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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
A friend recommended this book to me saying, "It's a YA version of Cloud Atlas." I adore Cloud Atlas and can't recommend the audiobook enough.
This is a satisfying series of vignettes that connect two people in different ways in different time periods on the same island. The epilogue gives a wonderful, if somewhat dark wrap-up to it all.
This is a satisfying series of vignettes that connect two people in different ways in different time periods on the same island. The epilogue gives a wonderful, if somewhat dark wrap-up to it all.
I was so close to giving this 4-stars. I spent the entirety of the book thinking there was nothing more I could give this book, but then, the last 20 pages happened. And everything became whole.
The storytelling in this is just breathtaking. You don't realize it when it happens but as every story unfolds you realize that Sedgwick has perfectly interwoven every single story in some way and by the end I was absolutely baffled. I thought this would be somewhat of a horror-type of novel but it was nothing of the sort (not that I'm that disappointed to be honest) but there are enough gruesome scenes for it to have horror-like elements.
I'm surprised at how sad this book made me too (the story of the Unquiet Grave literally tore my heart in two) and just couldn't help but wish this book was just a few pages longer. Also, the first story, and some other ones as well, gave me so many Midsommar-vibes and although that movie wasn't my all-time favorite I felt so much of it channeled in this book somehow (yeah, I know this book came out waaaay before Midsommar but who cares). I find the unsettling element of an endless day so intriguing and it was done so well here too.
4.5/5 stars and would definitely 100% recommend.
The storytelling in this is just breathtaking. You don't realize it when it happens but as every story unfolds you realize that Sedgwick has perfectly interwoven every single story in some way and by the end I was absolutely baffled. I thought this would be somewhat of a horror-type of novel but it was nothing of the sort (not that I'm that disappointed to be honest) but there are enough gruesome scenes for it to have horror-like elements.
I'm surprised at how sad this book made me too (the story of the Unquiet Grave literally tore my heart in two) and just couldn't help but wish this book was just a few pages longer. Also, the first story, and some other ones as well, gave me so many Midsommar-vibes and although that movie wasn't my all-time favorite I felt so much of it channeled in this book somehow (yeah, I know this book came out waaaay before Midsommar but who cares). I find the unsettling element of an endless day so intriguing and it was done so well here too.
4.5/5 stars and would definitely 100% recommend.
Reads a lot like Neil Gaiman - time travel fantasy, old Viking gods, magical island. I was able to read (listen) to this in a day. If it wasn’t so short - not sure I would have kept at it. Premise is great - but story didn’t totally suck me in.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
I really enjoyed the writing in this book. The way the story is told through other stories is well done and very interesting. I found myself interested in each single story and I loved learning more about the island, the characters as I read along. I also liked to discover the reoccurring themes and characters.
This whole book reads a little like a puzzle with many clues and big ideas.
Loved it!
This whole book reads a little like a puzzle with many clues and big ideas.
Loved it!
2.5 stars if I could. Slow confusing start, decent middle, intense but unfulfilling end.
Unexpectedly appealing. Very different from most YA I have read. I thought the characters were wonderfully rich and I was completely intrigued.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I finished Marcus Sedgwick's The Ghosts of Heaven back in February, and was stunned by how multi-layered and complex it was. Fast forward four months later and I finally pick up Sedgwick's debut novel, crossing my fingers it was as well-written and thought-provoking as The Ghosts of Heaven. And, I must say, it is all that and more.
Sedgwick has a unique and intriguing style of writing that captivates from the very beginning. He manages to put together different short stories with seemingly nothing in common; and show how they all spiral together.
Midwinterblood is comprised of seven different short stories, all set in different time periods throughout history. These seven stories have only one thing in common: their setting, a mysterious island off the coast of Scandinavia. As we read through each of the seven's stories, we soon begin to wonder that this seemingly idyllic island has some very disturbing secrets.
If a life can be ruined in a single moment, a moment of betrayal, or violence, or ill luck, then why can a life not also be saved, be worth living, be made, by just a few pure moments of perfection?The characters are diverse and well-developed. It's difficult to discuss them without spoiling something about the story, but they all have intriguing motives and well-defined personalities. Some characters are Vikings, others still are ghosts or vampires. One is a journalist; one a pilot. Yet one thing is consistent: Marcus manages to make us feel for each and every character, even despite the fact that the stories they appear in are short ones.
The one thing that stands out about this story is the wonderful world-building. The eeriness of the island and the secrets it holds are thrilling and will keep you glued to the pages, making you want to turn the pages as fast as possible to see what the connection between each of the stories is. Not only that, but once you do find out the revelation, just like with Sedgwick's other books, it will make you think long after you finish that final page.
Thought provoking and layered, this is a unique story that will make your mind turn. I'd highly recommend it; especially for those who like complex and well thought-out plotlines.