Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - The Cloisters

This just didn’t hit for me.

Strike one: The story was odd, as was the main character. Also, the narrative voice continually switched from conversational to more lofty prose, often from one sentence to the next and back again. Many of the more conversational ones were actually dependent clauses, which brought the immediate shift in tone from literary fiction-esque sentences to non-sentences into even sharper contrast.

Strike two: The book touched on issues around those who grew up with money and those who didn’t, but didn’t delve deeply into them. This was fine, actually, as the MC idolized the old-money characters for most of it. However, her shift in opinion of those types of characters neglected to address topics like entitlement and never knowing financial struggle or hardship. She did, however, shift her thinking on theft from such people. So to see one side of her opinion about the “haves and have-nots” change, but not the other (at least not on the page), rang insincere.

Strike three: The entire book was so predictable that when it met the tired tropes and twists without deviation, I was truly in disbelief — disbelief that anyone could be that unoriginal.

Content Warnings

zosiablue's review against another edition

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dark informative mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Tarot, art history, intrigue! And a love letter to NYC (The Cloisters is a really museum.) The art and divinity bits were fascinating, the relationships well done, and the murdery bits unnecessary and not that believable. There was so much juiciness here that the plot didn't need the extra layer. Super fun. And now I want to go to The Cloisters.

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giulianalb99's review against another edition

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dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Content Warnings

moonchild_cos's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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macaronoui's review against another edition

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informative mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.25

As an art lover, and someone who has been there, I was hooked when I saw the cover and title.

As a European, who went to NYC to do an internship and had a hookup with a coworker, some things overlapped.

I however took the fullest chance to experience the city, the food, the museums, the musicals. Where as Ann is essentially a hermit at work.

The historical and art elements were really good, I thought the plot would focus on more of the art in stead of the tarot cards, although I think she wrote well about it. The book didn’t have that many twists or surprises but it was a nice read.

TW - emotional abuse and manipulation, death, inappropriate age gaps in dating.

Content Warnings

universeofdust's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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