yes, I wasn’t a MASSIVE fan of the romances, so I was a little right to be worried there. But for the most part, I’m happy with how they ended. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but let’s just say that it’s not what you’d expect in a typical YA ending. So that was good to see.
Masquerade definitely lived up to my expectations, and more.
A rich, beautiful setting and characters whose lives intertwined – what more could you want, right?
Basically, this book made me want to read more historical fiction - if only all of it was as good as this.
___________________________________
Masquerade by Kylie Fornasier is set in Venice. I did not read it in Venice, but I DID read it in Italy, so that’s close enough, right?
I was kind of worried while I read it, because everyone had said SUCH AMAZING things about it, and I was a bit nervous that I wouldn’t like it.
However, never fear. Today’s review is going to talk about the things I worried about that were really awesome.
1. The millions of different perspectives.
Well, okay, like seven. I thought I would get lost with all the different perspectives and have no idea what was going on. We have:
ORELIA – this girl was my fave. She’s kind of the main character and she was quite lovely.
BASTIAN – KILL HIM WITH FIRE.
ANGELIQUE – so apparently dramatic teenaged girls existed in 1700s Venice as well, which doesn’t surprise me. This girl overreacts about EVERYTHING, and is in love with Bastian.
CLAUDIA – My second favourite. I was glad she didn’t turn out to be the classic Bitchy Girl.
VERONICA – LOVED her. This one’s Angelique’s older sister and she has a great way of dealing with not wanting to marry.
ANNA – while I didn’t approve of some of her decisions, I did appreciate that she was trying to help her sister.
I didn’t get lost with all the perspectives. They were differentiated really well, and it was easy to slip into all the different stories.
2. The genre – historical fiction isn’t really my thing.
But let me tell you, KYLIE FORNASIER HAS DONE HER RESEARCH. And if you want to be breath-taken by Italian beauty, look no further than her Pinterest boards.
Luckily, the history part wasn’t hard to understand or follow. There was a glossary for the terms, but I didn’t actually need it, because it flowed so well. I loved learning about the Carnevale and the different meanings for masks. I was absolutely swept away in Kylie Fornasier’s recreation of Venice.
The setting was absolutely gorgeous. I’m pretty sure I read this on the day we went to Naples, which was beautiful – being surrounded by Italy was definitely an awesome experience.
3. The romance(s)!
Okay, yes, I wasn’t a MASSIVE fan of the romances, so I was a little right to be worried there. But for the most part, I’m happy with how they ended. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but let’s just say that it’s not what you’d expect in a typical YA ending. So that was good to see.
Masquerade definitely lived up to my expectations, and more.
A rich, beautiful setting and characters whose lives intertwined – what more could you want, right?
earlgreybooks's review
4.0
Originally posted at A Book So Fathomless.
I first heard about Masquerade at PTA Live (Penguin Teen Australia) earlier this year. Not only did I love the cover – purple is my favourite colour, but the story sounded amazing. Granted, it took me a little while to actually get to this (those damn book buying bans!) but I’m so glad I did.
I’ve only ever read one other book set in Renaissance Venice, which was Venom – the stories are pretty different, but I have to say I think I actually liked Masquerade a little more. The book follows a few different characters – Veronica and Angelique who are complete opposites of each other despite being sister, Bastian, a sort of Venetian bad boy if you will, Claudia who is desperate to escape from her mother, her brother Marco, Anna, a maid with a talent for singing and a few secrets of her own and finally, Orelia, a recently orphaned girl who has just moved to Venice. I liked each of the characters – I admit, it took me a while to love to a couple of them but my favourite was definitely Orelia. I personally found Orelia’s story the most interesting and I could relate to her more than the others.
The setting is amazing – I cannot even begin to fathom how much research Kylie would have put into this book. I know that she did travel to Venice to research this, and you can definitely tell that she knows what she’s talking about. This is one of those books that really pulls you into the world with its writing – I honestly felt like I was going along in a gondola beside Orelia. I also want to mention that the way Kylie writes makes it feel very Italian – I don’t really know how else to describe this, but I could just imagine every word being said with an Italian accent.
All in all, I’m definitely glad that I got to Masquerade this year because it is a truly magnificent book. I think you all read it if you haven’t already so you too can bask in its beauty. Also, didn’t you read? Venetian bad boy…what more could you want?
I first heard about Masquerade at PTA Live (Penguin Teen Australia) earlier this year. Not only did I love the cover – purple is my favourite colour, but the story sounded amazing. Granted, it took me a little while to actually get to this (those damn book buying bans!) but I’m so glad I did.
I’ve only ever read one other book set in Renaissance Venice, which was Venom – the stories are pretty different, but I have to say I think I actually liked Masquerade a little more. The book follows a few different characters – Veronica and Angelique who are complete opposites of each other despite being sister, Bastian, a sort of Venetian bad boy if you will, Claudia who is desperate to escape from her mother, her brother Marco, Anna, a maid with a talent for singing and a few secrets of her own and finally, Orelia, a recently orphaned girl who has just moved to Venice. I liked each of the characters – I admit, it took me a while to love to a couple of them but my favourite was definitely Orelia. I personally found Orelia’s story the most interesting and I could relate to her more than the others.
The setting is amazing – I cannot even begin to fathom how much research Kylie would have put into this book. I know that she did travel to Venice to research this, and you can definitely tell that she knows what she’s talking about. This is one of those books that really pulls you into the world with its writing – I honestly felt like I was going along in a gondola beside Orelia. I also want to mention that the way Kylie writes makes it feel very Italian – I don’t really know how else to describe this, but I could just imagine every word being said with an Italian accent.
All in all, I’m definitely glad that I got to Masquerade this year because it is a truly magnificent book. I think you all read it if you haven’t already so you too can bask in its beauty. Also, didn’t you read? Venetian bad boy…what more could you want?
aammaall's review
5.0
♥ Book 13 of 2020
★ Final Rating: 5 Stars
➢ It doesn't matter how many stars you want to give this book while reading it. Once you come to the last chapter, you are bound to give it five stars. This story did not end the way I had initially assumed, and I'm so glad my assumption was not correct.
✦ Would recommend to people that will not blow their brains out on coming across a lot of unknown terms.
★ Final Rating: 5 Stars
➢ It doesn't matter how many stars you want to give this book while reading it. Once you come to the last chapter, you are bound to give it five stars. This story did not end the way I had initially assumed, and I'm so glad my assumption was not correct.
✦ Would recommend to people that will not blow their brains out on coming across a lot of unknown terms.
megangw's review
5.0
This is a fantastic, interesting, well written book. I did not love it i LOVED it !!!!!!! Its a awesome book. I like it that there are seven peoples story's so theres a maid, the doges son and five more. I love reading books that there is two or more main people and the story's of those people some how combine. I like reading historical books that bring you back in time and that is Masquerade. Over all i would recommend this book to all my friends. I love the way Kylie writes this book and i can't wait to read more of Kylie's books:)
treereader's review
3.0
Fairly good retelling of Shakespeare's 'The Taming of the Shrew.' However, the ending wasn't so good. But I enjoyed the story, mostly.