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kalliste's review
2.0
If the book had ended differently I probably would have rated this higher. Given this is a series this book was too long and was just so dramatic.. as soon as someone says "I'm really happy" you know that shit is going to hit the fan.
It was a bit too much for me, not sure if I'll continue on with the series.
It was a bit too much for me, not sure if I'll continue on with the series.
lsp_ismyspiritanimal's review
2.0
It was just ok. The characters just weren't that likable, or even relatable.
ivy_mck's review
emotional
hopeful
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
3.0
m3l89's review
3.0
1929 begins with a conversation between a man called Jonathan and a long serving member of his household staff. He asks her to write a book about his life, and the next chapter then begins in 1929.
I've never read anything set during the Wall Street Crash before, so this was all new to me. The reactions of the three main men and their wives were all authentic and provided an insight into their characters and motivations. It also gave plenty of room for character development throughout the novel. The subject matter - 3 couples losing everything - definitely provided scope for character development and I wasn't disappointed. Even within the first few chapters you could already see a change in the protagonists as they became used to their new lives.
Maura, the character at the beginning who Jonathan asks to write the book is their housemade in 1929, and remains a friend once Jonathan and Ava lose everything. I think she was my favourite character as she was incredibly grounded and often spoke sense to Ava and the others, helping them make sense of their new lives. She also provided comic relief, which was appreciated when the rest of the book was quite negative in theme.
I read some other reviews of 1929, which is something I try not to do and was shocked at the number of negative reviews, particularly those focusing on spelling, punctuation and grammar! I am a sticker for all of those and could not find a single issue even when looking specifically for one. Yes, the book may have had an edit since those reviews had been written but 1929 most definitely did not deserve the slating it received. It also received criticism about not focusing on the wall street crash more closely, which is again harsh, as the crash provided the backdrop for the story which was largely character based but did it's job as a tool to set the scene.
The momentum of the first half, unfortunately didn't continue and I found the second half much slower and more difficult to read. I did plough through to the end but could have given up on numerous occasions. Which has put me in an awkward place rating wise, as I loved the first half and had it stopped there I would have willing read the rest of the series, but now I'm not too sure.
I've never read anything set during the Wall Street Crash before, so this was all new to me. The reactions of the three main men and their wives were all authentic and provided an insight into their characters and motivations. It also gave plenty of room for character development throughout the novel. The subject matter - 3 couples losing everything - definitely provided scope for character development and I wasn't disappointed. Even within the first few chapters you could already see a change in the protagonists as they became used to their new lives.
Maura, the character at the beginning who Jonathan asks to write the book is their housemade in 1929, and remains a friend once Jonathan and Ava lose everything. I think she was my favourite character as she was incredibly grounded and often spoke sense to Ava and the others, helping them make sense of their new lives. She also provided comic relief, which was appreciated when the rest of the book was quite negative in theme.
I read some other reviews of 1929, which is something I try not to do and was shocked at the number of negative reviews, particularly those focusing on spelling, punctuation and grammar! I am a sticker for all of those and could not find a single issue even when looking specifically for one. Yes, the book may have had an edit since those reviews had been written but 1929 most definitely did not deserve the slating it received. It also received criticism about not focusing on the wall street crash more closely, which is again harsh, as the crash provided the backdrop for the story which was largely character based but did it's job as a tool to set the scene.
The momentum of the first half, unfortunately didn't continue and I found the second half much slower and more difficult to read. I did plough through to the end but could have given up on numerous occasions. Which has put me in an awkward place rating wise, as I loved the first half and had it stopped there I would have willing read the rest of the series, but now I'm not too sure.
kelli7990's review
adventurous
relaxing
fast-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? No
5.0
boipoka's review
2.0
3 super-wealthy New York finance whizzes, and childhood friends, are bankrupt in the crash. This is the first of many (I think 6) books that will describe the story of their survival through the Great Depression. Sounds interesting? Well, it did to me. The major criticism from this book seemed to be its failure as a historical fiction (it did); but I was ready to read it as a romance/survival-tale set in the past. So after owning the book for more than half a year, I plunged in for the 'Book you owned, but never read' prompt.
It started out decently enough. Each of the 6 main characters have differing personalities, and though I was frustrated with some of their behavior, I was interested in their lives. It promised to be a cosy, 'feel-good' read of surviving bad times.
It went progressively downhill since the 'villain' was introduced. The villains antics are childish; in three years, he never lifted a finger to hurt the hero, but now since fate threw them in together, he must have his revenge. The finally revelation of his motives, the source of his hatred, was also badly written. The premise was good, but the execution faulty.
