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clara_herondale's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
i_hype_romance's review against another edition
5.0
I was provided with an ARC of this title by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Letta and Mino's story captivated me from the very beginning. They are both foundling children sheltered at a convent. She is destined for a life of music and he is apprenticed to a gondolier. They meet by chance on the rooftops, and fall in love. Their story is filled with twists and turns, and when Letta reveals how they are irrevocably connected, a wedge is driven between them that only time can conquer.
A wonderful story set in the waning days of Venetian glory.
Letta and Mino's story captivated me from the very beginning. They are both foundling children sheltered at a convent. She is destined for a life of music and he is apprenticed to a gondolier. They meet by chance on the rooftops, and fall in love. Their story is filled with twists and turns, and when Letta reveals how they are irrevocably connected, a wedge is driven between them that only time can conquer.
A wonderful story set in the waning days of Venetian glory.
lrcartee's review against another edition
4.0
Violetta was abandoned at the Hospital of the Incurables when she was two days old. The orphanage
attached to the hospital, raised the boys to become trade apprentices, but for the girls, they provided a world class music education. There was only one catch, they must never perform outside the church. If they weren’t talented enough for the famed Corp, they were sent to the convent and likely used as nurses in the hospitaltending to those dying with syphilis. Violetta longed for adventure outside the confines of the orphanage. She dreamed grand dreams of making her own music past the horizons she could see from her window in Venice. Suddenly it seemed possible when she met Mino, a boy from the other side of the orphanage. They dreamed together of what could be. But would Violetta really have the courage to leave the only life she had come to know? What of her promise of life long service in exchange for her education?
Set in 18th century Venice, I loved the intrigue in this book. I loved learning about the culture of that time in Venice, the masks, the rules of society and of the church. This book is billed as adult lit but could easily slide into the YA category. It is marketed as Lauren Kate’s debut adult historical fiction and in many of the reviews it received fewer stars because the readers thought she did not transition well from YA to adult. There is a fine line between the two and I think this book easily crosses into both. The categories of YA versus adult fiction are sometimes a wall and I think the wall should be broken down. A good story is a good story regardless of its label and this is a good story.
attached to the hospital, raised the boys to become trade apprentices, but for the girls, they provided a world class music education. There was only one catch, they must never perform outside the church. If they weren’t talented enough for the famed Corp, they were sent to the convent and likely used as nurses in the hospitaltending to those dying with syphilis. Violetta longed for adventure outside the confines of the orphanage. She dreamed grand dreams of making her own music past the horizons she could see from her window in Venice. Suddenly it seemed possible when she met Mino, a boy from the other side of the orphanage. They dreamed together of what could be. But would Violetta really have the courage to leave the only life she had come to know? What of her promise of life long service in exchange for her education?
Set in 18th century Venice, I loved the intrigue in this book. I loved learning about the culture of that time in Venice, the masks, the rules of society and of the church. This book is billed as adult lit but could easily slide into the YA category. It is marketed as Lauren Kate’s debut adult historical fiction and in many of the reviews it received fewer stars because the readers thought she did not transition well from YA to adult. There is a fine line between the two and I think this book easily crosses into both. The categories of YA versus adult fiction are sometimes a wall and I think the wall should be broken down. A good story is a good story regardless of its label and this is a good story.
sunflowerjess's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. Note: this is for the ARC. I thought the story was sweet and I loved learning about 1700’s Venice.
ylmpastmidnight's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to Penguin Group PUTNAM and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this eArc.
I requested this book because it takes place in Venice during the 1700’s. I fell in love with Venice when my husband and I visited the city briefly on a European tour. My time there was short but so memorable. It is a place oozing with mystery and character.
Violetta and Mino are orphans of the Hospital of the Incurables, which was a place for treatment of those suffering from syphillis. The hospital also had an orphanage attached to it. The children that grow up there are given some opportunities as they age. The girls can sing in the church coro (choir) and the boys are given apprenticeships.
Violetta wants to be a singer in the coro with all her heart. Mino plays the violin and they befriend each other, sharing moments in their secret place, the rooftop of the orphanage. There is love between them, but Violetta doesn’t see any hope for them. As a child, Violetta witnessed Mino’s mother dropping him at the orphanage and since that moment she vowed never to become a mother.
Violetta’s rejection devastates Mino. It was heartbreaking watching him lose his way, trying to find the mother that left him, and moving on from the girl that broke him. The two of them take on separate journeys and they only meet again in the later half of the book. All throughout the story it’s evident their lives are intertwined by what seems to be fate or love. I just felt awful for Mino though.
The only thing that didn’t quite work out for me was the secret of Mino’s father. When that was revealed, I thought, really? It had to be him of all people? Poor Mino, hasn’t he been through enough?
I read this book in one night. I kept rooting for Mino and Violetta, because their love was so beautiful in the beginning. I was hoping they would eventually find their way to one another. It’s a rough journey for them but I enjoyed this love story and being whisked away to the “city of masks” was a plus.
I requested this book because it takes place in Venice during the 1700’s. I fell in love with Venice when my husband and I visited the city briefly on a European tour. My time there was short but so memorable. It is a place oozing with mystery and character.
Violetta and Mino are orphans of the Hospital of the Incurables, which was a place for treatment of those suffering from syphillis. The hospital also had an orphanage attached to it. The children that grow up there are given some opportunities as they age. The girls can sing in the church coro (choir) and the boys are given apprenticeships.
Violetta wants to be a singer in the coro with all her heart. Mino plays the violin and they befriend each other, sharing moments in their secret place, the rooftop of the orphanage. There is love between them, but Violetta doesn’t see any hope for them. As a child, Violetta witnessed Mino’s mother dropping him at the orphanage and since that moment she vowed never to become a mother.
Violetta’s rejection devastates Mino. It was heartbreaking watching him lose his way, trying to find the mother that left him, and moving on from the girl that broke him. The two of them take on separate journeys and they only meet again in the later half of the book. All throughout the story it’s evident their lives are intertwined by what seems to be fate or love. I just felt awful for Mino though.
The only thing that didn’t quite work out for me was the secret of Mino’s father. When that was revealed, I thought, really? It had to be him of all people? Poor Mino, hasn’t he been through enough?
I read this book in one night. I kept rooting for Mino and Violetta, because their love was so beautiful in the beginning. I was hoping they would eventually find their way to one another. It’s a rough journey for them but I enjoyed this love story and being whisked away to the “city of masks” was a plus.
megzv06's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
emmasbook's review against another edition
4.0
È sempre bello quando uno scrittore riesce a farti viaggiare nel tempo. Lauren Kate ci riesce perfettamente in questo romanzo, siamo bella bellissima Venezia del 1725 e siamo circondati da un mondo così diverso ma allo stesso tempo simile al nostro: dove tutti possono essere chi vogliono e allo stesso tempo nessuno, dietro la bauta Venezia diventa ancora più affascinante, come tutti i protagonisti di questa storia, che rimarranno sempre nel mio cuore, sereno, consapevole che hanno ottenuto il loro lieto fine.
vlwelser's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
gracefeld's review against another edition
4.0
Review to come - First thoughts, took a minute for it to pull me in because the timing is strange at first, but I did not see that twist coming and love the way it ended. Made me root for a romance that I was skeptical of at first.