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kellsbells374's review against another edition
I don't know how to rate this book. It was a WILD ride. I blew through it because I needed to know what happened, but I also don't know if I'd recommend it to others. The writing was fine. I felt like the characters were inconsistent. I don't think I liked the ending and I wasn't really onboard with the way the main character's reaction to her trauma was treated (a lot of other characters were giving her advice having never experienced what she went through).
kathleenww's review against another edition
2.0
I have no idea where I came across a blurb for this book, or heard about it, but I was intrigued enough to read it as soon as I got a copy. While the first half of the novel is clearly an homage to the Brontës, things went slightly awry in my view about half was thought the book. I felt consistently confused about the main character's motivations and personality; Annaleigh is an adopted child, innocent but intelligent, but her first person narration often leads you to think she was a London urchin, street-wise and savvy. There are lots of fake foreshadowings and dead ends in the plot. It isn't terrible writing, it is actually quite good, although a lot of the dialogue is markedly anachronistic. The second half of the book is unexpectedly violent. I couldn't help but be reminded of Jane Steele by Lindsay Faye, a wacked-out take on Jane Eyre where she becomes a murderess. I felt like I forced myself to read this book after the half way point. It has gotten plenty of resounding endorsements here, But I am not a fan.
bobinsbooknook's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I really enjoyed the eeriness set about within the story and the almost classical writing style provided at the start of the book however towards the end as the plot starts to pick up and shift towards it’s resolution, it felt almost out of place.
r_dougherty's review
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? It's complicated
1.5
leonoor's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
jmatkinson1's review against another edition
5.0
Foundling Annaleigh has been forced to leave London and goes into service at a house in Yorkshire. When she arrives at White Windows she is befriended by her mistress Hester but the reaction of Hester's brother Marcus is odd. Although Annaleigh makes friends in the local village, events at the house become more and more concerning, particularly when the master holds a party which descends into a debacle. Annaleigh tries to leave but she finds herself falling deeper into a web that she cannot find an escape from.
Initially this book reads like a take on Jane Eyre with the orphan moving to the wilds of Yorkshire to work for a rich and strange employer. However this novel takes a huge turn and becomes a tale of gothic menace, our heroine being trapped, drugged and abused. Finally it becomes a revenge story, however at each turn in the plot I was completely engrossed. Tobin has created something that reads like the best of 19th century fiction all rolled into one but with a knowing modern slant.
Initially this book reads like a take on Jane Eyre with the orphan moving to the wilds of Yorkshire to work for a rich and strange employer. However this novel takes a huge turn and becomes a tale of gothic menace, our heroine being trapped, drugged and abused. Finally it becomes a revenge story, however at each turn in the plot I was completely engrossed. Tobin has created something that reads like the best of 19th century fiction all rolled into one but with a knowing modern slant.
afterhours's review against another edition
5.0
Loved that novel. Very atmospheric, Brontë-sque, dreamy and with a darker underlining which is what makes my favourite novel. Hope this is made into a film one day.
thebooktrail88's review against another edition
4.0
Visit the locations in the novel
Sophia Tobin writes a darn good gothic tale! If you read this on the Yorkshire moors where the book is set, in the middle of winter, you will chill yourself and you might even see White Windows, the house, as it seems so real.
It put me in mind of Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre as it has that kind of chilling, remote, raw, wild feel to it all. Annaleigh comes from London to work at the gothic house there and to become its housekeeper. There’s the lonesome master and a sister there but they’re not what she is expecting and there’s something odd and strange about them and the house. Chill factor alert!
The moors and the gothic house really are the star of the show but the characters…oh let’s not forget them…so vividly drawn and dark…Annaleigh faces one challenge after another and has to decide how she will live at the house and how she will deal with those already there. But how will they deal with her? This is claustrophobic and ominous, with a sense of foreboding wrapping and whistling around the moors like the wind itself. The mysterious Twentymans are some of the most deliciously gothic creations I’ve read in some time.
Sophia Tobin weaves an intricate spell in these pages and it’s a delight to read although I may avoid a visit to the Yorkshire moors until the memories fade…..
uggy90's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Kidnapping and Drug abuse
Minor: Child death