Reviews with content warning for Drug use - The Phoenix Crown

Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

The Phoenix Crown by Janie Chang, Kate Quinn

7 reviews

khaben31's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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laheath's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious 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? No

4.0

In a departure from her historical fiction novels centered around war, Kate Quinn uses the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 as the backdrop for her latest novel. Along with her coauthor, Janie Chang, they look at the city's contradictions, from the prejudice against Chinatown to the opulence of the Grand Opera House. Their dual perspective was fantastic showing obvious depth in their research. Yes, the plotline is somewhat predictable, but I felt the stories of the individual women and their growth during this time was enthralling.

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booklvrkat's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious tense 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

5.0

San Francisco, 1906, before the earthquake. Gemma, a soprano vying for her space in the opera, Suling, determined to escape an arranged marriage. The women are as different as night and day, but one man, set upon having what isn’t his, and making the world his oyster, throws them together in this spell-binding story. The story takes us all the way to Paris to solve the mystery behind The Phoenix Crown, and the willpower of women.

Absolutely will be a favorite read for this month. I love stories of women overcoming obstacles, and men who deem it necessary to do their worst. The way the authors wrapped the real around the fiction made this story so easy to read and wanting more. I loved the bigger-than-life side characters, the desperation felt by Gemma and Suling to change their lives, and the romance that came out from under the rubble. A fast historical fiction read, I’d recommend this story to anyone trying to break a reading slump, or just needing something different.

P.S. The author’s note at the end of the story made me so happy. They state the only way to keep everything straight within the story, including characters, was lots and lots of spreadsheets.

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adearajean's review against another edition

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adventurous informative mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I enjoyed parts of this book but felt like it dragged in the beginning and end. I did listen to the audiobook and did not enjoy the Suling narrator. I thought the Suling chapters were compelling and the Gemma chapters lacked. I also thought some of the relationships felt shallow or underdeveloped. I felt like the incidents in the middle created drama and intrigue that the ending didn't quite deliver on.

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