Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
I always like historical fiction and also like stories told from multiple times. Wasn’t sure how she was going to get all these different storylines to diverge but she did it pretty well.
Only three stars since it felt to me like there could have been more character development- especially of Brette.
Only three stars since it felt to me like there could have been more character development- especially of Brette.
For some reason I did not expect the paranormal aspect of the book, but I was hooked none the less. Loved seeing how all the women, past and present, connected. Meissner never disappoints.
So sad this one is over - Susan Meissner really tells an excellent story. She does an excellent job of going back and forth in time and tying the stories together; this was one of her best. I always learn something about history from her books, too - she takes lesser-known incidents/topics and expounds on them in a very interesting way. At this moment I want to get on a plane for CA and visit the Queen Mary
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book was pretty fragmented at first, even for a parallel narrative. There's the initial narrator (whose identity I can't spoil), Annaliese, Simone, and Brette. It takes quite awhile to link two of them together and even longer to link the third and fourth. I enjoyed Annaliese and Simone's stories and Meissner's portrayal of different ways that WWII (and mid-20th century life in general) mistreated women. Brette's struggling with her "gift" was much weaker. Perhaps if this had been two separate books, both stories would have benefited. I understand Meissner's goal in setting up a bit of a mystery to move the plot, but I think leaving the two historical stories as they were but with more detail would have successfully created the drama needed to move the book along, whereas Brette's investigating (for lack of a better word) was flat. So thumbs up for the historical half, thumb... sideways for the modern half.
The fine print: received ARC from NetGalley.
The fine print: received ARC from NetGalley.
Bridge is a page-turning suspense book with a bit of an open ending.
It’s about a spiritually sensitive woman unraveling a years-old mystery involving the haunting of the legendary Queen Mary. Some of it is set in World War II—those sections bore a similarity to The Nightingale, which I loved.
As far as content warnings, there are very few: it does contain sexual assault references.
In all, it’s one of the best books I’ve read in the last year.
It’s about a spiritually sensitive woman unraveling a years-old mystery involving the haunting of the legendary Queen Mary. Some of it is set in World War II—those sections bore a similarity to The Nightingale, which I loved.
As far as content warnings, there are very few: it does contain sexual assault references.
In all, it’s one of the best books I’ve read in the last year.
Got this book free from FirstToRead.com
My only problem with this book was that I constantly wanted *more* of the stories. Essentially, we have three women (American, German and French) and we hear the most about the American in current times who was the least interesting to me. I wanted more of the history and could have done without the paranormal aspects of the American (which I didn't expect and was confused by in context of the book). But overall, really enjoyed the characterizations and learning a bit of history on the way.
My only problem with this book was that I constantly wanted *more* of the stories. Essentially, we have three women (American, German and French) and we hear the most about the American in current times who was the least interesting to me. I wanted more of the history and could have done without the paranormal aspects of the American (which I didn't expect and was confused by in context of the book). But overall, really enjoyed the characterizations and learning a bit of history on the way.
There are three narratives in play in this book. The first is Brette Caslake, a woman living in modern-day San Diego. Brette can see and talk with ghosts, though she has been trying to supress this aspect of herself since she was a little girl. The second is Simone Deveraux, a French Resistance fighter. The third is Annaliese Lange,a former ballerina fleeing from her Nazi husband.
Simone and Annaliese are thrown together on the RMS Queen Mary as it steams across the Atlantic in 1946 to reunite European war brides with their American husbands. But the secrets both women must keep simmer under the surface, and only one woman will get off the ship in New York. Meanwhile in the present day, Brette is investigating the Queen Mary as a favor to an old friend. She encounters a spirit on the ship which points her towards the half-century-old mystery . . .
I’m of two minds regarding this book. The stories of Simone and Annaliese are very well done. Each woman is given a unique voice, and their histories are compelling; the mystery surrounding their fatal voyage is engaging. You wind up caring deeply about the fate of both these women.
In contrast, Brette’s modern day storyline feels flat and tacked on. Her story feels like it exists solely as a tool to push the 1940s narrative along, and even then it feels unnecessary; Simone and Annaliese’s story could have been told entirely without the present-day narrative. The idea of a woman who can speak with ghosts is intriguing, but the end result here is unsatisfying. Brette allows herself to be bullied into investigating the haunted ship, all the while dealing with a husband who may or may not think she’s insane, but is trying to push her into having children anyway. Brette’s fears about motherhood, and passing on her unwanted ability onto her children are summarily brushed aside by her husband, and his acceptance (or lack thereof) of her abilities are never really resolved. I found the entire thing to be aggravating, and I found myself flipping past the chapters which featured Brette in favor of finding out what happened to the women in 1946.
In all, this is not a bad book, but I can’t help feel that the modern day narrative detracts from the overall story. Still, the book is worth checking out for Simone and Annaliese’s stories, and other readers may not find Brette’s storyline so off-putting.
An advance ebook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A Bridge Across the Ocean will be available for purchase on March 7th, 2017.
Simone and Annaliese are thrown together on the RMS Queen Mary as it steams across the Atlantic in 1946 to reunite European war brides with their American husbands. But the secrets both women must keep simmer under the surface, and only one woman will get off the ship in New York. Meanwhile in the present day, Brette is investigating the Queen Mary as a favor to an old friend. She encounters a spirit on the ship which points her towards the half-century-old mystery . . .
I’m of two minds regarding this book. The stories of Simone and Annaliese are very well done. Each woman is given a unique voice, and their histories are compelling; the mystery surrounding their fatal voyage is engaging. You wind up caring deeply about the fate of both these women.
In contrast, Brette’s modern day storyline feels flat and tacked on. Her story feels like it exists solely as a tool to push the 1940s narrative along, and even then it feels unnecessary; Simone and Annaliese’s story could have been told entirely without the present-day narrative. The idea of a woman who can speak with ghosts is intriguing, but the end result here is unsatisfying. Brette allows herself to be bullied into investigating the haunted ship, all the while dealing with a husband who may or may not think she’s insane, but is trying to push her into having children anyway. Brette’s fears about motherhood, and passing on her unwanted ability onto her children are summarily brushed aside by her husband, and his acceptance (or lack thereof) of her abilities are never really resolved. I found the entire thing to be aggravating, and I found myself flipping past the chapters which featured Brette in favor of finding out what happened to the women in 1946.
In all, this is not a bad book, but I can’t help feel that the modern day narrative detracts from the overall story. Still, the book is worth checking out for Simone and Annaliese’s stories, and other readers may not find Brette’s storyline so off-putting.
An advance ebook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A Bridge Across the Ocean will be available for purchase on March 7th, 2017.
4.5 stars. I was put off at first by the "Sight," but it was used in a very interesting way. I loved following the stories of Annaliese and Simone!
When a book alternates between the past and the present, I usually like the story taking place in the past better. That's no different for this book. I really liked the story taking place in the past and how the women's paths met, but I really disliked the story in the present. That dislike turned to disgust the more I read until the reveal of the spirit's identity when I just completely lost interest in the book. A two star rating is generous because I liked the story set in the past so much, but I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.