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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
Once I really got into this I loved it, but do wish there was a little more solid building of the story of the family’s past and the father’s behavior.
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Wow, what an incredibly written story about a haunting experience of child abuse and moving through that trauma into adulthood. I was fixated on this story from the first page and fell totally in love with Dean’s writing style.
We flip back and forth between present and past, learning about all the siblings of this tragic event— but within our narrator’s (Girl A) perspective. It is at times heartbreaking, at other times hopeful, but at all times beautiful. as I already gushed about in an earlier post, Dean’s writing is phenomenal. Her descriptions about even mundane things are so well done, I could see the world painted before me.
I love when authors enhance their prose with elevated verbs and metaphors. She seemed to do this so effortlessly... every page sprinkled with gorgeous descriptions. I was drooling over sentences throughout every chapter!
I highly recommend you give this one a read. But, be aware of the difficult topics involved... and the fact that it’s not a thriller. The intent is not to be mysterious or fast-paced or give you a big shocking twist (although there are some). It is a story in character development and overcoming tragedy.
just a few of those lovely descriptions:
“We drove to Hollowfield through the glooming. Clouds sagging over the hills. We passed old factories, with their spindly chimneys and every other window kicked in.”
”There was a clump of smokers by the entrance, craning into the shade like flowers in reverse.”
“Gabriel spun the globe on Miss Glade’s desk so fast that the earth crashed onto the classroom floor. He froze, a cartoon culprit, and when the adults approached him, he cowered.”
“My breath muddled with Mother’s in the air.”
We flip back and forth between present and past, learning about all the siblings of this tragic event— but within our narrator’s (Girl A) perspective. It is at times heartbreaking, at other times hopeful, but at all times beautiful. as I already gushed about in an earlier post, Dean’s writing is phenomenal. Her descriptions about even mundane things are so well done, I could see the world painted before me.
I love when authors enhance their prose with elevated verbs and metaphors. She seemed to do this so effortlessly... every page sprinkled with gorgeous descriptions. I was drooling over sentences throughout every chapter!
I highly recommend you give this one a read. But, be aware of the difficult topics involved... and the fact that it’s not a thriller. The intent is not to be mysterious or fast-paced or give you a big shocking twist (although there are some). It is a story in character development and overcoming tragedy.
just a few of those lovely descriptions:
“We drove to Hollowfield through the glooming. Clouds sagging over the hills. We passed old factories, with their spindly chimneys and every other window kicked in.”
”There was a clump of smokers by the entrance, craning into the shade like flowers in reverse.”
“Gabriel spun the globe on Miss Glade’s desk so fast that the earth crashed onto the classroom floor. He froze, a cartoon culprit, and when the adults approached him, he cowered.”
“My breath muddled with Mother’s in the air.”
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Girl A is another much hyped book and I was interested see how it would play out. It is a heartbreaking and disturbing read, focusing on a tough subject so it was never going to be hearts and flowers. It was a hard read at times but one that I am glad I have read.
This is the story of Girl A. Her real name is Lex and she survived the House of Horrors. She managed to escape from her parents and was separated from her siblings. Now she must reconnect with them in order to execute her mother’s will. She dies in prison and leave the kids a house and money. We hear the story, past and present through her travels to find her brothers and sisters. Not easy to read about how the kids were treated and how they survived it.
Thanks to Harper Collins UK and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read.
This is the story of Girl A. Her real name is Lex and she survived the House of Horrors. She managed to escape from her parents and was separated from her siblings. Now she must reconnect with them in order to execute her mother’s will. She dies in prison and leave the kids a house and money. We hear the story, past and present through her travels to find her brothers and sisters. Not easy to read about how the kids were treated and how they survived it.
Thanks to Harper Collins UK and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read.
Good book. I wasn't wowed, but it was an enjoyable read. However, I think Abigail Dean should get an award for coining the phrase, "an intimidation of men." I will definitely be adding this to my vocabulary.
"An intimidation of men passed, bare-chested, and looked at me curiously."
"An intimidation of men passed, bare-chested, and looked at me curiously."
emotional
sad
medium-paced