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ellatea's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bookph1le's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
First off, I really wish the prologue hadn't been included in this book because it made the events of later chapters way, way too obvious, which robbed the book of its more suspenseful elements. Since so much of it is moody and atmospheric, the give-away intro undermines the crafting of those later chapters. I so wish publishers would stop with the prologues already.
There was a lot I liked about this book. I was invested in both the present-day struggles of Jessie, who's trying to cobble together a home for her patchwork family, and the Wildes sisters' past. Both sides of the story were vivid to me, and though I did sometimes get impatient with Jessie, who is kind of pathetic at times, her story still felt very heartfelt to me.
However, I'm not sure the stories meshed together too well. The ending felt anticlimactic, like, "Welp, time to wrap this whole package up with string and all". I especially wasn't fond of the last chapter, which maybe felt more drawn-out than it needed to be.
This is what kept the book from being a solid four stars for me. There's a lot to admire in it, but overall it's kind of ragged and uneven.
First off, I really wish the prologue hadn't been included in this book because it made the events of later chapters way, way too obvious, which robbed the book of its more suspenseful elements. Since so much of it is moody and atmospheric, the give-away intro undermines the crafting of those later chapters. I so wish publishers would stop with the prologues already.
There was a lot I liked about this book. I was invested in both the present-day struggles of Jessie, who's trying to cobble together a home for her patchwork family, and the Wildes sisters' past. Both sides of the story were vivid to me, and though I did sometimes get impatient with Jessie, who is kind of pathetic at times, her story still felt very heartfelt to me.
However, I'm not sure the stories meshed together too well. The ending felt anticlimactic, like, "Welp, time to wrap this whole package up with string and all". I especially wasn't fond of the last chapter, which maybe felt more drawn-out than it needed to be.
This is what kept the book from being a solid four stars for me. There's a lot to admire in it, but overall it's kind of ragged and uneven.
prog51's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
mbenzz's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. I just could not get through this. I almost DNF'd it at the 43% point, but then decided to skim the rest to see how it all ended.
I liked the 1959 portion of the story, though the middle dragged quite a bit. I couldn't stand the present-day story. Bella was a bitch, and Jessie was a pushover. She, Bella, and Will all felt cardboard...I never cared about any of them.
Overall, I wasn't impressed. I know I'm in the minority here, but I just did not care for this book.
I liked the 1959 portion of the story, though the middle dragged quite a bit. I couldn't stand the present-day story. Bella was a bitch, and Jessie was a pushover. She, Bella, and Will all felt cardboard...I never cared about any of them.
Overall, I wasn't impressed. I know I'm in the minority here, but I just did not care for this book.
lisaar91's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book in exchange for an honest review from netgalley
This book is slow to start and if you'd have told me 25% in that is be giving in four stars, I wouldn't believe you!
Persevere! It's worth it :)
I like books with two different timelines, I like mystery books and I like books that end properly. This book delivered.
The reason I didn't give it five stars, is because I wasn't overwhelmed by the 'current day' story. The story in the past was far more engaging and the merging of the two was also really good! But Jessie, the lead in the present, I just didn't like her. I was keen to get back to Margot in the 50s
This book is slow to start and if you'd have told me 25% in that is be giving in four stars, I wouldn't believe you!
Persevere! It's worth it :)
I like books with two different timelines, I like mystery books and I like books that end properly. This book delivered.
The reason I didn't give it five stars, is because I wasn't overwhelmed by the 'current day' story. The story in the past was far more engaging and the merging of the two was also really good! But Jessie, the lead in the present, I just didn't like her. I was keen to get back to Margot in the 50s
mckenziemartines's review against another edition
5.0
This book has had me in a chokehold since I started it yesterday. I was torn between wanting to savor it and wanting to finish it, but I just had to know how it ended.
Gothic vibes 10/10.
Gothic vibes 10/10.
achi1's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
jilligin's review against another edition
2.0
This is more of a 2.5 This book had some potential, but it just kind of fell flat. The modern story had little depth to it in relation to the older story. It felt like the story dragged on in places. I found the older story much more interesting and I think it could have been a stand alone story.
hthr_'s review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0