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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
A debut novel that covers Russian history from 1915 to 1990s. The idea may have been very ambitious but I couldn’t put it down. That being said the plot seemed very consulates at times and I had a hard time keeping track of who was who. I didn’t appreciate the author’s notes at the end. I feel like Russian history is almost like this book - long and involves names that are hard to keep track of. I did appreciate the author’s storytelling but this was a hefty 1st novel - 400 pages. Looking forward to more from her
BOTM March 2023. I really enjoyed this book. The author chose such wildly imaginative words to depict what was going on in this novel; and was obviously well researched.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Slow start - kept getting distracted by other book club books but I flew through the second half of this book when the flash forward and flash backs started merging and the overlap of characters became clear. The ending was beautiful. Great book.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Complex and mysterious multigenerational saga. It took me maybe 40 pages to get into it but I couldn’t put it down after that. I really enjoyed this book and would strongly recommend to anyone who enjoys historical novels and putting mysteries together.
I am between a 4 and 5 star review. This story is captivatingly haunting yet beautiful.
Three generations of women tied together through strange fairly tails and terrifying secrets….
The beauty- When striving for what Rosie wants her life to be she finds what she’s running from might actually be who she is.
Three generations of women tied together through strange fairly tails and terrifying secrets….
The beauty- When striving for what Rosie wants her life to be she finds what she’s running from might actually be who she is.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
THE LAST RUSSIAN DOLL by Kristen Loesch
This book has a lot what I love about historical fiction and family sagas. Not only are the characters interesting and unique, it’s obvious the author was meticulous in their research about the time period.
Going back and forth from 1920s to 1991, this dual/converging timeline was confusing at first, but soon I was hooked and immersed in Rosie, Tonya and Valentin’s lives. Their complex backstories are full of intrigue, history and drama.
Overall, the story kept me guessing and almost all my questions were addressed in the end. Worth the read if you’re interested!
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It started off creepy and I could not for the life of me figure out where it was going. When I thought I had it figured out, something would twist. I enjoyed this novel All of the Russian history was an added bonus.
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes