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gretel7's review
2.0
I received this from netgalley.com in exchange for a review.
When Annaleigh, a foundling who has fled her home in London, finds herself at the remote house White Windows, in service to the Twentymans, she discovers all is not as it seems behind closed doors.
I was disappointed with this book. Gothic, moors, weird houses and their owners. I kept searching for traces of Poe, du Maurier, even Oscar Wilde but everything just fell flat. The characters were one dimensional and the story uninspiring.
2 ☆
When Annaleigh, a foundling who has fled her home in London, finds herself at the remote house White Windows, in service to the Twentymans, she discovers all is not as it seems behind closed doors.
I was disappointed with this book. Gothic, moors, weird houses and their owners. I kept searching for traces of Poe, du Maurier, even Oscar Wilde but everything just fell flat. The characters were one dimensional and the story uninspiring.
2 ☆
iblamewizards's review
2.0
Inconsistent characterisation and a plodding, essentially meaningless plot made this a bit of a chore to read. It wasn't a terrible book, just not awfully interesting. The Gothic genre has been done to death, so it takes a special book to set itself apart. This was not one of them. The best way I can describe The Vanishing is that it was...ok.
emilyjensen's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
3.75
jenifun's review
2.0
This book was okay. The scene-setting was great, and I do love a gothic novel, but the pacing is all off. There is a fairly dramatic event that happens in the space of fifty pages, it left me thinking that half of the introduction was an ultimate waste of time, with some plotlines that didn't go anywhere.
mirjami's review
dark
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
lottelikesbooks's review against another edition
1.0
Definitely one of the worst books I've read so far this year. It’s just. so. messy.
The Vanishing incorporates quite a few elements of historical Gothic fiction I normally love (it's set in a gloomy remote mansion after all!) and starts out fairly well, but then becomes a chaotic jumble of overly dramatic twists and characters whose actions didn't make any sense whatsoever. Granted, even during its second half, it was still entertaining – but in a way that an over-the-top reality show or drama series is entertaining. The writing was pretty good throughout, but ultimately, I felt like the book's convoluted storyline became a caricature of itself and I just couldn't take it seriously anymore. Plus, the ending was pretty frustrating to say the least.
There are so many better historical novels with similar themes out there and I wouldn't recommend you go for this one.
The Vanishing incorporates quite a few elements of historical Gothic fiction I normally love (it's set in a gloomy remote mansion after all!) and starts out fairly well, but then becomes a chaotic jumble of overly dramatic twists and characters whose actions didn't make any sense whatsoever. Granted, even during its second half, it was still entertaining – but in a way that an over-the-top reality show or drama series is entertaining. The writing was pretty good throughout, but ultimately, I felt like the book's convoluted storyline became a caricature of itself and I just couldn't take it seriously anymore. Plus, the ending was pretty frustrating to say the least.
There are so many better historical novels with similar themes out there and I wouldn't recommend you go for this one.
bookwormmuse's review against another edition
4.0
I was kindly provided a copy of the book by Edelweiss in return for an honest review.
I wanted to read The Vanishing as soon as I read the summary, it was being compared to the classics that I love. Jane Eyre is one of my favourite books, yes, it’s a bit dark but it’s still my favourite. So, of course, I was super excited to get drawn into the book with such a tempting plot.
Now, I had never read anything by Sophia Tobin before so I was getting into the book completely without a bias or even any set expectations, for once. It was a good thing because I could genuinely enjoy the book and not be influenced by reviews of other people who found it well or otherwise. She writes wonderfully, drawing the reader by her atmospheric writing alone. The rest was just one good surprise after another. I really loved reading about the moors and the people that she wrote. That managed to capture my interest and that’s what kept me going in the beginning, afterwards, it was the story itself.
It started out slow but it helped to build up the story. I was a bit wary of the pace but luckily, it started to pick slowly over time. I don’t want to go into too much detail in fear of spoiling the book but frankly, I loved it. The way Annaleigh has that umph factor and how much she does want to do something for herself and be a good employee, the way Marcus seems like a gentleman but at the same time, something about him ticks you off, the way you have some ‘thoughts’ about Hester from the beginning. The way people are shown in the book, it completely makes you feel like you are there.
I loved the book, if you want to curl up in your favourite chair in front of a window or a fire, and read something, this is the book for you. It does give you that sense of period when things weren’t quite so modern and yet, there are times when the way a character says something is, perhaps, too modern for the era it’s set in. Oh, well, I can’t hold on to that for long.
I wanted to read The Vanishing as soon as I read the summary, it was being compared to the classics that I love. Jane Eyre is one of my favourite books, yes, it’s a bit dark but it’s still my favourite. So, of course, I was super excited to get drawn into the book with such a tempting plot.
Now, I had never read anything by Sophia Tobin before so I was getting into the book completely without a bias or even any set expectations, for once. It was a good thing because I could genuinely enjoy the book and not be influenced by reviews of other people who found it well or otherwise. She writes wonderfully, drawing the reader by her atmospheric writing alone. The rest was just one good surprise after another. I really loved reading about the moors and the people that she wrote. That managed to capture my interest and that’s what kept me going in the beginning, afterwards, it was the story itself.
It started out slow but it helped to build up the story. I was a bit wary of the pace but luckily, it started to pick slowly over time. I don’t want to go into too much detail in fear of spoiling the book but frankly, I loved it. The way Annaleigh has that umph factor and how much she does want to do something for herself and be a good employee, the way Marcus seems like a gentleman but at the same time, something about him ticks you off, the way you have some ‘thoughts’ about Hester from the beginning. The way people are shown in the book, it completely makes you feel like you are there.
