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saschadarlington's review
5.0
So that I don’t inadvertently say something spoiler-ish, I’m offering an extremely simplistic synopsis: Margaret Moore is a poet, a dreamer, a girl who believes that everyone is good, and she falls in love. In the process she keeps secrets from her best friends, the ones who would kill and die for her. And then everything falls apart in Hannah Capin’s I Am Margaret Moore.
I Am Margaret Moore is one of the most poetic and emotionally gripping novels that I have ever read. There was something in the repetition of Hannah Capin’s prose that caught me and dragged me down into this dark lake of a novel. I felt incensed, annoyed, and so very angry at times.
Very early on I understood exactly what was happening, although I don’t suspect that many readers will guess so early on. Because of this, I did feel some frustration with the beginning of the novel, which dragged for a bit to me. However, the writing was so mesmerizing that I never grew so frustrated that I wanted to quit. Quite the opposite in fact. I needed to know that there would be justice.
The prose is dense and poetic, like a dream, and very often a nightmare. I can’t help but feel that this would not be an easy or even desirable novel for readers who want quick and easy but the effect of the prose, this unbalancing of the reader who might even hope that the scientific idea that time does not travel straight might open up the novel’s world to a different outcome.
I Am Margaret Moore is a difficult novel to review because I can’t quite comment enough on the story without giving away vital points. Suffice to say, this is one novel that will stay with me for a long time mainly due to Capin’s ability to raise so many emotions with her writing. This isn’t an easy novel to read both because of content and style, but it is so very effective.
Last note. I Am Margaret Moore is listed as a young adult novel. I would suggest the upper ages of young adult.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I Am Margaret Moore is one of the most poetic and emotionally gripping novels that I have ever read. There was something in the repetition of Hannah Capin’s prose that caught me and dragged me down into this dark lake of a novel. I felt incensed, annoyed, and so very angry at times.
Very early on I understood exactly what was happening, although I don’t suspect that many readers will guess so early on. Because of this, I did feel some frustration with the beginning of the novel, which dragged for a bit to me. However, the writing was so mesmerizing that I never grew so frustrated that I wanted to quit. Quite the opposite in fact. I needed to know that there would be justice.
The prose is dense and poetic, like a dream, and very often a nightmare. I can’t help but feel that this would not be an easy or even desirable novel for readers who want quick and easy but the effect of the prose, this unbalancing of the reader who might even hope that the scientific idea that time does not travel straight might open up the novel’s world to a different outcome.
I Am Margaret Moore is a difficult novel to review because I can’t quite comment enough on the story without giving away vital points. Suffice to say, this is one novel that will stay with me for a long time mainly due to Capin’s ability to raise so many emotions with her writing. This isn’t an easy novel to read both because of content and style, but it is so very effective.
Last note. I Am Margaret Moore is listed as a young adult novel. I would suggest the upper ages of young adult.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
mousereads's review
2.0
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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is described as lyrical, however, it often borders on verse. The repetitive nature of this writing felt mind-numbing, at times, and frustrating at others. The twist of this book is one of the more interesting things that happens- and even our characters seem undeterred by it. This was strange, considering the entire plot relies on this twist. The world-building was fantastic, and I would have enjoyed an actual thriller written in prose in this world. However, this felt more like a contemporary in verse dressed up as a thriller labeled lyrical.
There could have been so much more to this story. The writing style took those opportunities away.
Full review October 4th, 2021.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is described as lyrical, however, it often borders on verse. The repetitive nature of this writing felt mind-numbing, at times, and frustrating at others. The twist of this book is one of the more interesting things that happens- and even our characters seem undeterred by it. This was strange, considering the entire plot relies on this twist. The world-building was fantastic, and I would have enjoyed an actual thriller written in prose in this world. However, this felt more like a contemporary in verse dressed up as a thriller labeled lyrical.
There could have been so much more to this story. The writing style took those opportunities away.
