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rachelsbookishlife's review
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual assault, and Rape
Moderate: Abortion, Animal death, and Child death
Minor: War
katherine_alexis's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and War
Moderate: Animal death
breekeeler's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Nina de Gramont is clearly a talented writer; there are passages in this book that are incredibly lovely and affecting. In part, I think my own expectations for what this book would be affected my enjoyment of the book.
Given that the book isn't terribly long, it seemed to drag on. I was interested in Nan's story (although was personally annoyed by the "motherhood is more powerful and important than anything" trope that drove/justified much of the plot), but for so much of the book, there were just too many storylines going on, and they didn't get connected until quite late in the game, by which point I hardly cared anymore. In fact, the story dragged so much that by the time the mystery plot was solved, my entire response was to shrug. I just didn't care anymore.
Unreliable narrators don't always work for me, and this, unfortunately, was an instance where it didn't work for me at all. I can't quite put my finger on why, but I think it's because everyone's story is told from Nan's imagined version of their life/events, and so it all only serves her narrative of events. I understand why this choice was made, but I think this comes down to me wanting a story about Agatha Christie's disappearance, and instead getting a story that was something else entirely. In fact, you could have simply re-named the Christie character and given her a different profession, and the story wouldn't have been impacted at all. If this book hadn't been marketed as being a take on the Christie disappearance, it isn't something I would have picked up, and since the plot wasn't affected by the fact that it was Christie (as opposed to any other upper class woman) who "disappeared", I felt a bit duped in the end.
Given that the book isn't terribly long, it seemed to drag on. I was interested in Nan's story (although was personally annoyed by the "motherhood is more powerful and important than anything" trope that drove/justified much of the plot), but for so much of the book, there were just too many storylines going on, and they didn't get connected until quite late in the game, by which point I hardly cared anymore. In fact, the story dragged so much that by the time the mystery plot was solved, my entire response was to shrug. I just didn't care anymore.
Unreliable narrators don't always work for me, and this, unfortunately, was an instance where it didn't work for me at all. I can't quite put my finger on why, but I think it's because everyone's story is told from Nan's imagined version of their life/events, and so it all only serves her narrative of events. I understand why this choice was made, but I think this comes down to me wanting a story about Agatha Christie's disappearance, and instead getting a story that was something else entirely. In fact, you could have simply re-named the Christie character and given her a different profession, and the story wouldn't have been impacted at all. If this book hadn't been marketed as being a take on the Christie disappearance, it isn't something I would have picked up, and since the plot wasn't affected by the fact that it was Christie (as opposed to any other upper class woman) who "disappeared", I felt a bit duped in the end.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Miscarriage, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Animal death and Suicide
daggrmissel's review
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I was loving this book up until about half way through. Although I did enjoy the rest, there were a few side stories that I didn't understand and that felt clunky. I discovered the reason for them later, but felt the book would have been nearly 5⭐ had they not been in there. I'm sure most people will enjoy the plot twists, but I was better off with less plot twist and more character development. Still really liked it!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Animal death
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