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rolypoliak's review
2.0
DNF, could not get into it even after getting over 1/3 of the way in. Pretty prose, but the story felt stagnant.
torreads95's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
izzys_internet_bookshelf's review
4.0
4/5
I found out about Marie Lu with Warcross and instantly fell in love with her writing style and adventurous plots. I was lucky enough to find the Owlcrate version of this book before it went away and I didn’t regret it! My favorite character in this story was the prince, Hyacinth. The story was sadly slow in the beginning but the story line was enough for me not to dnf it.
I found out about Marie Lu with Warcross and instantly fell in love with her writing style and adventurous plots. I was lucky enough to find the Owlcrate version of this book before it went away and I didn’t regret it! My favorite character in this story was the prince, Hyacinth. The story was sadly slow in the beginning but the story line was enough for me not to dnf it.
scepter's review against another edition
This book was a real treat.
Finally a story that involves Nannerl Mozart, Wolfgang's older sister, in a truly magical tale of a young woman in a time where she is forbidden to do what she was born for simply because she's female.
Marie Lu pictured Nannerl's desire to keep composing her music so beautifully. As a girl, Nannerl makes such a deep, heartfelt wish that it's heard by someone - even if she didn't say it out loud...
As her brother Wolfgang keeps rising to his wonderchild-stardom, Nannerl keeps being torn between jealousy and desire.
There is also the promise of the one who heard her wish, the Kingdom of Back and a haunting and magical melody that keeps calling her.
The other world, this magical place, sometimes bleeds into the real world in such a dream-like state, that the Mozart siblings can't help but feel enchanted.
And so is the reader who follows along.
This book is beautiful, inside and out, and as an austrian reader I especially loved that Marie Lu described places I've seen and kept some words in her dialogues, like 'Fräulein' and Mozart's nickname Wolferl (even as it was sadly spelled wrong as 'Woferl'...).
Oh, and I think everyone should read her Acknowledgements because she's written really encouraging words for all the Nannerl's' out there who are struggling to live their dreams.
Thank you to Marie Lu for writing this special book.
Thank you to the publisher for bringing this book in the world.
And thank you Owlcrate book box for choosing this one.
The one thing that's missing is the music... imagine listening to Nannerl Mozart's compositions.
Finally a story that involves Nannerl Mozart, Wolfgang's older sister, in a truly magical tale of a young woman in a time where she is forbidden to do what she was born for simply because she's female.
Marie Lu pictured Nannerl's desire to keep composing her music so beautifully. As a girl, Nannerl makes such a deep, heartfelt wish that it's heard by someone - even if she didn't say it out loud...
As her brother Wolfgang keeps rising to his wonderchild-stardom, Nannerl keeps being torn between jealousy and desire.
There is also the promise of the one who heard her wish, the Kingdom of Back and a haunting and magical melody that keeps calling her.
The other world, this magical place, sometimes bleeds into the real world in such a dream-like state, that the Mozart siblings can't help but feel enchanted.
And so is the reader who follows along.
This book is beautiful, inside and out, and as an austrian reader I especially loved that Marie Lu described places I've seen and kept some words in her dialogues, like 'Fräulein' and Mozart's nickname Wolferl (even as it was sadly spelled wrong as 'Woferl'...).
Oh, and I think everyone should read her Acknowledgements because she's written really encouraging words for all the Nannerl's' out there who are struggling to live their dreams.
Thank you to Marie Lu for writing this special book.
Thank you to the publisher for bringing this book in the world.
And thank you Owlcrate book box for choosing this one.
