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lisahoeflinger's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
I worked out a major flaw in the concept early on. It requires a lot of suspension of disbelief.
amberstow's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
getupkid10's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
ausbelle's review against another edition
3.0
Not my usual fare, but I really enjoyed this. Well paced, the jumps between centuries and countries added interest and built the plot to a lovely crescendo.
mrsbear's review against another edition
It would not be fair to rate this book. I stopped listening as soon as a small animal was purposely crushed by a jerk. Yes a small part of the story but one that bothered me enough for me to stop listening.
korin_catbyte's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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
4.0
patchworkbunny's review against another edition
4.0
Win a copy on my blog (UK only) ends 20/07/13.
Hannah Wilde is on the run. An evil which has stalked her family across generations now wants her. With her husband bleeding and her daughter asleep in the backseat of the car, they flee to Snowdonia to take refuge amongst the mountains. She can trust no one, not until their identity is verified.
The String Diaries has been likened to The Historian and A Discovery of Witches and for once I would agree; this book definitely falls into the same pot as the thriller of the family. If you like a mix of academia, urban fantasy and historical fiction, it’s well worth a read. I would say it is faster paced and a bit more action packed than the other two, despite jumping back and forth in time.
Although there are multiple timelines, it is essentially the story of one man’s impact on a family, across generations, starting in 19th century Hungary. Hosszú életek literally translates into “long life” and after a bit of googling, I think it is a made up mythology rooted in enough elements of Hungarian folklore to be believable. Jakab’s story shows how evil can be made; I don’t think he was born evil, just that his circumstances and actions snowballed into something else. It’s an interesting take to show his current day damage alongside his evolution.
One grumble is that it started to get a bit repetitive. I know, the whole point is that the same thing happens again and again, which reinforces Hannah’s panic and the impossibility of escape, but every time someone appear saying one thing, my mind instantly went, well that’s got to be Jakob. I was also a bit disappointed in the ending, thought it was a bit of a cop out when it could have been quite powerful.
Hannah Wilde is on the run. An evil which has stalked her family across generations now wants her. With her husband bleeding and her daughter asleep in the backseat of the car, they flee to Snowdonia to take refuge amongst the mountains. She can trust no one, not until their identity is verified.
The String Diaries has been likened to The Historian and A Discovery of Witches and for once I would agree; this book definitely falls into the same pot as the thriller of the family. If you like a mix of academia, urban fantasy and historical fiction, it’s well worth a read. I would say it is faster paced and a bit more action packed than the other two, despite jumping back and forth in time.
Although there are multiple timelines, it is essentially the story of one man’s impact on a family, across generations, starting in 19th century Hungary. Hosszú életek literally translates into “long life” and after a bit of googling, I think it is a made up mythology rooted in enough elements of Hungarian folklore to be believable. Jakab’s story shows how evil can be made; I don’t think he was born evil, just that his circumstances and actions snowballed into something else. It’s an interesting take to show his current day damage alongside his evolution.
One grumble is that it started to get a bit repetitive. I know, the whole point is that the same thing happens again and again, which reinforces Hannah’s panic and the impossibility of escape, but every time someone appear saying one thing, my mind instantly went, well that’s got to be Jakob. I was also a bit disappointed in the ending, thought it was a bit of a cop out when it could have been quite powerful.
twice_jordyn's review against another edition
3.5
I'm a sucker for stories with alternating timelines; this one had me hooked. Admittedly, it took me a few chapters to really get into it, but I was drawn in through the historic timelines. The present day setting wasn't as interesting to me as the history and folklore of the previous two. The various side characters were all far more interesting than Hannah, the main character, or her daughter. The last few chapters of this book were confusing to say the least and the ending was disappointing. The only thing saving the story are the alternating timelines and intriguing side characters. All that said, I'd read it again.