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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Conspiracy theories abound on whether all the Romanovs were killed on the night of July 16 1918. This book contains amazing research, including excerpts of letters from the royal family as they spent their final days under house arrest in Yekaterinburg, Russia. The book is told from the perspective of the kitchen boy, Leonka, who was in captivity with the Romanovs. Eight decades after that fateful night in 1918, Leonka himself dies. He leaves behind a recording of his life story for his grand-daughter and she must decide what to do with his legacy. I really enjoyed this book - the peek into the lives of the Romanov family in their last days was beautifully told.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I'm a big fan of anything having to do with Nicholas and Alexandra. A harmless sweet book. It doesn't come from facts, so it's not quite as interesting as it could be.
The Kitchen Boy was actually pretty interesting to read. It's definitely a version of what happened but with some unexpected twists. Don't get me wrong, I love a good twist thrown my way but at times it felt ridiculous and unbelievable. In another way, I could see that they were trying to keep my attention until the very last page.
Still, it was very interesting to see everything through the eyes of Leonid. Especially when things were completely brutal and chaotic. It was hard to look at and away from at the same time. I just wanted to know more about what happened on the day the royal family was murdered.
In the end, I'll just stick with it being interesting and entertaining to a point.
Still, it was very interesting to see everything through the eyes of Leonid. Especially when things were completely brutal and chaotic. It was hard to look at and away from at the same time. I just wanted to know more about what happened on the day the royal family was murdered.
In the end, I'll just stick with it being interesting and entertaining to a point.
I found this disappointing after the great reviews I'd read. For such a short novel, it certainly dragged in places. It would have made a good short story with a little editing.
I read this last night, in one sitting, my favorite way to read a book if I get the chance, which is rare. I had mixed feelings - well written and plausible (rare for a Romanov conspiracy theory) - but so disturbing. It hard to imagine such brutal cruelty. I don't recommend reading this before you fall asleep. I slept uneasy and I know I dreamed. ugh. I did like the web-site where the author displays photos of the actual historical documents from which he based his premise. If I could, I'd give it a 3 and a half. I did think the author captured a truer sense of the Russian soul. well done.
An engrossing, well-researched account of the last month of the Romanovs as seen through the eyes of their kitchen boy. I could not put this book down.