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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
The idea of this book isn't bad, but the execution was subpar. A 50's coming-of-age story in New York filled with bebop, clubs, and romance, all intertwined with a murder mystery? Sounds great right? Well, that's only half the book- the other storyline (set in the present) involves a creepy woman named Rose invading the personal space of the woman from the 50's, living in her apartment while she's away, and searching through her belongings in the name of "journalism". A problem I found in this book is that there's next to no introspection or change. If there's going to be another storyline, then Rose should have interesting things going on in her own life, not just the sadness of a middle aged woman's love life. This book claims to be "feminist". The author repeatedly pushes on you that none of the characters need a man! However, the only thing on Rose's mind is her cringy hypermasculine ex boyfriend that left her for his family. She immediately replaces him with the first guy she meets at her job. Jumping around from one man that treats you badly to another man that is mean to you is not very feminist in my opinion. The other character, Darby, had a seemingly lesbian arc going. Why could she not have continued with that? Instead, she replaced her best friend with a man. I don't mind either of these things but it just really irked me that there are excessive lines about not needing a man, and then the characters do the exact opposite.
The writing is also just... not the best. At times, there are moments of descriptive imagery that transport you to the location the character is in. You can smell the smoke and spices around you, feel the bass of the music, and watch the characters sing in their jazz club. It's great. And then immediately after that, there is confusing dialogue and completely unrealistic scenes. A lot of the book seems to be written by a middle schooler, thesaurus in hand, looking up synonyms for "nice". It's really only interesting in the last 50 pages. Before that, I had to suffer through the misery of Rose's chapters. I fell asleep multiple times reading this.
I really only read this book because it was laying around my house. I recommend that it should stay on the bookshelf.
The writing is also just... not the best. At times, there are moments of descriptive imagery that transport you to the location the character is in. You can smell the smoke and spices around you, feel the bass of the music, and watch the characters sing in their jazz club. It's great. And then immediately after that, there is confusing dialogue and completely unrealistic scenes. A lot of the book seems to be written by a middle schooler, thesaurus in hand, looking up synonyms for "nice". It's really only interesting in the last 50 pages. Before that, I had to suffer through the misery of Rose's chapters. I fell asleep multiple times reading this.
I really only read this book because it was laying around my house. I recommend that it should stay on the bookshelf.
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked the premise and even didn't mind the unlikeable characters. I just wish it had delved more into all the girls living at The Dollhouse. And the ending was not it for me!
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I DEVOURED this! Really truly a home run for Fiona Davis. I feel like every time I read one of her books, I say it’s my new favorite- but really!! I love that all of her books feature strong women, fascinating historical niches, queer representation, and a fantastically researched story. A+
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
Fiona Davis does it again!!!
After discovering Fiona Davis's most recent novel, The Spectacular, I'm now on a mission to read every novel she's written. I have yet to be disappointed.
The Dollhouse is a gorgeous and scary look at 1950's New York City. Two stories are unfolding simultaneously: one in the past and one in the present. There's a beautiful thriller/mystery aspect to the story that made it impossible to put down from about the halfway point onward. I genuinely enjoyed all of the characters, although Rose definitely made some really painful choices...
I thought I had the ending figured out early on, and I was dead wrong. Expect the unexpected!
After discovering Fiona Davis's most recent novel, The Spectacular, I'm now on a mission to read every novel she's written. I have yet to be disappointed.
The Dollhouse is a gorgeous and scary look at 1950's New York City. Two stories are unfolding simultaneously: one in the past and one in the present. There's a beautiful thriller/mystery aspect to the story that made it impossible to put down from about the halfway point onward. I genuinely enjoyed all of the characters, although Rose definitely made some really painful choices...
I thought I had the ending figured out early on, and I was dead wrong. Expect the unexpected!
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I liked it better than the last Fiona Davis that I read. The story is so far-fetched and not that convincing as a concept, but I had fun reading (listening to) it.
This book has a little bit of everything. A very thin thread of mystery runs throughout, centered around some strong females. Going back and forth from present to past, the taste of life in 1952 is interesting. However, the story seems a bit lacking, not going deep enough into either the story line or the characters. Listening to the audiobook in my car kept me going until the end, but I was still left flat even after the climax.