Full review October 4th, 2021.
ignitereads's review
4.0
→ 4 stars
★ ★ ★ ★
tw: gore, death, teen pregnancy, sl*t shaming
thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Lyrical and haunting I Am Margaret Moore is a book you won't be able to forget.
Reading this book was truly a unique experience. The author's writing style definitely isn't for everyone, but I really enjoyed it. The first third of this book moved pretty slow but did a great job of building up to the action. And while the details helped paint a vivid picture, I feel like some scenes were over-detailed, and focused too much on one thing. I also had a hard time following the dialogue and most of the navel-y (?) terms.
The turn this story took was wild. I predicted one main point in the story (yay me), but there were SO many twists and turns. And I think the cryptic, poetic writing style really helped with the dark and dramatic effect.
Watching Margaret slowly unravel the details of the summer was thrilling and gave me literal goosebumps. I absolutely loved the last chapter (if we can call it that) with the four together again. Honestly, my only complaint about the ending is I think after the BIG big reveal, the story kind of dragged on.
Overall this was a unique and dark book that I really enjoyed and very much recommend.
★ ★ ★ ★
tw: gore, death, teen pregnancy, sl*t shaming
thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Lyrical and haunting I Am Margaret Moore is a book you won't be able to forget.
Reading this book was truly a unique experience. The author's writing style definitely isn't for everyone, but I really enjoyed it. The first third of this book moved pretty slow but did a great job of building up to the action. And while the details helped paint a vivid picture, I feel like some scenes were over-detailed, and focused too much on one thing. I also had a hard time following the dialogue and most of the navel-y (?) terms.
The turn this story took was wild. I predicted one main point in the story (yay me), but there were SO many twists and turns. And I think the cryptic, poetic writing style really helped with the dark and dramatic effect.
Watching Margaret slowly unravel the details of the summer was thrilling and gave me literal goosebumps. I absolutely loved the last chapter (if we can call it that) with the four together again. Honestly, my only complaint about the ending is I think after the BIG big reveal, the story kind of dragged on.
Overall this was a unique and dark book that I really enjoyed and very much recommend.
tessa_talks_books's review
3.0
I Am Margaret Moore by Hannah Lapin is a different type of thriller told in an equally unique way. Lapin uses poetic prose to tell a story full of many emotions ranging from love and a feeling of belonging to anger, regret, and hate. I could feel every tiny nuance of each emotion as events unfolded. Unfortunately, I struggled to find a connection that would allow me to immerse myself in the tale. I could never go deeper and simply skimmed the surface, which made this a disappointing read for me. However, I can see the artistry in the way the tale unfolded. Surprisingly, the nonlinear timeline worked fine for me since the story is told in first-person narration. It added to the genuine feel of that very personal narrative style. But the characters lacked a depth that would have taken this character-driven story to a whole new level. They are shadows of themselves from start to finish. I did, however, enjoy the twist at the end. I honestly didn’t see it coming and found myself awed by the implications. The first big twist was one I caught onto from the beginning, but that’s because I’ve read a few story plots that take a similar approach. I would mention those stories, but I realized that doing that would be a spoiler. If you are looking for a more artistic approach to a thriller, I Am Margaret Moore is just the story you are looking forward to reading.
teatimetreads's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.5
misscatw's review
I couldn't get into it and it just felt like it wasn't for me (at least right now)
fayelle's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I don't think I've ever read a whole book with such lyrical and abstract writing before. I mean, seriously, I didn't think there were that many ways to describe feelings and be dramatic. And on top of that? I REALLY LIKED IT (wha?)
So, the story here is fascinating the feelings are fascinating. Before 20% in, I did consider bailing. But I held on because I knew the story was leading somewhere good and yeah, it picked up and went places. The end is a bit much with all the description and drama (I was like OKAY ALREADY), it turned out to be a great thriller. #FayelleReads2022 #Books #BooksAreTheBest
So, the story here is fascinating the feelings are fascinating. Before 20% in, I did consider bailing. But I held on because I knew the story was leading somewhere good and yeah, it picked up and went places. The end is a bit much with all the description and drama (I was like OKAY ALREADY), it turned out to be a great thriller. #FayelleReads2022 #Books #BooksAreTheBest
thereadingraccoon's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Book Review: I Am Margaret Moore by Hannah Capin
I Am Margaret Moore is a dark fictional novel about first love, betrayal and sisterhood. It has elements of young adult suspense and the paranormal.
Told in a non-linear lyrical style I Am Margaret Moore is the tale of a girl that falls head over heels for a boy at her elite sailing summer camp. But it is also a feminist story highlighting how adults often fail young girls but young men of wealth and privilege are protected at all costs. As the book slips and slides through time the reader is left questioning everything and it is clear that our narrator is keeping secrets even from herself.
I Am Margaret Moore is not an easy book to love. It is dark and slippery and tragic in so many ways. It has a beautiful poetic style with a lot of repetition and imagery which can be difficult to get into at first. But by the middle I found myself really appreciating the story and rooting for Margaret Moore. I recommend this one for readers that like moody atypical stories with tragic heroines and strong sisterhoods.
3.75 stars
jenniferforjoy's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
2.0
Not the best. Maybe if I hadn't known the "twist" from page one it would've had more punch? It seemed so obvious that I'm not sure it was actually meant to be a twist, but just in case it is, I'll stay quiet.
The last quarter gets very disjointed and reads like a stream of consciousness across time jumps. It's not too hard to follow, but it wasn't very interesting to me either. Capin has a strong style of writing, and whole I generally love it, this ended up getting repetitive. Sure, that was partially the point, but it made me want to hurry up the ending so I'd be done with it.
I didn't really care about any of the characters either. There was a revelation that made me dislike Mar (see spoiler below) and since we only see the others through her hazy mind, it's hard to really connect to any of them.
There were two plot points I was surprised by, but they were more of details within the larger story. Ultimately I'd say you can probably skip this one. Stick with Foul is Fair / Golden Boys Beware by her.
Also a personal issue, but the seeing of a military summer camp was weird AF to me. I kept getting distracted by the things I didn't understand or just by how weird it was that people would choose to go there and do that stuff. 🤷♀️🤷♀️
I mean, it's super obvious that she's dead, right? She literally starts it by saying "I'm alive" which call me paranoid but I was suspicious immediately. It didn't feel like a normal exultant declaration. The real clincher was like page two where it says Flora was the first girl to arrive. If Margaret is narrating from nearby, Flora would be the second. Anyway, maybe my unreliable narrators class has made me naturally suspicious. 🤣
The pregnancy and the actual way Jack kills Mar were a surprise. Rat poison? Seriously? I know Mar sees the good in people but girl what the fuck made you think that made sense? She's 17 or 18 so I guess the explanation is that her mental state was really fucked up from her distress over the baby and the boy. I don't know, but it made me like Mar less because that's really fucking stupid.
The last quarter gets very disjointed and reads like a stream of consciousness across time jumps. It's not too hard to follow, but it wasn't very interesting to me either. Capin has a strong style of writing, and whole I generally love it, this ended up getting repetitive. Sure, that was partially the point, but it made me want to hurry up the ending so I'd be done with it.
I didn't really care about any of the characters either. There was a revelation that made me dislike Mar (see spoiler below) and since we only see the others through her hazy mind, it's hard to really connect to any of them.
There were two plot points I was surprised by, but they were more of details within the larger story. Ultimately I'd say you can probably skip this one. Stick with Foul is Fair / Golden Boys Beware by her.
Also a personal issue, but the seeing of a military summer camp was weird AF to me. I kept getting distracted by the things I didn't understand or just by how weird it was that people would choose to go there and do that stuff. 🤷♀️🤷♀️
The pregnancy and the actual way Jack kills Mar were a surprise. Rat poison? Seriously? I know Mar sees the good in people but girl what the fuck made you think that made sense? She's 17 or 18 so I guess the explanation is that her mental state was really fucked up from her distress over the baby and the boy. I don't know, but it made me like Mar less because that's really fucking stupid.