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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
Wow! A really good book and interesting story. I was actually listening to this book in the car and the big reveal had me sitting in my car, late for work.
It felt like a story I've read a hundred times. I read The Wildling Sisters by the author and really liked it. But for this one I did not connect with the characters.
This is not the sort of book I would have chosen to read myself, but I was listening to it with my mum, and enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I also thought that I would be irritated with the split POV, since it switches between first and third between chapters (or groups of chapters), but did not mind at all, and it was a nice surprise, given I've found this off-putting before.
I was sad that it didn't turn out to be as what I thought (I thought, given the emphasis on clocks, and time being a bit weird, that there would maybe time travel hijinks or reincarnation or something, but that was not the case).
I did, however, correctly guess.
I was sad that it didn't turn out to be as what I thought (I thought, given the emphasis on clocks, and time being a bit weird, that there would maybe time travel hijinks or reincarnation or something, but that was not the case).
I did, however, correctly guess
Spoiler
that Lorna was adopted, having been Amber's illegitimate child, although I guessed wrongly about who the father was
Black Rabbit Hall is a mystery set in Cornwall and is explored over two different time frames. Amber narrates the story of her family living in the house in its heyday of the 1960s. Thirty years later Lorna is looking for a wedding venue and is captivated by house despite its faded glory. The story is engaging and emotionally wrenching. Highly recommend.
I received this as a ARC. When I started the book, I didn't realize that it was a double story line. Once I realized that, the story moved along. It starts with a woman, Lorna, looking for a venue to hold her wedding. She is drawn to Black Rabbit Hall, an over-grown and dilapidated home. You might say she is becoming obsessed with having her wedding there and at the same time finding out more about the house and her own family history. As Lorna is drawn deeper into the lore, half-buried memories begin to surface. This is a story of 2 women separated by decades and their connection to one house and its secrets. Good read but sometimes a bit convoluted.
I had to decide multiple times whilst listening to this audiobook that I was just going to trust that the author had a plan. You see, what this book fails to make even remotely apparent for a huge portion of the narrative is 'the point'.
The story is told almost like a found-footage documentary, looking at a delapidated Black Rabbit Hall in modern day, scrutinizing it for its hidden truths, whilst constantly jumping back to a first person account of its hayday. We witness old events unfold and discover the consequences simultaneously - which is a very intriguing way of storytelling - but the author has added an additional present day secret on top of this. All through our attempt to understand the enigmatic Black Rabbit Hall, we are told that there is some special reason why the character cares - but we're not allowed to know what that is. It's perfectly encapsulated in one line: "The door to her future is blocked by her past" - we don't find out what happened in this woman's past for several chapters after this line. A nice way of stringing the reader along, for sure, but we were already being strung along by the actual mystery! And even though the author manages to keep the "I know something you don't know" tone to a minimum, it would still be easier to motivate myself to stick with a story if I knew what motivated the character to stick with it.
Fortunately, I did manage to stick it out and it was well worth it. The book doesn't have twists as such - to use a driving metaphor: the bends in the road can be seen from plenty far off, but they are still jarring and stomach wrenching when they come - the slow unravelling of the history held in this place is very satisfying to be strung along with and, as is so often the way with secrets, once the floodgates are opened, its a non-stop torrent until the dam is drained. At about the halfway mark, we strike plot and the book is all gas until the end.
The story is told almost like a found-footage documentary, looking at a delapidated Black Rabbit Hall in modern day, scrutinizing it for its hidden truths, whilst constantly jumping back to a first person account of its hayday. We witness old events unfold and discover the consequences simultaneously - which is a very intriguing way of storytelling - but the author has added an additional present day secret on top of this. All through our attempt to understand the enigmatic Black Rabbit Hall, we are told that there is some special reason why the character cares - but we're not allowed to know what that is. It's perfectly encapsulated in one line: "The door to her future is blocked by her past" - we don't find out what happened in this woman's past for several chapters after this line. A nice way of stringing the reader along, for sure, but we were already being strung along by the actual mystery! And even though the author manages to keep the "I know something you don't know" tone to a minimum, it would still be easier to motivate myself to stick with a story if I knew what motivated the character to stick with it.
Fortunately, I did manage to stick it out and it was well worth it. The book doesn't have twists as such - to use a driving metaphor: the bends in the road can be seen from plenty far off, but they are still jarring and stomach wrenching when they come - the slow unravelling of the history held in this place is very satisfying to be strung along with and, as is so often the way with secrets, once the floodgates are opened, its a non-stop torrent until the dam is drained. At about the halfway mark, we strike plot and the book is all gas until the end.
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
At first I thought this was going to be a classic Gothic, it had most of the elements. But it eventually turned out to be a family saga similar to Kate Morton with two time periods connecting in the present. Not as absorbing as Morton, but a decent read.
dark
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This atmospheric feminine story brings Black Rabbit Hall from its past to the present.
Lornas story drawing you into a grand old house with potential to be the most perfect wedding location. Amber's narrative gives a history of her time growing up in Pencrawl.
The mystery of the story comes together to understand how their timelines are connected and will Amber or Lorna get their happy ever after.
For me, this is a delicate story that has mystery and draws you in with the grandeur of the house and the love between a growing family.
Lornas story drawing you into a grand old house with potential to be the most perfect wedding location. Amber's narrative gives a history of her time growing up in Pencrawl.
The mystery of the story comes together to understand how their timelines are connected and will Amber or Lorna get their happy ever after.
For me, this is a delicate story that has mystery and draws you in with the grandeur of the house and the love between a growing family.
Entertaining and atmospheric despite several improbable plot points.