The one thing that's missing is the music... imagine listening to Nannerl Mozart's compositions.
kimal2028's review
5.0
This book gets an A+ from me. This book had just the right amount of family while showing how torn Nannerl was between saving her brother and becoming immortal. She shared the same fear as her mother. Being forgotten. She had the chance to become immortal but she would have to give up her brother. She didn't give up her brother because she loved him more than she wanted to become immortal. Hyacinth should go die in the hole but she did fall in love with him. But Wolferl was a true prince in both the Kingdom of Back and in the real world. He was just a little child but he had the hugest impact on so many people's lives.
niinahayashi's review
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
lectora_errante's review against another edition
3.0
Es un libro lento, no me causó la sensación de tener que leerlo a cada hora. Para mi gusto se centra demasiado en la fantasía y no eb la parte histórica. Fue bastante predecible en algunas cosas desde el principio, sin embargo la historia es bonita. Quizás simplemente no era lo que tenía en mente leer, pero creo que con una relectura futura mejoraría bastante.
Lo mejor, los personajes, Nannerl y Woferl me enamoraron desde el minuto uno.
Lo mejor, los personajes, Nannerl y Woferl me enamoraron desde el minuto uno.
becbec624's review
3.0
Nannerl is the sister of Wolfgang Mozart and just wants to be remembered in a society that does not want women to be remembered for the music they create. Nannerl spends this whole book going on this ongoing adventure and making this big deal with a supernatural being just so that she can be remembered. All while her and her brother are traveling Europe as child musicians. Throughout the book you can see Wolfgang gaining the respects of the patrons and royalty as he gets commissioned while Nannerl is just a sort of afterthought. This leads to her becoming desperate for her to be the one to write the family legacy, hence the deal with the supernatural being from a made up world that both her and her brother share. I was so looking forward to loving this book. As a double violin major in college, it sounded like the perfect book for me.
I think Nannerl had so much potential. She had a spunk and a want that I just feel fell so flat during the last 2 chapters. Nannerl ends up being exactly what she stated time and time again that she did not want to be. Another problem I had with this book was the plot points that really didn't lead anywhere. Nannerl meets a boy she is interested in and then he just sort of disappears? He wrote her letters and from the looks of it she never wrote him back or tried making any communication despite being very interested in him? I could see if Johann made an appearance at the end of the book, but instead there is an unnamed husband. I just don't see at all why this character needed to be introduced There were also a lot of times where characters were so sick it seemed they were on the brink of death, but for some reason they always made a miraculous recovery.
I keep trying to understand why the ending was written the way it is. Why Nannerl had to fall so flat at the end. But I cannot. I can understand the approach of not wanting to divert from history too much, but this book includes a magical world filled with a dragon, a witch, ogre among other magical things. There was no reason Nannerl's story could not have been slightly rewritten
she could've continued composing under the vague Mozart name even if there was never no intention of publishing, she could've kept making music, even if it was just for her family and close friends, she could've married someone who was important enough to name.
*2.5 Stars*
I think Nannerl had so much potential. She had a spunk and a want that I just feel fell so flat during the last 2 chapters. Nannerl ends up being exactly what she stated time and time again that she did not want to be. Another problem I had with this book was the plot points that really didn't lead anywhere. Nannerl meets a boy she is interested in and then he just sort of disappears? He wrote her letters and from the looks of it she never wrote him back or tried making any communication despite being very interested in him? I could see if Johann made an appearance at the end of the book, but instead there is an unnamed husband. I just don't see at all why this character needed to be introduced There were also a lot of times where characters were so sick it seemed they were on the brink of death, but for some reason they always made a miraculous recovery.
I keep trying to understand why the ending was written the way it is. Why Nannerl had to fall so flat at the end. But I cannot. I can understand the approach of not wanting to divert from history too much, but this book includes a magical world filled with a dragon, a witch, ogre among other magical things. There was no reason Nannerl's story could not have been slightly rewritten
she could've continued composing under the vague Mozart name even if there was never no intention of publishing, she could've kept making music, even if it was just for her family and close friends, she could've married someone who was important enough to name.
*2.5 Stars*
hkc0125's review
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
paig35mith's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book and the Magical Kingdom of Back. I liked it even more when relistening to it with my husband.