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hylian_narwhal's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Slavery, Trafficking, Violence, Child death, Death, and Colonisation
insatiablewanderlust's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book was just ok for me. It wasn't spectacular, but it wasn't awful either. The missing father storyline was enough to keep me mildly interested, though there were times when I wanted to DNF it just from lack of interest. It just seemed to drag on sometimes and it seemed like there was a lot happening that didn't add anything to the story. Almost like when your teacher assigned you a 1,000 word essay and you could only make it to 800 so you just throw in random stuff to get your word count. I was terribly confused by the way one aspect of the story ended. It almost felt like a sucker punch because I thought the book was leading somewhere else entirely and then all of sudden the carpet is pulled out from under you. The one thing I did really enjoy about the book was Min. I felt like she was a much more interesting character than Eliza and felt myself being drawn to Min and wanting to know more about her. If we got a sequel about Min and her further adventures, I'd be there for that. I was attracted to this book because of my love of pearls, but I don't think that was enough for me. If you want your historical fiction to be more than "boring, old war stories", than I would definitely recommend this book for you. It takes place in a time and area that I feel is rarely touched upon, and does appear to be backed up in true history, based on the information the author provides at the back of the book. As for me, I'm headed back to my WWII historical fiction where I'm happiest so please don't let my judgement sway you away from this book if you're comfortable in other eras.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery, Religious bigotry, Racism, and Colonisation
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
natashaleighton_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
4.5
Beautifully immersive and undeniably moving, Lizzie Pook’s Australian Centred, historical debut was an absolutely breathtaking read! With an endearingly feminist protagonist, vivid prose and exquisitely detailed storytelling —we are treated to an unflinchingly honest (and well researched) glimpse into the lucrative, but dangerous world of 19th C pearl hunting.
It’s set in 1880s Bannin Bay, Western Australia and follows the headstrong Eliza Brightwell (daughter of the town’s most prolific pearl catcher) as she hunts for answers behind her father’s disappearance. The townsfolk suggest mutiny and murder but Eliza refuses to believe her father is dead and knows there’s more to the story than anyone is letting on. But, in a town teeming with corruption Eliza soon learns that the truth may cost more than she’s willing to pay—and must decide just how far she’s willing to go(or what she’s willing to do) to find it…
This was an exceptionally well researched and thought provoking novel that really explores the horrific treatment of Australia’s aboriginal population in the 19th C—the brutality, enslavement and harrowing experiences (such as forcibly splitting up families, selling children into touring ‘exhibits’ and forcing pregnant women to risk their lives pearl diving) was utterly heartbreaking (and yes I did cry ALOT whilst reading) but the rich evocative prose really brought a realness to the characters and their experiences that genuinely captured my attention (and my heart.)
The cast of supporting characters is fairly large and includes several interestingly complex examples, both compelling and odious alike but it’s the details that I loved most; the little tidbits and interesting anecdotes peppered throughout really breath life into Bannin Bay. I really liked Balarri (an aboriginal man who works on the Brightwell’s boat) who we are introduced to through Eliza’s memories, he introduced much of the native fauna and flora to her Eliza and the more I found out about him only endeared me to him further.
Another firm fave was Laura-Min (a childhood friend of Eliza’s) who’s one of the most supportive people Eliza knows and whose resilience and survival despite the racism and misogyny she endures made me really root for her to find happiness. I also really liked Confucius, Gill the Bosun’s chatty and mischievous Cockatoo who provided some much needed light relief to the tense and more emotional scenes.
And of course, I really liked Eliza, our headstrong, feminist protagonist who’s willing to go to any lengths to help the ones she cares for most. A woman who proudly refuses to live by the repressive societal conventions expected from women of the day. Eliza’s probably the most open hearted and honest character we encounter and I absolutely loved her fearlessness and the journey she undertakes was definitely an interesting one.
The level of detail in the atmospheric and evocative descriptions was absolutely amazing; the sticky cloying heat of the Bannin Bay, the salt encrusted seafarers and the dizzingly numerous dangers lurking amongst mangroves was utterly transportive.
I also enjoyed the pacing which was (for me at least) spot on and the intricate web of storytelling was wonderful ; the tension, mystery, gorgeously lush prose and well crafted characters all combined to create a sweepingly feminist adventure that historical fiction lovers and fans of Elizabeth Macneal or Stacey Halls are bound to enjoy.
Also a massive thank you to Random Things Tours and Mantle for the absolutely stunning ARC.
It’s set in 1880s Bannin Bay, Western Australia and follows the headstrong Eliza Brightwell (daughter of the town’s most prolific pearl catcher) as she hunts for answers behind her father’s disappearance. The townsfolk suggest mutiny and murder but Eliza refuses to believe her father is dead and knows there’s more to the story than anyone is letting on. But, in a town teeming with corruption Eliza soon learns that the truth may cost more than she’s willing to pay—and must decide just how far she’s willing to go(or what she’s willing to do) to find it…
This was an exceptionally well researched and thought provoking novel that really explores the horrific treatment of Australia’s aboriginal population in the 19th C—the brutality, enslavement and harrowing experiences (such as forcibly splitting up families, selling children into touring ‘exhibits’ and forcing pregnant women to risk their lives pearl diving) was utterly heartbreaking (and yes I did cry ALOT whilst reading) but the rich evocative prose really brought a realness to the characters and their experiences that genuinely captured my attention (and my heart.)