There are no gray characters, no complex motives, no uplifting sentiments - not even depressing sentiments. It's a total emotional flat-line. The entire story is also extremely predictable. Random bad thing happens - heroes struggle and survive - there's promise of good things to come - random bad thing happens - and we repeat for 400+ pages. Especially the ending, stretched to eternity.
If you like clear delineation of good and evil in your books, and don't treat this as a historical fiction, 1929 might be a fun read. Otherwise, give it a miss.
It started out decently enough. Each of the 6 main characters have differing personalities, and though I was frustrated with some of their behavior, I was interested in their lives. It promised to be a cosy, 'feel-good' read of surviving bad times.
Spoiler
Though old servants suddenly turning in to 'buddies' was plenty unrealistic, I suspended my disbelief and read on.It went progressively downhill since the 'villain' was introduced. The villains antics are childish; in three years, he never lifted a finger to hurt the hero, but now since fate threw them in together, he must have his revenge. The finally revelation of his motives, the source of his hatred, was also badly written. The premise was good
Spoiler
getting cut off from 'good society' can engender hatredThere are no gray characters, no complex motives, no uplifting sentiments - not even depressing sentiments. It's a total emotional flat-line. The entire story is also extremely predictable. Random bad thing happens - heroes struggle and survive - there's promise of good things to come - random bad thing happens - and we repeat for 400+ pages. Especially the ending,
Spoiler
after they settle down in RockfordIf you like clear delineation of good and evil in your books, and don't treat this as a historical fiction, 1929 might be a fun read. Otherwise, give it a miss.
deb_reads_books's review
4.0
I am drawn to reading books about the Depression in the US so eagerly picked this one up. For 3/4s of the book, I was totally engaged with the characters and their struggle to adapt from extreme wealth to extreme poverty. I was delighted to find it is part of a series too. However, the end was rushed and didn't seem to fit with how the story had been told for the majority of the book so I was really disappointed. This was compounded when I found out that the next in the series is about totally new characters. I have given it four stars though because, until the very end, it had captured my attention.
mardiggity's review
3.0
An intriguing tale of three couples ruined by the crash. Their struggles, the friends they make in unlikely places. Every time things looked to turn around something else ruined it. I will say the end of the book moved the fastest and made we want to see what happens next. I wasn't so sure about that in the first 3/4 of the book.
nikkigee81's review
3.0
2.75 stars - close to three, but not quite there.
I first picked this up a long time ago, and like many other Kindle books I grabbed for free in my occasional downloading frenzy, it sat in my queue for a long time. I finally pulled it out a few days ago, and the premise was so interesting. The beginning was promising.
But there were some historical inaccuracies, and if you're going to bill your writing as historical fiction, you might want to do a little research, especially since if you don't - someone else is gonna do it for ya! Most tenement buildings barely had ONE indoor privy on an entire floor, much less a bathroom in every squashed unit. Perhaps you might have been able to squeeze in a tub somewhere, but you would have to heat the water over your coal or wood-burning stove - it's doubtful there would have been brick fireplaces. And even if you suspend your disbelief, and say, okay, they each had a bathroom, they sure as hell did not have individual showers.
Ahem. Anyway.
Some of the characters were indistinguishable from each other; I kept mixing up Aryl and Caleb for awhile. The wives were okay - I liked Ava until she became a complete harridan for absolutely ridiculous reasons.
This was really more of a soap opera disguised as "historical fiction," especially considering how much sex all the couples were having. Like sands through an hourglass, these are the Depression-era Days of our Lives. It was fairly entertaining, and since the next book is a freebie through Kindle Lending Library, and the third book was a free download, I guess I'll check them out and see how much worse this gets! Ain't nothin' like a trainwreck, baby.
I first picked this up a long time ago, and like many other Kindle books I grabbed for free in my occasional downloading frenzy, it sat in my queue for a long time. I finally pulled it out a few days ago, and the premise was so interesting. The beginning was promising.
But there were some historical inaccuracies, and if you're going to bill your writing as historical fiction, you might want to do a little research, especially since if you don't - someone else is gonna do it for ya! Most tenement buildings barely had ONE indoor privy on an entire floor, much less a bathroom in every squashed unit. Perhaps you might have been able to squeeze in a tub somewhere, but you would have to heat the water over your coal or wood-burning stove - it's doubtful there would have been brick fireplaces. And even if you suspend your disbelief, and say, okay, they each had a bathroom, they sure as hell did not have individual showers.
Ahem. Anyway.
