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flaviadeer's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mollyss's review against another edition
2.0
I honestly really really struggled to read this. Started it over a month ago and truly was skipping through at the end. I feel like it was meant to be an intellectual book but the writing felt over the top to me and meant that lots of the story was lit in insane amount of random detail. Sad because I loved Sara Collins at the booker prize event but this book was not it lol
sandiet's review against another edition
2.0
I first started this book as a lightning loan from the library and got to about 50% before it automagically disappeared from my tablet. It became available again earlier this week and I have to say the last 50% was sorely disappointing. Failed to capture my interest and I found myself turning to other books when I got bored. Lots of people have reviewed this favourably, I however am not enamoured.
celtic67's review against another edition
2.0
I was so looking forward to this book but sadly not for me .
dnietoperafan's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely devoured this book. Collins has an amazing way of keeping you hooked with multiple small mysteries throughout the novel. Not only has our main character potentially murdered two people, there’s also a mystery surrounding her parentage, the things she did in Paradise, other characters’ relationships, etc.
I’m not going to lie, Frannie was such a well constructed character. The way that the novel is constructed in letters to her lawyer, and testimonies, gives the reader in-depth knowledge of what goes inside her head, and other characters’ perceptions of her. I really enjoyed the prose, and the ease in which my eyes floated on the pages. It was effortless.
I loved the way in which nothing is sugar-coated: slavery, sapphic sex, sex work, affairs. It’s like nothing I’ve ever read. Made me feel sick at points, and I say that in the most respectful way. I really do admire Collins, her writing, and this novel. I’m definitely looking for more of her works.
I’m not going to lie, Frannie was such a well constructed character. The way that the novel is constructed in letters to her lawyer, and testimonies, gives the reader in-depth knowledge of what goes inside her head, and other characters’ perceptions of her. I really enjoyed the prose, and the ease in which my eyes floated on the pages. It was effortless.
I loved the way in which nothing is sugar-coated: slavery, sapphic sex, sex work, affairs. It’s like nothing I’ve ever read. Made me feel sick at points, and I say that in the most respectful way. I really do admire Collins, her writing, and this novel. I’m definitely looking for more of her works.
kjgeiger's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kirkcarp's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
jess_mango's review against another edition
4.0
Powerful novel about Frannie Langton, a woman who grew up in Jamaica as a house slave on a sugar plantation. As a young adult, her master moved with her to London where she was "free" yet was given to a family friend to work as a servant in their home. Frannie was taught to read and write by her master while in Jamaica which makes her even more of an oddity in London: a black woman who can read.
The novel is told in a series of letters that Frannie is writing from prison. She is jailed after being accused of the double murder of her employers. The murder is a big scandal and London papers avidly cover the case accusing Frannie of being a witch, a whore, and more.
I really enjoyed this one. It was a twisty thrilling read that was deeper than other thrillers due to the exploration of race and class. Frannie is a strong lead female character that was oppressed due to her race, class, and gender. I highly recommend this book!
The novel is told in a series of letters that Frannie is writing from prison. She is jailed after being accused of the double murder of her employers. The murder is a big scandal and London papers avidly cover the case accusing Frannie of being a witch, a whore, and more.
I really enjoyed this one. It was a twisty thrilling read that was deeper than other thrillers due to the exploration of race and class. Frannie is a strong lead female character that was oppressed due to her race, class, and gender. I highly recommend this book!
seymone's review against another edition
3.0
I can’t quite express how I feel about this novel, at the moment. I will give four words, disgusted, fetishization, complicity, and perseverance (both I and the protagonist). It was challenging to finish this book. I found myself at points, procrastinating, as not to read this book.
syrmiana's review against another edition
4.0
Wow? Wow. There’s a lot to unpack here. I’ll try to keep it spoiler free but PLEASE, check some trigger warnings. I don’t remember there being any at the beginning, but there are heavy themes such as SA, which are very prevalent.
That being said, WOW! I did not expect to like a book this much, specially when it’s a book I have to read for a class (I think they have a reputation of being somewhat boring), but I enjoyed every bit of it. It kept me hooked just enough not to get bored, it wasn’t at all overwhelming with information, and it definitely made my chest feel tight a few times. I’m always very sensitive when it comes to slavery, and I have to admit I started reading this book without even having looked at the synopsis. When I noticed what it was about I was like “Oh shit”. But oh boy did it amaze me.
There’s shock factor, there’s love, there’s unfairness and, sadly, no happy ending. There’s sapphic love, a love that has to be a secret, and a raw depiction of the Victorian era through the lenses of someone on the “not so lucky” and rich side of the pole.
That being said, WOW! I did not expect to like a book this much, specially when it’s a book I have to read for a class (I think they have a reputation of being somewhat boring), but I enjoyed every bit of it. It kept me hooked just enough not to get bored, it wasn’t at all overwhelming with information, and it definitely made my chest feel tight a few times. I’m always very sensitive when it comes to slavery, and I have to admit I started reading this book without even having looked at the synopsis. When I noticed what it was about I was like “Oh shit”. But oh boy did it amaze me.
There’s shock factor, there’s love, there’s unfairness and, sadly, no happy ending. There’s sapphic love, a love that has to be a secret, and a raw depiction of the Victorian era through the lenses of someone on the “not so lucky” and rich side of the pole.