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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-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
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:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
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
emotional
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-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:
No
This is an excellent historical fiction novel that focuses both on a nation rebuilding after war and the introduction of women at Oxford University. There was only one big issue I had and a few minor nitpicky things. The biggest issue is that the ending of the book is just an end. It's really blunt and it felt like the story would have benefited from an afterword. Just something to either talk about the real history of Oxford or where are heroines all end up. Instead, we just see the end of the school year. I get that maybe it should have felt hopeful and open-ended, but it just felt like a cut off.
I would have also liked to see more of the girls' interactions outside of each other. Otto has a social life that's only hinted at through her sneaking back in. Beatrice is part of a debate team that we don't really see or have mention of until the end. Marianne, I believe is in choir and Dora is only really defined by her grief. The history and the lives of these women as they dealt with the Great War and the danger of sexism, is so well written that it was a shame that the characters sometimes felt so wooden.
There are also several times that secondary characters like Ursala or Henry start to get built up as characters but only unravel. I wouldn't have minded some of the secondary characters getting more page time and building out the complex lives of our main characters more.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of history, it is a good read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the advanced copy, all opinions are my own.
I would have also liked to see more of the girls' interactions outside of each other. Otto has a social life that's only hinted at through her sneaking back in. Beatrice is part of a debate team that we don't really see or have mention of until the end. Marianne, I believe is in choir and Dora is only really defined by her grief. The history and the lives of these women as they dealt with the Great War and the danger of sexism, is so well written that it was a shame that the characters sometimes felt so wooden.
There are also several times that secondary characters like Ursala or Henry start to get built up as characters but only unravel. I wouldn't have minded some of the secondary characters getting more page time and building out the complex lives of our main characters more.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of history, it is a good read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the advanced copy, all opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault
Moderate: Violence, Blood
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
The Eights by Joanna Miller imagines the lives of four of the first women who studied at Oxford University in the 1920s. I loved this time frame, just after the First World War, and felt like the description of the college and community was one of the book's strengths. Unfortunately, the characters came across as wooden and stereotypical. I was never able to really connect with them on an emotional level, although they each had experienced the various traumas of the time due to war, poverty, and social mores. For me, this was only an average read. Other readers may find it enjoyable, however.
I received a digital advanced copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received a digital advanced copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.