Some of the characters were indistinguishable from each other; I kept mixing up Aryl and Caleb for awhile. The wives were okay - I liked Ava until she became a complete harridan for absolutely ridiculous reasons.
This was really more of a soap opera disguised as "historical fiction," especially considering how much sex all the couples were having. Like sands through an hourglass, these are the Depression-era Days of our Lives. It was fairly entertaining, and since the next book is a freebie through Kindle Lending Library, and the third book was a free download, I guess I'll check them out and see how much worse this gets! Ain't nothin' like a trainwreck, baby.
sometimesleelynnreads's review
5.0
It was honestly one of the most heartbreaking books I have ever read. Not only does it start off with a hopeless situation, but there are events throughout the story that makes you wonder if the main characters will ever be able to recover from it. Despite this, the book was a great read, filled with characters that you could feel sorry for and yet cheer for when the going gets tough. There were times when I felt like I couldn't finish it for the sake of keeping myself sane, but I pushed through. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
If you would like a full review, it will be hidden in the spoiler.
What do you do when everything you’ve worked so hard for in life gets ripped away from you in the blink of an eye? Do you give up and throw yourself off the proverbial roof, or do you claw your way from the bottom of the pit and get back on top? This is what the characters of Jonathan’s Cross had to figure out the hard way, and it was a journey that was worth reading.
As we know, the book begins with the tragic Black Thursday event, the day that the Stock Market crashed back in 1929, causing thousands of people to lose everything that they had. It could be called one of the worst economic tragedies in the world, and in this book, our characters lost everything. The firm that they built from the ground up was wiped out, and they had to figure out how to survive with their wives, completely poor with no money to their name.
The character development in this book is one that was very realistic, even to the point of frustration. There were times when I wished that the characters could just listen to reason, and try to work things out. Then again, I wasn’t in their position, and I think that if I were in their shoes facing the exact same things, I would have probably reacted the same way. I believe that this was one of the reasons why I loved the book so much. Even if it meant me having to go through their heartache by witnessing it through words, I could suffer through it if it meant reconciliation at the end.
There were so many unexpected things that happened to this group. One minute, things seemed to be going better than before, everyone a little happier than before. Then, out of nowhere, a bomb goes off and it’s chaos all over again. It wasn’t anything completely out of this world, nothing that seemed to be forced, and those kinds of surprises are the ones that really tested the love that they had for each other. There were so many times where it seemed like things would end badly, but did it? You’ll have to read it to find out.
If you have any curiosity towards the Great Depression, want to read a story about overcoming struggles, or just want to read about real couples dealing with unfortunate circumstances in their own way, this is the story for you.
If you would like a full review, it will be hidden in the spoiler.
Spoiler
“Every day we all wake up and struggle to put one foot in front of the other with no promise that at the end of the day, life will be any better. But you get up anyway. You keep breathing and hold on to faith that somehow, someday things are going to change for the better. Probably when we least expect it” – Aryl Sullivan, p. 198What do you do when everything you’ve worked so hard for in life gets ripped away from you in the blink of an eye? Do you give up and throw yourself off the proverbial roof, or do you claw your way from the bottom of the pit and get back on top? This is what the characters of Jonathan’s Cross had to figure out the hard way, and it was a journey that was worth reading.
As we know, the book begins with the tragic Black Thursday event, the day that the Stock Market crashed back in 1929, causing thousands of people to lose everything that they had. It could be called one of the worst economic tragedies in the world, and in this book, our characters lost everything. The firm that they built from the ground up was wiped out, and they had to figure out how to survive with their wives, completely poor with no money to their name.
The character development in this book is one that was very realistic, even to the point of frustration. There were times when I wished that the characters could just listen to reason, and try to work things out. Then again, I wasn’t in their position, and I think that if I were in their shoes facing the exact same things, I would have probably reacted the same way. I believe that this was one of the reasons why I loved the book so much. Even if it meant me having to go through their heartache by witnessing it through words, I could suffer through it if it meant reconciliation at the end.
There were so many unexpected things that happened to this group. One minute, things seemed to be going better than before, everyone a little happier than before. Then, out of nowhere, a bomb goes off and it’s chaos all over again. It wasn’t anything completely out of this world, nothing that seemed to be forced, and those kinds of surprises are the ones that really tested the love that they had for each other. There were so many times where it seemed like things would end badly, but did it? You’ll have to read it to find out.
If you have any curiosity towards the Great Depression, want to read a story about overcoming struggles, or just want to read about real couples dealing with unfortunate circumstances in their own way, this is the story for you.
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