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shirarweiss's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, War, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Abandonment, and Antisemitism
themargherita_s's review against another edition
4.0
It's not a light read, because of the discussion of generational trauma related to both being Jewish and immigrants, as well as for having a monster that preys on kids. But it was beautifully written and also poetic in a way that makes you feel exactly all the magic of the city and the story itself.
I promise I’m not one of those adults that complain when books for teens read as books for teens— I knew this was a young adult book, but it felt younger than I thought it would be. I think it’s probably because the main character is very naive and trusting, and because even though the story takes place over a lot of days, it’s written in a fast paced way that makes the romantic storyline feel more insta love or superficial than it’s supposed to be.
Content Warnings: death, antisemitism, genocide, war, violence, child abuse, sexual assault, kidnapping/man tricking kids into going home with him, confinement.
I promise I’m not one of those adults that complain when books for teens read as books for teens— I knew this was a young adult book, but it felt younger than I thought it would be. I think it’s probably because the main character is very naive and trusting, and because even though the story takes place over a lot of days, it’s written in a fast paced way that makes the romantic storyline feel more insta love or superficial than it’s supposed to be.
Content Warnings: death, antisemitism, genocide, war, violence, child abuse, sexual assault, kidnapping/man tricking kids into going home with him, confinement.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Antisemitism, Child abuse, Child death, and Genocide
Moderate: Sexual assault, Confinement, Kidnapping, and War
joisaddler's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Emotional abuse, Racism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Xenophobia, Grief, and Kidnapping
tetedump's review
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Child abuse, and Death
lilly_reads98's review
dark
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
3.25
I loved the writing in the first half, it’s very poetic. In the second half though, that type of writing stops and the main focus is on this monster who eats children’s souls. I did not like the second half which brought my rating down a lot. The entire story just changed the setting for the second half and I didn’t like that setting, it only went back to the original setting for the last few pages. I loved the first half though, I was taking pictures of so many quotes that I loved. “They study cello, opera, how to transform strings of notes on a page into tales about swan girls, queens of night, and wolves with wild intentions.” (P. 11)
“Prague is a place where a girl your age can find herself…Aunt Zofie is a storm who only pretends to be a woman. Her hair drifts above her head, a cloud of thoughts and enchantments.” (P. 17) The story was just normal and then it became so bizzare at the end. I love everything about the setting at first; Prague, a rose cottage on a rose hill, a cemetery with overgrown ivy and roses that has a ghost. The city filled with artists and poets and musicians. I loved it. “Aunt Zofie became an artist in Prague. She makes her own world filled with: faeries, river sprites, and queens.” (P. 20) “We spin around and around on Rose Hill, carried aloof by the gentle waves of music as I usually am by the sea. Our grins flash like stars crossing an ink-toned sky.” (P. 120) I really like the story but I wish that the man she meets that was playing violin was just a nice man who wants to teach her, the thing about him eating children’s souls is so random and strange and unexpected, I did not like it. The story already has the sadness from the main characters parents and multiple other things, I think it’s just too much to also add the sad aspect to all of the characters like that’s too much. And when that became more prominent the writing also focused less on being poetic. I thought I would love this book because I loved so much of the writing in the beginning but I was very uncomfortable reading the conflict with Wasserman once she’s in his house, I was not expecting that at all and I hated reading that part. I wasn’t expecting that there’s going to be this creepy man eating childrens souls who then physically fights teenagers? I don’t think that’s good to just craft a story and then completely change everything halfway through and leave the reading wanting it to go back to how it was. I just wanted to read about how it was in the first half. In the 3rd paragraph of the synopsis, which I didn’t read until the end, it kind of hints that wasserman is a villain but that also spoils the ending of the book so I’m glad I didn’t read that before reading the book. I’m just very conflicted since I loved the writing and story in the beginning, I really enjoyed the becoming friends with a ghost and tending to a cemetery, that was nice to read about. I wish it would have stayed that way and not taking a huge turn, and I don’t think it needed so much of the plot to be taken over by a monster. I did like the message at the end of following your passion, and not doing what your parents want for you. I would have given this 4 or 5 stars in the beginning but I don’t really think the middle/end was enjoyable at all, it just completely veered off the way the plot was going and takes up so much time that by the time it’s over the book is over. I was just really excited to read this because I loved The Dollmaker of Kraków by this author, but the same thing happened in that one where the writing was very beautiful and magical and I loved it but then the end was just very sad. I enjoyed that one much more though, and I love all of the covers and concepts for this authors books. I just personally don’t like the unexpected sad endings especially since it wasn’t just the end it was like the entire second half of this book. Here are some more of the quotes from the first half that I loved; “Her hearts a mystery that I can’t solve.” (P. 18) “I can visit museums whenever I like. I can walk to the library where the walls are painted with the stars of a hundred constellations and every book invites me inside.” (P. 19) I’m just big on settings, I loved the setting in the beginning but not the second half, the entire story changed and never went back to how it was before. I would have absolutely loved the whole story if the whole thing had focused on Llana and her aunt at the cottage more, she was supposed to be there to learn from her aunt but we never even got to see that. I wish the whole story had just focused on her being at the cottage and hanging out with Benjamin and her aunt.
