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chrissireads's review against another edition
4.0
Very good book, well written. Look forward to reading more from Suzannah Dunn.
shahrun's review against another edition
3.0
This was a little peak behind the scenes of what the author imagines caused the brief ride and downfall of King Henry VIIIs 5th wife, Katherine Howard. The story is told through the eyes of her childhood friend and companion Catherine ‘Cat’ Tilney. All the characters were real people and she has drawn her own conclusions from the scant evidence that remains. I’m left wondering if I wasn’t already a big fan of Philippa Gregory’s books of Same period, would I have loved this more? I feel this book was alright but it didn’t quite capture my imagination in the same way.
bibliobethreads's review against another edition
When I first started this book I thought it was going to be the voice of katherine howard which would have been interesting as I am really gripped by this particular period of history. It was still a good read and would read other books by suzannah dunn.
chronicreader96's review against another edition
3.0
This book was okay, but that is about it. I enjoy reading about the Tudor times, and king Henry VIII wives. But the relationships in this felt forced and fake. I didn’t find the friendships believable, they seemed full of scorn and unease.
I’m not sure that the dialogue is particularly historically accurate either. I sometimes found myself loosing my focus on the book.
That being said, I didn’t dislike it. It was enjoyable enough to keep me reading. But it isn’t going to be one I remember for very long.
I’m not sure that the dialogue is particularly historically accurate either. I sometimes found myself loosing my focus on the book.
That being said, I didn’t dislike it. It was enjoyable enough to keep me reading. But it isn’t going to be one I remember for very long.
emilyburton30's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
As someone with a huge interest in the Tudor era - this book was extremely engaging. The writing style kept me intrigued and overall it was well written. I did have a few issues with some of the fusion of modern phrasing as at times this was jarring but it didn’t take away from the story too much. The characters ( especially the narrator and Katherine Howard) were so interesting and not one dimensional at all. I do think the ending was a little disappointing as I wish they’d talked more about Katherine leading up to her death rather than having it as a sort of report. I would have loved to have seen some POV from Katherine. However, the book was still very emotional and it really made you feel for all of the characters. Overall, an enjoyable read that I would recommend.
mountie9's review against another edition
3.0
The Good Stuff
* Beautifully descriptive
* historically accurate descriptions of the daily lives of the aristocratic young women in Howards life
* Unusual way of dealing with the story of K(C)atherine Howard
* Some great dry humour
* enjoyed the descriptions of Katherine's early life at the duchess' estate
The Not so Good Stuff
* It's uneven in terms of characters motivations and actions
* A little dull
* I have read many books on Katherine Howard and this one just isn't as compelling, I have read other books by Suannah and she is a good novelist, this just isn't my fav
* Just didn't by the friendship between the two girls
Favorite Quotes/Passages
"No wonder Katherine did as she did, I realized: this was how she lived her whole life, swanning around like this, garnering people's interest."
"I realized that Kate had never intended any harm. She just hadn't thought; she never did. She was a girl who couldn't help but turn heads, she was a girl of no ambition who'd become queen."
What I Learned
* Really sucked to be in Katherine Howard's retinue
* Sucked even worse to be Katherine Howard, the poor thing never had a chance
Who should/shouldn't read
* Those who are looking for a glance into the lives of young women during the reign of Henry VIII
* A not bad introduction into Katherine Howard, that will hopefully lead to further reading
3 Dewey's
I received this from HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review - really wanted to like it more since I have read previous works by Suzannah and enjoyed them
* Beautifully descriptive
* historically accurate descriptions of the daily lives of the aristocratic young women in Howards life
* Unusual way of dealing with the story of K(C)atherine Howard
* Some great dry humour
* enjoyed the descriptions of Katherine's early life at the duchess' estate
The Not so Good Stuff
* It's uneven in terms of characters motivations and actions
* A little dull
* I have read many books on Katherine Howard and this one just isn't as compelling, I have read other books by Suannah and she is a good novelist, this just isn't my fav
* Just didn't by the friendship between the two girls
Favorite Quotes/Passages
"No wonder Katherine did as she did, I realized: this was how she lived her whole life, swanning around like this, garnering people's interest."
"I realized that Kate had never intended any harm. She just hadn't thought; she never did. She was a girl who couldn't help but turn heads, she was a girl of no ambition who'd become queen."
What I Learned
* Really sucked to be in Katherine Howard's retinue
* Sucked even worse to be Katherine Howard, the poor thing never had a chance
Who should/shouldn't read
* Those who are looking for a glance into the lives of young women during the reign of Henry VIII
* A not bad introduction into Katherine Howard, that will hopefully lead to further reading
3 Dewey's
I received this from HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review - really wanted to like it more since I have read previous works by Suzannah and enjoyed them
traky007's review against another edition
3.0
As a novel exploring the thoughts and relationships of adolescent/teenage girls, excellent. As a fictional version of Katherine Howard's early life, interesting. As a novel about the downfall of a wife of Henry VIII, it falls rather short of the mark. The novel ends well before the actual conclusion of the affair or the imprisonment and execution of the main characters, and we are told of these events in a brief afterword. Of the novels I've read fictionalizing this period of history (including the Other Boleyn Girl and the Autobiography of Henry VIII), this one was worth the read but not a stand-out.
duchessofreadin's review against another edition
2.0
Confessions of a teenage queen.. Katherine Howard was the fifth queen of Henry VIII. She led a life of promiscuity, and could not seem to curb herself once she was in the palace. Her ladies covered for her, and one even lost her head with her mistress over the deception that had been taking place.Katherine Howard was a sad story. It is the tale of a girl sacrificed for family, and for wealth and honors. A girl that had no business ever being there in the first place, but because of her family connections and the prominence that they wanted to regain, she was thrust forward as a candidate when the king began searching for another wife. There are to many things that bothered me with this book. One, it really had nothing to do with Katherine. It was all from the point of her maid, so the title is a bit misleading, and she didn't really confess anything. The slang and the wording was frustrating as it was from outside the time period and did not fit what the vernacular of the time would have been.Could have been a better book, and much more could have been added. There was many holes in the story, and a great many pitfalls.
daisyc_reads's review against another edition
3.0
I like that I leaned a lot more about Katherine Howard. And I like the authors approach to modernising the characters enough that they are more relatable. However because it was told from the perspective of Katherine’s best friend, I missed insight into her direct perspective which I think would have made the book richer
nichole_renee's review against another edition
3.0
It wasn't the best-written book I've ever read (too many modern phrases made it less believable for me), but it was a good summer read for someone thoroughly enthralled with Henry VIII and his wives...