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inconceivably's review against another edition
4.0
From the beginning, Sylvie has a very strong voice.
It's funny how so much can hinge on one missed step. Not funny ha-ha. Funny that the moment that should have been the pinnacle of my seventeen years on this planet ends up making me famous for the entirely wrong reason. So I really don't mean funny so much as tragically ironic.
That is an early passage from the book that illustrates what a strong and perceptive personality she has. She also has a wonderful sense of humor, using phrases like the toes of my right foot were swollen like fat pink cocktail weenies and she feeds me like I'm an underweight turkey in September. There were so many little clever descriptions and asides like that, I could keep quoting for a long time. She is by far the most developed and fleshed out character, most of the other characters suffer from being slightly to extremely one-dimensional.
Anyway, back to the star of the show. She was more than a little petulant at first, but I found it more amusing than annoying. The fact that she had so many misconceptions and assumptions about the South made me laugh. The thought of her relatives opening an inn that would be at least two hours away from the closest airport was unbelievable. The fact that the people that stayed there would come for such mundane and hopelessly rural activities such as antique shopping and hunting? Frightening!
I have experience with this type of attitude being from Oklahoma. I’ve been asked everything from “Have you ever seen a tumbleweed?” to “Wow, Oklahoma huh? So do people really live in teepees?” (By the way: yes I have, and no we don't.)
The irresistable South (and the irresistable leading man) quickly grow on her though, and she starts embracing her roots and discovering things about her ancestors. I don't want to give anything away on the supernatural end, because the story is pretty slow for awhile as it slowly builds up and Sylvie discovers what is going on. If I explained it, you would be pretty bored for awhile. That is the only gripe I have with the book actually, it just moved too slow. For about the first two hundred pages I didn't mind, because I loved being in the South. But it was the middle section that really lagged for me. Don't let that stop you from reading this though, because if you stick with it the story overall really is very good.
So, as far as the leading man -Rhys- goes...I definitely enjoyed his part in the book. Like I mentioned before, his character wasn't as well developed as Sylvie's, but he still definitely had a voice of his own. As to his name-that is pronounced "Reese" right? Because saying it "rice?" Not sexy. Just sayin'. Anyway, he is mysterious and Welsh and pretty darn wonderful.
Far and away the best thing about this book is the writing. Rosemary Clement-Moore is a wonderful descriptive writer, and she brings the South to life in a wonderful way. It is one of my favorite settings and she does it proud. She was also great at writing tension and chemistry between the characters. Not only Sylvie and Rhys, but just the all the characters' interactions in general.
So, overall I definitely recommend giving this a read if you'd like to escape to Alabama for awhile.
It's funny how so much can hinge on one missed step. Not funny ha-ha. Funny that the moment that should have been the pinnacle of my seventeen years on this planet ends up making me famous for the entirely wrong reason. So I really don't mean funny so much as tragically ironic.
That is an early passage from the book that illustrates what a strong and perceptive personality she has. She also has a wonderful sense of humor, using phrases like the toes of my right foot were swollen like fat pink cocktail weenies and she feeds me like I'm an underweight turkey in September. There were so many little clever descriptions and asides like that, I could keep quoting for a long time. She is by far the most developed and fleshed out character, most of the other characters suffer from being slightly to extremely one-dimensional.
Anyway, back to the star of the show. She was more than a little petulant at first, but I found it more amusing than annoying. The fact that she had so many misconceptions and assumptions about the South made me laugh. The thought of her relatives opening an inn that would be at least two hours away from the closest airport was unbelievable. The fact that the people that stayed there would come for such mundane and hopelessly rural activities such as antique shopping and hunting? Frightening!
I have experience with this type of attitude being from Oklahoma. I’ve been asked everything from “Have you ever seen a tumbleweed?” to “Wow, Oklahoma huh? So do people really live in teepees?” (By the way: yes I have, and no we don't.)
The irresistable South (and the irresistable leading man) quickly grow on her though, and she starts embracing her roots and discovering things about her ancestors. I don't want to give anything away on the supernatural end, because the story is pretty slow for awhile as it slowly builds up and Sylvie discovers what is going on. If I explained it, you would be pretty bored for awhile. That is the only gripe I have with the book actually, it just moved too slow. For about the first two hundred pages I didn't mind, because I loved being in the South. But it was the middle section that really lagged for me. Don't let that stop you from reading this though, because if you stick with it the story overall really is very good.
So, as far as the leading man -Rhys- goes...I definitely enjoyed his part in the book. Like I mentioned before, his character wasn't as well developed as Sylvie's, but he still definitely had a voice of his own. As to his name-that is pronounced "Reese" right? Because saying it "rice?" Not sexy. Just sayin'. Anyway, he is mysterious and Welsh and pretty darn wonderful.
Far and away the best thing about this book is the writing. Rosemary Clement-Moore is a wonderful descriptive writer, and she brings the South to life in a wonderful way. It is one of my favorite settings and she does it proud. She was also great at writing tension and chemistry between the characters. Not only Sylvie and Rhys, but just the all the characters' interactions in general.
So, overall I definitely recommend giving this a read if you'd like to escape to Alabama for awhile.
princess_starr's review against another edition
3.0
I have some mixed feelings while reading The Splendor Falls. I loved Sylvie's dynamic and her personal issues of healing herself both physically and mentally. And the Southern Gothic setting lent a very creepy atmosphere to the story overall. However, I felt a lot of the plot elements- like the constant references to Sylvie's family but without the explanation- were rushed and weren't resolved until the huge climax near the end. Overall, a good read, but it has some issues.
rae_girl's review against another edition
2.0
Honestly I'm not sure how to rate this book. It was good, but; ghosts. For some reason when I read the back I totally missed that it dealt with ghosts. By the time it dawned on me, I now wanted to know what the conclusion was.
