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libkatem's review against another edition
4.0
Russian Revolution! Creepy.
I actually learned a lot from this book. Mostly, I didn't know Tsarina Alexandra had a sister in Moscow. Alexander knows his Russian Revolution. A+, sir.
I actually learned a lot from this book. Mostly, I didn't know Tsarina Alexandra had a sister in Moscow. Alexander knows his Russian Revolution. A+, sir.
maecave15's review against another edition
3.0
At first i thought this book was going to be more for a sixth grader but as I continued to read it I actually liked it a bit. I love anything historical so that helped, and the characters were written well, but overall I felt a bit cheated. I feel he could have put much more into this book than he did and it would have been great.
So I do recommend this as an enjoyable read but it definitely needs some work.
So I do recommend this as an enjoyable read but it definitely needs some work.
lberestecki's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting, but sad, as most stories from this time period are. The narrative style was effective but sometimes a little annoying.
wendel's review against another edition
1.0
Although you should respect the amount of research that has probably been done for this book, the writing didn't appeal to me. I couldn't get past the first person narrative and childish pet names. Two stars for effort.
breenakm's review against another edition
3.0
Historical fiction is my favorite way to learn history. However, I am appalled at the primitive nature of mankind. A truth underlying the whole book is that educated people are able to express themselves non-violently.
jmkmirkes's review against another edition
4.0
Great author! I highly recommend him if anyone is interested in historical fiction.
thecurlybookworm's review against another edition
2.0
Although the story of “Ella” is fascinating and a lesser-known aspect of the Russian Revolution, the writing is, quite frankly, awful. At points seeming very modern, at other times full of awkward metaphors or too-often-repeated phrases (such as “as well”), the writing’s one strength was creating different voices for Ella and Pavel. The overall failure of the writing style contributes strongly to the two-star rating.
It was interesting to read about this time period from two very different points of view. Alexander, the author, is very well-versed in this revolution (he has two other books on the subject) and has obviously put a lot of time and effort into historical accuracy. The easy story to focus on – that of the Tsar and his family – was only briefly touched upon and it was assumed the reader had a basic background of the Revolution; this worked very well and allowed the reader to focus on the new story, that of Ella and Pavel.
A quick read, this novel is worth picking up. The audience gains a deeper understanding of the role religion – or loss of religion – plays in the face of difficult times, and learns the story of a very amazing, caring woman of the royal class. It also demonstrates a basic theory that (as Alexander says in the reader’s guide section) “people are born essentially good and the it’s only events and/or situations that corrupt and darken the soul”. Similar events can have very different effects on people, and this novel explores that successfully in the context of the Russian Revolution.
It was interesting to read about this time period from two very different points of view. Alexander, the author, is very well-versed in this revolution (he has two other books on the subject) and has obviously put a lot of time and effort into historical accuracy. The easy story to focus on – that of the Tsar and his family – was only briefly touched upon and it was assumed the reader had a basic background of the Revolution; this worked very well and allowed the reader to focus on the new story, that of Ella and Pavel.
A quick read, this novel is worth picking up. The audience gains a deeper understanding of the role religion – or loss of religion – plays in the face of difficult times, and learns the story of a very amazing, caring woman of the royal class. It also demonstrates a basic theory that (as Alexander says in the reader’s guide section) “people are born essentially good and the it’s only events and/or situations that corrupt and darken the soul”. Similar events can have very different effects on people, and this novel explores that successfully in the context of the Russian Revolution.
extralifelibrarian's review against another edition
2.0
I couldn't get into this books. The writing seemed all over the place and it seemed difficult to follow the different weaves of the story.