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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Rose and Darby. Both women have a connection to "The Dollhouse" more familiarly known as the Barbizon Hotel/Apartments in New York City. Despite their life stories being 50 years apart, they share similarities which reflect the norm for women trying to achieve a place in their world.
Although I've seen this technique before, Davis juxtapositions the two eras and reveals bits of information concerning Darby, circa 1952, to the reader... which later become known to the Rose of 2016. Here the technique works, basically because there is somewhat of a mystery involved as to how Darby received the unsightly scars on her face and why she isn't seen unless she wears a veil. It makes the novel a page turner to the end. Historical fiction at its finest!
For a debut novel, the writer seems well seasoned and I anxiously await her next novel.
Although I've seen this technique before, Davis juxtapositions the two eras and reveals bits of information concerning Darby, circa 1952, to the reader... which later become known to the Rose of 2016. Here the technique works, basically because there is somewhat of a mystery involved as to how Darby received the unsightly scars on her face and why she isn't seen unless she wears a veil. It makes the novel a page turner to the end. Historical fiction at its finest!
For a debut novel, the writer seems well seasoned and I anxiously await her next novel.
I have loved all of Fiona Davis' other books, but this one just fell flat for me. I liked the set up in the earliest chapters, of both characters in the two timelines, but it just felt like it didn't go anywhere for the longest time. It *did* improve a lot in the last third of the book, with a couple of plot twists, but overall I didn't think they were enough to make up for the bulk of the story where nothing interesting was happening.
This is totally my kind of book. I loved the mystery, the characters, the history, the dual timelines and how they intersected, and I especially loved watching Darby grow as a character.
~Some~ critique: I definitely was left with a lot questions about Darby and Esme's relationship, which felt a little disappointing and underdeveloped. And the present day dialogue often felt very inorganic and sometimes cheesy to me, which could be distracting...
But other than that, loved this book!
~Some~ critique: I definitely was left with a lot questions about Darby and Esme's relationship, which felt a little disappointing and underdeveloped. And the present day dialogue often felt very inorganic and sometimes cheesy to me, which could be distracting...
But other than that, loved this book!
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
sad
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:
Yes
Enjoyable, kept me reading , anxious to know the ending
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated