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4.36 AVERAGE
4.36 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
tense
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
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
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:
Complicated
Loved this coming of age story, set in Hungary during WW 2.
hopeful
mysterious
tense
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:
Complicated
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I so wish I’d read this as a kid! The NYRB copy I have compares it on the back cover to Emma and Harry Potter, and both feel apt (and both were books I loved in middle/high school). Though this is a YA novel, I enjoyed it a lot and found a good deal of it to be emotionally complex; specifically thinking about Gina’s relationship with her anti-fascist father and the lengths to which he goes to protect both her innocence and her very life, while remaining steadfast in his resistance work. The passage revealing that he passed knowing that his child was safe will stick with me for some time. Though I did also find the relationships between the girls to be realistic and reminiscent of some of my own experiences, the father-daughter relationship is the star here. What a sweet and sometimes agonizing little book!
In 1943, the slightly spoiled daughter of a Hungarian general is abruptly sent away to a remote all girls boarding school. When she arrives at the austere academy, often described as a "prison" or a "fortress," the rebellious and independent Gina struggles to fit in with her peers and often draws the ire of the strict teachers. At the center of it all is Abigail, the statue in the garden who the students all turn to for help in their times of need. But as Gina grows and adapts to the school, she begins to realize that there are things much bigger than her going on — outside the tall walls, a war threatens to completely overturn her world, and Abigail may be the only one who can help her.
This book was very well written, and Szabo does a great job of immersing the reader in Gina’s world. I really felt her pain, especially in the beginning when she can't understand why she's being torn away from everything she knows, and again when she gets ostracized from her fellow classmates during her initial transition to the school. Though the central mystery of the novel, the identity of the mysterious Abigail, isn't exactly difficult to guess, it doesn't really damper the book for me. The heart of this story is Gina's growth and coming of age during such a dangerous and tumultuous time, and Szabo does a great job of portraying her journey into adulthood.
There's also a clear message about Hungary's involvement in World War II in this novel, and though I did think it was well done, I also felt that it could have delved a bit deeper into Gina's thoughts about it. While I understand why she is able to quickly accept the truth about the propaganda she was being taught, I wish we could have seen her wrestle a bit more with it. Similarly, I felt that the character of Kalmar, the charming, handsome teacher who pushes the nationalist propaganda the most, could have been used better for this end. Amongst all the adult characters in this story, he falls the most flat to me, and it seems a bit like a wasted opportunity. However, I really enjoyed the rest of the characters, especially König and Susanna, and even the harsh, strict director has moments where he shines.
Lastly, the translation of this novel was very well done. At times, I often forgot that it was originally written in a different language at all — that's how seamless and lyrical the English writing and translations were. As someone who is often really picky about writing styles in fiction, this book and its translator knocked it out of the park for me.
Overall, I really enjoyed Abigail. It has a bit of a slow start, and some of the middle parts do drag just a little bit, but once everything gets established, the story does a great job of drawing you in. I finished the majority of it in two days and will definitely look into reading more of Szabo's other works.
This book was very well written, and Szabo does a great job of immersing the reader in Gina’s world. I really felt her pain, especially in the beginning when she can't understand why she's being torn away from everything she knows, and again when she gets ostracized from her fellow classmates during her initial transition to the school. Though the central mystery of the novel, the identity of the mysterious Abigail, isn't exactly difficult to guess, it doesn't really damper the book for me. The heart of this story is Gina's growth and coming of age during such a dangerous and tumultuous time, and Szabo does a great job of portraying her journey into adulthood.
There's also a clear message about Hungary's involvement in World War II in this novel, and though I did think it was well done, I also felt that it could have delved a bit deeper into Gina's thoughts about it. While I understand why she is able to quickly accept the truth about the propaganda she was being taught, I wish we could have seen her wrestle a bit more with it. Similarly, I felt that the character of Kalmar, the charming, handsome teacher who pushes the nationalist propaganda the most, could have been used better for this end. Amongst all the adult characters in this story, he falls the most flat to me, and it seems a bit like a wasted opportunity. However, I really enjoyed the rest of the characters, especially König and Susanna, and even the harsh, strict director has moments where he shines.
Lastly, the translation of this novel was very well done. At times, I often forgot that it was originally written in a different language at all — that's how seamless and lyrical the English writing and translations were. As someone who is often really picky about writing styles in fiction, this book and its translator knocked it out of the park for me.
Overall, I really enjoyed Abigail. It has a bit of a slow start, and some of the middle parts do drag just a little bit, but once everything gets established, the story does a great job of drawing you in. I finished the majority of it in two days and will definitely look into reading more of Szabo's other works.
I loved how beautifully this story was written and how engaged you become with the main character Gina and all the people around her. I especially loved her relationship with her dad and the love that was shown between them. I liked seeing Gina go through her days in the boarding school and the interesting prefects, teachers, and students she interacted with on a daily and how she managed to become part of a community there. Finding out Konig was Abigail wasn’t really a surprise, but I liked how I’m the end Susanna helped Gina run away. I was also sad when I found out the General died.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes