Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Claire Fuller is one of my favorite finds of the last year (Unsettled Ground is a masterpiece), and Bitter Orange did not disappoint. And while I didn't love it with the strong passion that I felt for Unsettled Ground (which I will never stop talking about), Bitter Orange had clear strengths made perfect in Unsettled Ground: mainly, the haunting setting and the weight of the character's mental capacity.
Lyntons, the dilapidated mansion and grounds is one of the main characters of the story, and I loved each rich description of every terrible room. I WANT TO GO THERE - but not by myself.
A place of nightmares hidden under the decrepit nature of old wealth is TOTALLY my bag, though we were never really told what was haunting Frances; that was left up to to the imagination. Sometimes I love that in books, in this one, I did not.
Cara was a wonderfully written character, so ripe and alive in contrast to Frances's concealed and repressed self; Peter was a terrible human being, basically, and Frances...well, poor Frances. I wasn't always sure what was real and what was not, but unlike in other novels where that has thrown me, I didn't mind it here: it added to the mystery, and fell in perfectly with this all consuming house.
While the end left me wanting, I still really enjoyed this book and it just cemented for me that I will read everything Claire Fuller has penned - now and in the future.
Lyntons, the dilapidated mansion and grounds is one of the main characters of the story, and I loved each rich description of every terrible room. I WANT TO GO THERE - but not by myself.
A place of nightmares hidden under the decrepit nature of old wealth is TOTALLY my bag, though we were never really told what was haunting Frances; that was left up to to the imagination. Sometimes I love that in books, in this one, I did not.
Cara was a wonderfully written character, so ripe and alive in contrast to Frances's concealed and repressed self; Peter was a terrible human being, basically, and Frances...well, poor Frances. I wasn't always sure what was real and what was not, but unlike in other novels where that has thrown me, I didn't mind it here: it added to the mystery, and fell in perfectly with this all consuming house.
While the end left me wanting, I still really enjoyed this book and it just cemented for me that I will read everything Claire Fuller has penned - now and in the future.
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very uneven, and with an unsatisfying ending. Didn't find any of the characters particularly compelling, and also didn't think that all of my questions about their backgrounds were ever answered.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
3.5. I actually quite enjoyed this, though there was a lot crammed in the end. It was pretty sad, and I felt for these very lost characters. That said I didn’t find it particularly memorable. I’m not sure it will really stick with me. But it was a quiet, melancholy mystery.
Edit: After the fact I find myself wondering about the owner and how he found these lost people for the jobs they seemed so unable to perform…
Edit: After the fact I find myself wondering about the owner and how he found these lost people for the jobs they seemed so unable to perform…
DNF-ed ¾ of the way through. Interesting plot initially, but then I felt like I was trodding through the muck and mire, hoping a real gob-smacker would happen with each turn of the page.
But, no. We’re fed Hansel-and-Gretel breadcrumbs of potential interestingness.
And the overdrawn side stories of character/plot development led to annoyance.
That being said, the overall story is compelling. And I’m sure I will pick it up again to finish one day.
But I have had my fill for now.
But, no. We’re fed Hansel-and-Gretel breadcrumbs of potential interestingness.
And the overdrawn side stories of character/plot development led to annoyance.
That being said, the overall story is compelling. And I’m sure I will pick it up again to finish one day.
But I have had my fill for now.
'Bitter Orange' was an immersive novel. Full to bursting with richly painted scenes, I often felt that I was the one sitting by the water in suffocating heat, that the dust from the road to town was clinging to my sweaty skin or that I was sat in a sparse room dizzy on wine.
I couldn't help but comparing it to 'The Great Gatsby' as I read. (Does anybody enjoy that book? I'm thinking no.) But it is so rich with literary details that are vibrant and memorable. The colours of Gatsby's shirts, that steadfast green light, the constant ticking of time. 'Bitter Orange' felt reminiscent of these memorable elements.
It was also super atmospheric. I spent the whole book a bit on edge trying to work out if there was some creepy old woman skulking around and watching from secreted peepholes.
The plot for me really let this book down. Mainly because, there was no plot. The whole book was just three not overly likeable/trustworthy characters sitting around, getting drunk and generally just doing nothing. Despite the building tension about the possible creepy old woman / something being up with the house, the actual plot was so slowwww. Like wading uphill through treacle in skis. I kept with it because I genuinely enjoyed the writing style and atmosphere, but golly gosh did I want it to move on.
When it finally did move on, and there was a sudden rush of drama, it felt as though it was all squeezed into the last few chapters. I felt that it could have been explored far more. Stop with the endless drinking and storytelling and instead give me some DRAMA.
The characters were all a bit unlikable and untrustworthy which added to the general feeling of doom and gloom and foreshadowing. I also hated that we didn't get clarification on some of the relationships and stories that were told within the novel. I reached the end with 654551515415 questions - approximately - but there was no one to answer them so I will never know. That rubs me the wrong way. I like neat little bows on my story lines.
Overall, this was an atmospheric and immersive novel with a lot of foreshadowing but the plodding plot and flat ending took away my enjoyment.
I couldn't help but comparing it to 'The Great Gatsby' as I read. (Does anybody enjoy that book? I'm thinking no.) But it is so rich with literary details that are vibrant and memorable. The colours of Gatsby's shirts, that steadfast green light, the constant ticking of time. 'Bitter Orange' felt reminiscent of these memorable elements.
It was also super atmospheric. I spent the whole book a bit on edge trying to work out if there was some creepy old woman skulking around and watching from secreted peepholes.
Spoiler
I was really disappointed that there wasn't by the way. These elements just fizzled out. Was there even an explanation given as to why there was a peephole? I can't remember reading one. The plot for me really let this book down. Mainly because, there was no plot. The whole book was just three not overly likeable/trustworthy characters sitting around, getting drunk and generally just doing nothing. Despite the building tension about the possible creepy old woman / something being up with the house, the actual plot was so slowwww. Like wading uphill through treacle in skis. I kept with it because I genuinely enjoyed the writing style and atmosphere, but golly gosh did I want it to move on.
When it finally did move on, and there was a sudden rush of drama, it felt as though it was all squeezed into the last few chapters. I felt that it could have been explored far more. Stop with the endless drinking and storytelling and instead give me some DRAMA.
The characters were all a bit unlikable and untrustworthy which added to the general feeling of doom and gloom and foreshadowing. I also hated that we didn't get clarification on some of the relationships and stories that were told within the novel. I reached the end with 654551515415 questions - approximately - but there was no one to answer them so I will never know. That rubs me the wrong way. I like neat little bows on my story lines.
Overall, this was an atmospheric and immersive novel with a lot of foreshadowing but the plodding plot and flat ending took away my enjoyment.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“Who wouldn’t want to rewrite their past, if it means it will change their future?”
A brooding, atmospheric thriller with a clever twist at the end that I didn’t see coming. I was completely immersed in this book where Lyntons seems to have a character all of its own. Francis Jellico, the unreliable narrator, is a tragic, lonely figure. On the cusp of 40, her desire to be seen and loved is so strong that it forces the reader to overlook her penchant for voyeurism and her weak character. The complete opposite of the enigmatic and worldly Cara, the seemingly friendly yet tense relationship that develops between the two women propels the book forward to its chilling conclusion.
Finally, a thriller that I loved - well-written and completely believable, with complex, nuanced characters and layers of symbolism that will keep you wondering for days.
“It occurred to me that it was a type of control; Cara could be generous when it suited her, or not, when it didn’t.”
emotional
mysterious
tense