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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
This was a solid 3 and a half stars. A beautifully written story, one I had trouble putting down - but so much of it just seemed to miss the mark for me. Each time a mystery was revealed I was totally underwhelmed. A fine book with a lot to enjoy, it just could have been so much juicier!
I will read the sequel, coming out this year.
I will read the sequel, coming out this year.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
slow-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
A great book if you want to be sad for 300+ pages.
Less magical than I expected based on the description.
Less magical than I expected based on the description.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Pregnancy
A fascinating book with a great historical background and a hint of the mystical about it. Interesting characters and great female Roles. Recommended. I’ve put the sequel on hold at my online library.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I finished it, but felt something was lacking.
The book is titled "The Miniaturist" and we never discover anything about her! How does she know so much about the family? How does she predict events will happen?
The way the characters spoke to each other felt quite true to stuffy Victorian, puritan speech (as far as my lacking knowledge goes) but Nella's inner voice felt quite modern thinking and this felt a bit unrealistic.
I wish it had gone down a route where either we discover magic or some system of spies, which is how the Miniaturist discovers all the secrets across the city.
Glad I read it, won't read again.
The book is titled "The Miniaturist" and we never discover anything about her! How does she know so much about the family? How does she predict events will happen?
The way the characters spoke to each other felt quite true to stuffy Victorian, puritan speech (as far as my lacking knowledge goes) but Nella's inner voice felt quite modern thinking and this felt a bit unrealistic.
I wish it had gone down a route where either we discover magic or some system of spies, which is how the Miniaturist discovers all the secrets across the city.
Glad I read it, won't read again.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was...fine. Bought it because I took a 2 hour train trip without my phone or another book, and so made an emergency book purchase at the newsstand at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. I do love a book with a map and a glossary, but this one just didn't grab me. It teases a supernatural explanation for something and then, a few chapters before the end, finally says nope, there is a perfectly earthly explanation for this. And at that point I put the book down and almost didn't finish it -- because I cared more about the mechanics of the maybe-supernatural-thing than the characters.
Perfectly serviceable historical fiction with women at its core.
Perfectly serviceable historical fiction with women at its core.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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