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dev921's review
dark
emotional
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Xenophobia, Abandonment, Confinement, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Death, and Racial slurs
laheath's review against another edition
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Classism, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Racism
Minor: Drug use, Mental illness, Death of parent, and Sexual content
laurenleigh's review
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A nicely engaging historical fiction novel about the 1906 SF earthquake! I’m so glad Quinn reached out to Chang to cowrite this piece. Bringing in the Chinese perspective was really enriching to the story, and it’s so important to remember the immigrant labor that built so much of the West Coast. My favorite character turned out to be a real person, so that was a fun discovery! (Google Alice Eastwood, so cool.) I saw most of the “plot twists” a mile away, but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment. This definitely made me look up current earthquake response recommendations, and a few things have changed since we were doing earthquake drills under our school desks! (Now I feel old.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Confinement
Moderate: Forced institutionalization
larissakoch's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Murder
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Drug abuse, and Gun violence
Minor: Suicide
Earthquakeadearajean's review against another edition
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Drug use, Confinement, and Cultural appropriation
lucyatoz's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The Phoenix Crown by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang is a book of historical fiction based around the time of the earthquake of San Francisco, which occurred on 18 April 1906. Four women, Alice, a world class botanist, Gemma, a Opera soprano who is part of the chorus of a tour company performing in the city, Nellie, a brilliant artist, and Suling, a talented seamstress, living with her third Uncle in Chinatown.
We read about how their lives come together and are then pulled apart again with the story centred around the Octagon House of Henry Thornton, millionaire philanthropist of the arts, who appreciates unique plants and the finer things in life, including having a Phoenix Crown, the prize in his collection.
I appreciated how Kate and Janie collaborated together on this book and really liked how they brought the story to a close in their authors' note.
I owned a copy of this book and listened to it on Audible. I read this for the April 2024 Readalong for the 52 Book Club Reading Challenge 2024.
We read about how their lives come together and are then pulled apart again with the story centred around the Octagon House of Henry Thornton, millionaire philanthropist of the arts, who appreciates unique plants and the finer things in life, including having a Phoenix Crown, the prize in his collection.
I appreciated how Kate and Janie collaborated together on this book and really liked how they brought the story to a close in their authors' note.
I owned a copy of this book and listened to it on Audible. I read this for the April 2024 Readalong for the 52 Book Club Reading Challenge 2024.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, and Racism
lindsayerin's review
adventurous
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
sparklingpynk's review against another edition
Kate Quinn is one of my top fave authors and I really enjoy her writing style in the way she can weave together a story full of bad ass women in some point in time in history, romance, and a bit of action. This one had all that I typically enjoy from Kate Quinn but I did not fully love it like I do her other books. Janie Chang is a new author for me and I would like to read some of her other books to see what her writing style is like.
Overall I enjoyed the descriptions of the art and music in this one. I enjoyed getting to know each of the unique women and their stories intertwining.
Overall I enjoyed the descriptions of the art and music in this one. I enjoyed getting to know each of the unique women and their stories intertwining.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
greylandreviews's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This was very lackluster. Didn't have the Kate Quinn experience that I'm used to.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Suicide and Drug use
daralexandria's review
emotional
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, and Gun violence
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Death of parent