Reviews

I love this book with all of my heart. The story touched me in the way that no other has. I love how Victoria Hislop has weaved the story of Famagusta into the book while keeping you hooked all the while. The end of the book with her experiences made this rating turn from a 4 star to a 5 star read. The president’s speech forty years later was very sad and the pictures were interesting to view. Thank you for this book - it could not have been written better.

rosekk's review against another edition

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4.0

There were places where I didn't get into the writing style, and I was very aware that I was reading a book, rather then just being sucked into the narrative. That was my only problem though. The story it told was interesting, and personally relevant to me, so I was especially intrigued. The cover was a little misleading, although kind of clever in that. It looks like a holiday book, when most of the book depicts a war. It makes sense though: Famagusta looked like a holiday resort, even when it was becoming a war-zone.

sarahemi's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

nourarifai's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I love Hislops work but this book had me struggling a fair bit.
For starters, other than the magnificent hotel - the sunrise - I have no clue who the main characters were.
The storylines were sad with very little hope.

I can’t believe he watched his girlfriend get raped, I can’t believe she was so stupid to travel back to the sunrise after having found out she was pregnant?? Who goes back to an active war zone??
The only redeeming thing was the two women who find each other again, even if they’re older, they reunite

constantina_mar's review

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

samlohrke's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad tense 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

4.25

thelaurasaurus's review against another edition

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4.0

Easy to read, although it took me a while to get back into it after a few days off from reading. It was interesting to read about Cyprus, as well as the invasion, neither of which I had any prior knowledge of. I think this is a theme of Victoria Hislop's books, and it elevates them from other beach-read style books.

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