I loved the book, if you want to curl up in your favourite chair in front of a window or a fire, and read something, this is the book for you. It does give you that sense of period when things weren’t quite so modern and yet, there are times when the way a character says something is, perhaps, too modern for the era it’s set in. Oh, well, I can’t hold on to that for long.
akinderjim's review against another edition
2.0
I tried this to read a bit out of my comfort zone, and it was fine. I enjoyed the first half of the book, found the second half a bit too much.
thereadingruby's review against another edition
3.0
*3.5 stars*
The plot of The Vanishing drew me in immediately, it's gothic setting with comparisons to Jane Eyre, and Wuthering Heights, I was really interested in reviewing this one. Especially because I read very few historical fictions! Plus, the cover is absolutely beautiful!
In terms of the writing, Sophia Tobin has a beautifully, eloquent writing style - which hooked me and kept me hooked, for the most part. This is especially evident in the descriptions of the setting, which has so much depth - the vivid world-building is a definite plus of this book. The characterisation is also a highlight of this novel, with Annaleigh - who is both submissive and ambitious, and Twentyman - who is likeable and unlikeable, depending on how you perceive him. He seems charming on first glance, but under the shell is somewhat mysterious and dangerous. Overall, the interesting characters just make you more gripped to the story, trapped in the suspense throughout the book. That being said, the characters weren't entirely fleshed out and I would have liked a bit more depth to them.
Obviously, as this is a spoiler-free review, I can't say much about the plot, but I found the storyline interesting and well-paced enough, particularly during the latter half of the book.
I have never read anything from Sophia Tobin before, and don't often read historical fiction, so I didn't have the highest expectations for this book, but she has a lovely standard of writing and I'll look out for her name in the future. I'll also try to branch out more and read more historical fiction, which is one of my favourite genres, and yet I don't read it enough.
Overall, I did enjoy this book and it reminded me that I should give more historical fiction a go. I enjoyed Sophia Tobin's writing and will be keeping an eye out for her books in the future. However, the characterisation wasn't quite developed enough for me in this story, and overall, it's mystery at times felt un-mysterious. Therefore, I'll rate this one 3.5 stars! Worth a read if you're looking for something new, and I would recommend if you like the genre.
Full Review Here: https://thereadingruby.blogspot.com/2018/01/book-review-vanishing-by-sophia-tobin.html
I received this E-Arc in exchange for an honest review and would like to say thank-you to Simon and Schuster for providing me with an advanced-readers-copy of this book.
The plot of The Vanishing drew me in immediately, it's gothic setting with comparisons to Jane Eyre, and Wuthering Heights, I was really interested in reviewing this one. Especially because I read very few historical fictions! Plus, the cover is absolutely beautiful!
In terms of the writing, Sophia Tobin has a beautifully, eloquent writing style - which hooked me and kept me hooked, for the most part. This is especially evident in the descriptions of the setting, which has so much depth - the vivid world-building is a definite plus of this book. The characterisation is also a highlight of this novel, with Annaleigh - who is both submissive and ambitious, and Twentyman - who is likeable and unlikeable, depending on how you perceive him. He seems charming on first glance, but under the shell is somewhat mysterious and dangerous. Overall, the interesting characters just make you more gripped to the story, trapped in the suspense throughout the book. That being said, the characters weren't entirely fleshed out and I would have liked a bit more depth to them.
Obviously, as this is a spoiler-free review, I can't say much about the plot, but I found the storyline interesting and well-paced enough, particularly during the latter half of the book.
I have never read anything from Sophia Tobin before, and don't often read historical fiction, so I didn't have the highest expectations for this book, but she has a lovely standard of writing and I'll look out for her name in the future. I'll also try to branch out more and read more historical fiction, which is one of my favourite genres, and yet I don't read it enough.
Overall, I did enjoy this book and it reminded me that I should give more historical fiction a go. I enjoyed Sophia Tobin's writing and will be keeping an eye out for her books in the future. However, the characterisation wasn't quite developed enough for me in this story, and overall, it's mystery at times felt un-mysterious. Therefore, I'll rate this one 3.5 stars! Worth a read if you're looking for something new, and I would recommend if you like the genre.
Full Review Here: https://thereadingruby.blogspot.com/2018/01/book-review-vanishing-by-sophia-tobin.html
I received this E-Arc in exchange for an honest review and would like to say thank-you to Simon and Schuster for providing me with an advanced-readers-copy of this book.
anyakinsl's review
4.0
A historical tale that is reminiscent in many ways of the words of Poe, Jane Eyre and Sarah Waters. This novel is chilling in it's honesty. The story tells of Annaleigh, an orphan who is taken into the care of a painter, falls in love with the son of the family and leaves London upon his engagement to someone else to a post in a family in York. This is where the story takes a wonderful twist. This book is a rollercoaster ride and makes you second guess every motive, every action and every thought that all the characters have. The character of Marcus is a complex and interesting one and deserves a second reading to review even more! I absolutely loved this book and had the fortune to read it on a few cold days in Tahoe, with the snow falling (as one should with a book like this!) as well as a nice mug of tea.
I would highly recommend this wonderful piece to anyone who appreciates historical fiction as I do.
This book was provided by the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
I would highly recommend this wonderful piece to anyone who appreciates historical fiction as I do.
This book was provided by the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.