Pros: Rhys (pronounced Reese). Sylvie's name, it unusual and pretty. John, I liked even though Sylvie didn't at first. Captivating writing.
Cons: Swearing and using God's name in vain, numerous times. Ghosts. Sort of and not really. Mostly they're only talked about and 'felt', not many actual interactions with them. The parts where the author threw in Christian religion. God, ghosts and magic shouldn't co-exist in the same book. If there is God, there can't be ghosts and magic. It there is ghosts and magic, then God shouldn't be mentioned!
So my rating is 2.5. I didn't like enough for 3, but i didn't dislike it enough for 2.
Pros: Rhys (pronounced Reese). Sylvie's name, it unusual and pretty. John, I liked even though Sylvie didn't at first. Captivating writing.
Cons: Swearing and using God's name in vain, numerous times. Ghosts. Sort of and not really. Mostly they're only talked about and 'felt', not many actual interactions with them. The parts where the author threw in Christian religion. God, ghosts and magic shouldn't co-exist in the same book. If there is God, there can't be ghosts and magic. It there is ghosts and magic, then God shouldn't be mentioned!
So my rating is 2.5. I didn't like enough for 3, but i didn't dislike it enough for 2.
echorae's review against another edition
4.0
My second time reading this book, my mum came across it at a charity book fair and brought it home. I don't know what it is about it, I just really enjoy it
e_flah's review against another edition
5.0
The Splendor Falls was a favorite I read frequently in high school but it's easily been six years since I last reread it. I wish a had a review from back then (all I have is a rating) since it would be interesting to see what first drew me to the story.
This is a delightful, escapist read. The setting of Bluestone Hill was so evocative and Clement-Moore did a great job portraying the south in a way that was critical but not ruthless. I love Sylvie as an understandably frustrated main character trying to grapple with what a life without dance will mean to her. Rhys is utterly swoon-worthy and exactly what I like in a love interest.
I wasn't quite as into The Splendor Falls as I remember being as a teen (this book starts off slow) but I'm going to leave my initial 2014 rating of 5 stars as I have such fond memories of it.
This is a delightful, escapist read. The setting of Bluestone Hill was so evocative and Clement-Moore did a great job portraying the south in a way that was critical but not ruthless. I love Sylvie as an understandably frustrated main character trying to grapple with what a life without dance will mean to her. Rhys is utterly swoon-worthy and exactly what I like in a love interest.
I wasn't quite as into The Splendor Falls as I remember being as a teen (this book starts off slow) but I'm going to leave my initial 2014 rating of 5 stars as I have such fond memories of it.
rebeccajane's review against another edition
5.0
This was such a good book. i liked it how rhys always made those princess comments. i found it really funny. i never trusted shawn. he was to nice and it seemed kinda fake. i can never really trust an overly nice guy. (thats probably why i always end up liking the kinda bad smart ass guys) i was upset at the end when gigi almost died. it was really creepy with the whole ghost thing. i was actually really scared. i feel sorry for sylvie coz of all the stuff that happened with her leg. it was actually a really sad story all in all. i love rhys he's so awesome. i loved the ending. it was so wicked and i love happy endings:)
naruleth's review against another edition
4.0
I actually really enjoyed this book. I thought Gigi was adorable (I know, mention the dog first) and I liked how ballet was not forgotten by Sylvie or lost in the midst of the story. Towards the end it got...sort of crazy and I was a little lost with all the history and things Sylvie was figuring out but I read a few pages twice and got there eventually.
The story was original and engaging, I was never bored. I liked that Sylvie was not perfect, she was more than a little bit snobby at times and she didn't suddenly change at the end. I found her narration very entertaining and her banter with Rhys even funnier. Some major chills (Don't read this at 2AM!) at some parts, especially to do with the Colonel's ghost and other weird things but I liked how Moore kept up the tension.
Both loved and was unnerved at the revelation about Hannah in the last few pages and was wanting some more information! Also, more explanation about what exactly Sylvie can do, would've been nice.
Overall, I'd definitely recommend it! I would have preferred the ending not to have been so rushed but other than that, I really enjoyed it.
The story was original and engaging, I was never bored. I liked that Sylvie was not perfect, she was more than a little bit snobby at times and she didn't suddenly change at the end. I found her narration very entertaining and her banter with Rhys even funnier. Some major chills (Don't read this at 2AM!) at some parts, especially to do with the Colonel's ghost and other weird things but I liked how Moore kept up the tension.
Both loved and was unnerved at the revelation about Hannah in the last few pages and was wanting some more information! Also, more explanation about what exactly Sylvie can do, would've been nice.
Overall, I'd definitely recommend it! I would have preferred the ending not to have been so rushed but other than that, I really enjoyed it.
stronggirlreads's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this book, I love how the author writes
practicalolive's review against another edition
4.0
It had the ghost creepy stuff, which was fun....
believedcrazy's review against another edition
4.0
The Splendour Falls definitely isn't as popular as it should be, the writing is beautiful and the seamless integration of paranormal aspects was fantastic, a very realistic book suddenly incorporating the paranormal so late in the book should be bad but it is written so well that it even seemed realistic. I absolutely loved this book.
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