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sare1125's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Car accident, and Death
ericainreallife's review
5.0
Absolutely unputdownable. From the first page to the last, you're sucked into the veritable Garden of Eden that is Winloch. The setting of the story is so rich and layered that it becomes a main character in a story of twists and turns that grab you and leave you physically ill at moments from the unexpected jolt. Paralleled with the moral tale of Milton's Paradise Lost, you follow the tale of Mabel Dagmar as she takes a bite out the succulent apple that is the Winslow family's generosity and quickly finds it rotten to the core. Relatable, never cliche, Mabel could stand in for any of us faced with the horrible knowledge of the true cost of attaining the great America dream. You're left wondering what you would do if placed in her shoes, if you were shown the keys to the kingdom and every gnarled, corrupt step it takes to hold them in your hands. More than just a great beach read, you'll be recommending this book to your friends and contemplating summering in Vermont this year. Just watch yourself on the cliffs.
lkrauss7's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.25
Overly pretentious. Author thinks she’s very clever, but the twists don’t really make sense. Characters are flat and unlikable.
cemoses's review
3.0
I think this incorrectly advertised accurately as a thriller morality tale. This book to a large extent as a romance novel(poor girl and rich boy fall in love;rich boy will take care of girl) which to me is a negative; it is a genre I don't read. However, some people may like that the book is to a large extent a romance novel.
I nearly gave up in the middle of the book because to me it seemed to be a fairy tale about of poor girl makes good through rich friends. Too much of the book was about the apparently blessed life of the very rich and their summer homes. However from the middle to the end of the book I found some real suspense. Nothing is as it appears to be. It reminded me a little bit of Shutter Island but not as good.
However, the ending does not resolve all issues. The book backs away from asking deep moral questions in favor of a conventional happy ending.
A book that I liked a lot about a rich girl/poor girl friendship in college is Sigrid Nunez's The Last of Her Kind. This book also deals with class and moral issues surrounding the rich.
I nearly gave up in the middle of the book because to me it seemed to be a fairy tale about of poor girl makes good through rich friends. Too much of the book was about the apparently blessed life of the very rich and their summer homes. However from the middle to the end of the book I found some real suspense. Nothing is as it appears to be. It reminded me a little bit of Shutter Island but not as good.
However, the ending does not resolve all issues. The book backs away from asking deep moral questions in favor of a conventional happy ending.
A book that I liked a lot about a rich girl/poor girl friendship in college is Sigrid Nunez's The Last of Her Kind. This book also deals with class and moral issues surrounding the rich.
nmorin's review
2.0
sooo disappointing. I loved the set up - felt very secret history ish and I think author managed to create really interesting and compelling world of the family's vacation complex - but I felt extremely let down by the ending, the non-climax basically. Insane choice Parts of the beginning honestly felt like it was getting set up for magical realism/cultish thing (like, when they make cryptic ominous remark about 'helping' strange yachts who get too close? ) but yikes
Spoiler
to make everything hinge on family getting their money from nazis (which also hello very obvious) and then 1. that totally fizzle out in the next page and 2. the mc just throws up her hands and is like ok can't beat 'em join 'em!!! where 'em = nazis!! insane.judithdcollins's review
5.0
Mixing truth with Gothic fantasy for an eccentric and dark ride ---a family of secrets and lies, violence, madness, corruption, deception, and greed. Welcome, to BITTERSWEET Vermont by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore!
From the mysterious front cover, you try and prepare yourself for what lies behind the walls, the people, and their lives . . Nothing can prepare you for chilling events to unfold, nor the ones from the past yet to be discovered.
This mesmerizing novel, reminded me a bit of The Great Gatsby--the house, and the strong obsession to be a part of the powerful, alluring, wealthy lifestyle—and the lengths a person will go, to achieve (an outsider’s hunger to belong). Until they discover there is always price to pay –a deal with the devil. A pattern of evil emerging from behind the plush facade.
The chosen one – enticing the character into a world of intrigue, mystery, wealth, and power; however, be aware- things are not as they seem, but sometimes you are in too deep to escape.
A riveting thriller, keeping you on the edge of the seat, with suspense building from beginning to the surprising twist towards the end. I highly recommend the audiobook--Cassandra Campbell performed flawlessly!
Miranda Beverly-Whittemore's heroine is an outsider invited into the secret, world of the super-rich, yet dark and mysterious. She plans each step, with precision; pacing and holding back enough for the buildup, and climatic ending.
Mabel, the protagonist, invited by her beautiful and wealthy college roommate Geneva (Ev), to spend the summer at the family’s estate cottage in Vermont. She looks at this family and desires to become one of them, and compares it to her life. She never wants to leave. However, both girls have a secret
As the story unravels, nothing is as it seems, and the past may resurface for their worst nightmare. Are these people nuts? Mabel cannot understand why they are cleaning the house, when this family is rich enough to hire people do these tasks—and the locks?
The summer starts out wonderfully (like Gatsby), with picnics, parties, romance, and late night swims in this idyllic setting. Slowly, the Winslow family becomes strange, as secrets continue to be covered up, as Mabel aggressively begins to uncover more about these century old secrets from older journals.
More complications: an eccentric aunt of Ev’s requests Mabel to learn more about the family’s secrets. One source is the mysterious Winslow money, with rumors of incest, and more evil - pointing to Birh, Ev’s father. Aunt Indo who claims that the family is out to get her and promises her cottage to Mabel if she can find the necessary information to help her.
She begins questioning good versus evil, and how will she escape this madness? What a twist with the reference of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden.
Near the ending--so many details coming to the surface, I had to rewind to ensure I did not miss anything. BITTERSWEET also contained some of the funniest and sarcastic lines--found myself laughing out loud.
Brilliantly written Look forward to reading more from this masterful storyteller!
JDCMustReadBooks
Stay tuned for her upcoming JUNE: A Novel, coming May 31, 2016! 5 Stars
From the mysterious front cover, you try and prepare yourself for what lies behind the walls, the people, and their lives . . Nothing can prepare you for chilling events to unfold, nor the ones from the past yet to be discovered.
This mesmerizing novel, reminded me a bit of The Great Gatsby--the house, and the strong obsession to be a part of the powerful, alluring, wealthy lifestyle—and the lengths a person will go, to achieve (an outsider’s hunger to belong). Until they discover there is always price to pay –a deal with the devil. A pattern of evil emerging from behind the plush facade.
The chosen one – enticing the character into a world of intrigue, mystery, wealth, and power; however, be aware- things are not as they seem, but sometimes you are in too deep to escape.
A riveting thriller, keeping you on the edge of the seat, with suspense building from beginning to the surprising twist towards the end. I highly recommend the audiobook--Cassandra Campbell performed flawlessly!
Miranda Beverly-Whittemore's heroine is an outsider invited into the secret, world of the super-rich, yet dark and mysterious. She plans each step, with precision; pacing and holding back enough for the buildup, and climatic ending.
Mabel, the protagonist, invited by her beautiful and wealthy college roommate Geneva (Ev), to spend the summer at the family’s estate cottage in Vermont. She looks at this family and desires to become one of them, and compares it to her life. She never wants to leave. However, both girls have a secret
As the story unravels, nothing is as it seems, and the past may resurface for their worst nightmare. Are these people nuts? Mabel cannot understand why they are cleaning the house, when this family is rich enough to hire people do these tasks—and the locks?
The summer starts out wonderfully (like Gatsby), with picnics, parties, romance, and late night swims in this idyllic setting. Slowly, the Winslow family becomes strange, as secrets continue to be covered up, as Mabel aggressively begins to uncover more about these century old secrets from older journals.
More complications: an eccentric aunt of Ev’s requests Mabel to learn more about the family’s secrets. One source is the mysterious Winslow money, with rumors of incest, and more evil - pointing to Birh, Ev’s father. Aunt Indo who claims that the family is out to get her and promises her cottage to Mabel if she can find the necessary information to help her.
She begins questioning good versus evil, and how will she escape this madness? What a twist with the reference of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden.
Near the ending--so many details coming to the surface, I had to rewind to ensure I did not miss anything. BITTERSWEET also contained some of the funniest and sarcastic lines--found myself laughing out loud.
Brilliantly written Look forward to reading more from this masterful storyteller!
JDCMustReadBooks
Stay tuned for her upcoming JUNE: A Novel, coming May 31, 2016! 5 Stars