The cast of supporting characters is fairly large and includes several interestingly complex examples, both compelling and odious alike but it’s the details that I loved most; the little tidbits and interesting anecdotes peppered throughout really breath life into Bannin Bay. I really liked Balarri (an aboriginal man who works on the Brightwell’s boat) who we are introduced to through Eliza’s memories, he introduced much of the native fauna and flora to her Eliza and the more I found out about him only endeared me to him further.
Another firm fave was Laura-Min (a childhood friend of Eliza’s) who’s one of the most supportive people Eliza knows and whose resilience and survival despite the racism and misogyny she endures made me really root for her to find happiness. I also really liked Confucius, Gill the Bosun’s chatty and mischievous Cockatoo who provided some much needed light relief to the tense and more emotional scenes.
And of course, I really liked Eliza, our headstrong, feminist protagonist who’s willing to go to any lengths to help the ones she cares for most. A woman who proudly refuses to live by the repressive societal conventions expected from women of the day. Eliza’s probably the most open hearted and honest character we encounter and I absolutely loved her fearlessness and the journey she undertakes was definitely an interesting one.
The level of detail in the atmospheric and evocative descriptions was absolutely amazing; the sticky cloying heat of the Bannin Bay, the salt encrusted seafarers and the dizzingly numerous dangers lurking amongst mangroves was utterly transportive.
I also enjoyed the pacing which was (for me at least) spot on and the intricate web of storytelling was wonderful ; the tension, mystery, gorgeously lush prose and well crafted characters all combined to create a sweepingly feminist adventure that historical fiction lovers and fans of Elizabeth Macneal or Stacey Halls are bound to enjoy.
Also a massive thank you to Random Things Tours and Mantle for the absolutely stunning ARC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Slavery, Sexual violence, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Ableism, Child death, and Death of parent
Beautifully immersive and undeniably moving, Lizzie Pook’s Australian Centred, historical debut was an absolutely breathtaking read! With an endearingly feminist protagonist, vivid prose and exquisitely detailed storytelling —we are treated to an unflinchingly honest (and well researched) glimpse into the lucrative, but dangerous world of 19th C pearl hunting. It’s set in 1880s Bannin Bay, Western Australia and follows the headstrong Eliza Brightwell (daughter of the town’s most prolific pearl catcher) as she hunts for answers behind her father’s disappearance. The townsfolk suggest mutiny and murder but Eliza refuses to believe her father is dead and knows there’s more to the story than anyone is letting on. But, in a town teeming with corruption Eliza soon learns that the truth may cost more than she’s willing to pay—and must decide just how far she’s willing to go(or what she’s willing to do) to find it… This was an exceptionally well researched and thought provoking novel that really explores the horrific treatment of Australia’s aboriginal population in the 19th C—the brutality, enslavement and harrowing experiences (such as forcibly splitting up families, selling children into touring ‘exhibits’ and forcing pregnant women to risk their lives pearl diving) was utterly heartbreaking (and yes I did cry ALOT whilst reading) but the rich evocative prose really brought a realness to the characters and their experiences that genuinely captured my attention (and my heart.) The cast of supporting characters is fairly large and includes several interestingly complex examples, both compelling and odious alike but it’s the details that I loved most; the little tidbits and interesting anecdotes peppered throughout really breath life into Bannin Bay. I really liked Balarri (an aboriginal man who works on the Brightwell’s boat) who we are introduced to through Eliza’s memories, he introduced much of the native fauna and flora to her Eliza and the more I found out about him only endeared me to him further. Another firm fave was Laura-Min (a childhood friend of Eliza’s) who’s one of the most supportive people Eliza knows and whose resilience and survival despite the racism and misogyny she endures made me really root for her to find happiness. I also really liked Confucius, Gill the Bosun’s chatty and mischievous Cockatoo who provided some much needed light relief to the tense and more emotional scenes. And of course, I really liked Eliza, our headstrong, feminist protagonist who’s willing to go to any lengths to help the ones she cares for most. A woman who proudly refuses to live by the repressive societal conventions expected from women of the day. Eliza’s probably the most open hearted and honest character we encounter and I absolutely loved her fearlessness and the journey she undertakes was definitely an interesting one. The level of detail in the atmospheric and evocative descriptions was absolutely amazing; the sticky cloying heat of the Bannin Bay, the salt encrusted seafarers and the dizzingly numerous dangers lurking amongst mangroves was utterly transportive. I also enjoyed the pacing which was (for me at least) spot on and the intricate web of storytelling was wonderful ; the tension, mystery, gorgeously lush prose and well crafted characters all combined to create a sweepingly feminist adventure that historical fiction lovers and fans of Elizabeth Macneal or Stacey Halls are bound to enjoy. Also a massive thank you to Random Things Tours and Mantle for the absolutely stunning ARC.
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