“Prague is a place where a girl your age can find herself…Aunt Zofie is a storm who only pretends to be a woman. Her hair drifts above her head, a cloud of thoughts and enchantments.” (P. 17) The story was just normal and then it became so bizzare at the end. I love everything about the setting at first; Prague, a rose cottage on a rose hill, a cemetery with overgrown ivy and roses that has a ghost. The city filled with artists and poets and musicians. I loved it. “Aunt Zofie became an artist in Prague. She makes her own world filled with: faeries, river sprites, and queens.” (P. 20) “We spin around and around on Rose Hill, carried aloof by the gentle waves of music as I usually am by the sea. Our grins flash like stars crossing an ink-toned sky.” (P. 120) I really like the story but I wish that the man she meets that was playing violin was just a nice man who wants to teach her, the thing about him eating children’s souls is so random and strange and unexpected, I did not like it. The story already has the sadness from the main characters parents and multiple other things, I think it’s just too much to also add the sad aspect to all of the characters like that’s too much. And when that became more prominent the writing also focused less on being poetic. I thought I would love this book because I loved so much of the writing in the beginning but I was very uncomfortable reading the conflict with Wasserman once she’s in his house, I was not expecting that at all and I hated reading that part. I wasn’t expecting that there’s going to be this creepy man eating childrens souls who then physically fights teenagers? I don’t think that’s good to just craft a story and then completely change everything halfway through and leave the reading wanting it to go back to how it was. I just wanted to read about how it was in the first half. In the 3rd paragraph of the synopsis, which I didn’t read until the end, it kind of hints that wasserman is a villain but that also spoils the ending of the book so I’m glad I didn’t read that before reading the book. I’m just very conflicted since I loved the writing and story in the beginning, I really enjoyed the becoming friends with a ghost and tending to a cemetery, that was nice to read about. I wish it would have stayed that way and not taking a huge turn, and I don’t think it needed so much of the plot to be taken over by a monster. I did like the message at the end of following your passion, and not doing what your parents want for you. I would have given this 4 or 5 stars in the beginning but I don’t really think the middle/end was enjoyable at all, it just completely veered off the way the plot was going and takes up so much time that by the time it’s over the book is over. I was just really excited to read this because I loved The Dollmaker of Kraków by this author, but the same thing happened in that one where the writing was very beautiful and magical and I loved it but then the end was just very sad. I enjoyed that one much more though, and I love all of the covers and concepts for this authors books. I just personally don’t like the unexpected sad endings especially since it wasn’t just the end it was like the entire second half of this book. Here are some more of the quotes from the first half that I loved; “Her hearts a mystery that I can’t solve.” (P. 18) “I can visit museums whenever I like. I can walk to the library where the walls are painted with the stars of a hundred constellations and every book invites me inside.” (P. 19) I’m just big on settings, I loved the setting in the beginning but not the second half, the entire story changed and never went back to how it was before. I would have absolutely loved the whole story if the whole thing had focused on Llana and her aunt at the cottage more, she was supposed to be there to learn from her aunt but we never even got to see that. I wish the whole story had just focused on her being at the cottage and hanging out with Benjamin and her aunt.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Death and Violence
xandra_lyn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
fast-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
5.0
This was amazing! Poignant. Well researched. There were so many lines I stopped and re-read because of their beauty. It made me think about the experience of the Jews in Europe in a new way (the protagonist described walking through Europe as every step being a defiance).
The ending is bitter-sweet. It leaves it slightly open ended for a sequel, but I hope there isn't one. It's so poignant as it is.
I was a little taken aback by the poem format, but I loved it by the end of the first chapter.
The ending is bitter-sweet. It leaves it slightly open ended for a sequel, but I hope there isn't one. It's so poignant as it is.
I was a little taken aback by the poem format, but I loved it by the end of the first chapter.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Child abuse
Child death: none of the deaths are graphically described, but they are ghosts, soo....atamano's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
fast-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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Child death
joanna77_'s review
dark
emotional
sad
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? Yes
4.25
“𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐬. 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞. 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐚 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐮𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡, 𝐚 𝐯𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐫, 𝐚 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞.”
This book was absolutely heart-wrenching. From beginning to end I was just filled with this sense of melancholy. This book is all about the Jewish experience in Europe. It talks about abandoned cemeteries and the Holocaust. It describes the communist regime and the desecration of monuments. This whole books serves as a testimony of what Jewish people have been treated like for centuries.
It was really hard to read at several points, because like I said, it’s just so sad. I really liked how it was written in verse, I thought that made it super impactful and I liked all of the interludes from the main bad guy and the presence of music throughout the story.
I thought the villain was absolutely terrifying. He was just so wicked, reading his point of view was terrifying. He served as a great metaphor. The inclusion of Slavic mythology was also fantastic!
Overall, I really loved this, but I did have some issues with the age gap and ghost romance stories kind of freak me out a little bit, but other than that, this story was top notch.
I’ve loved every book by this author and encourage everyone to pick them up.
“𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐧.”
This book was absolutely heart-wrenching. From beginning to end I was just filled with this sense of melancholy. This book is all about the Jewish experience in Europe. It talks about abandoned cemeteries and the Holocaust. It describes the communist regime and the desecration of monuments. This whole books serves as a testimony of what Jewish people have been treated like for centuries.
It was really hard to read at several points, because like I said, it’s just so sad. I really liked how it was written in verse, I thought that made it super impactful and I liked all of the interludes from the main bad guy and the presence of music throughout the story.
I thought the villain was absolutely terrifying. He was just so wicked, reading his point of view was terrifying. He served as a great metaphor. The inclusion of Slavic mythology was also fantastic!
Overall, I really loved this, but I did have some issues with the age gap and ghost romance stories kind of freak me out a little bit, but other than that, this story was top notch.
I’ve loved every book by this author and encourage everyone to pick them up.
“𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐧.”
Content Warnings
Moderate: Antisemitism, Child abuse, and Child death
rebyreadsandwrites's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism
Moderate: Child abuse and Child death
Minor: Cannibalism, Confinement, Kidnapping, Death, Genocide, Violence, and War
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