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patchworkbunny's review against another edition
4.0
Thea has been sent away. It’s a punishment, removed from her family she loves so much and made to live amongst strangers. She has never known people outside her family, but she knows she deserves her punishment. She must leave her beloved Sasi behind but at least she will be riding, for she has been sent to Yonahlosse: A summer equestrian respite, educating young ladies since 1902.
Set in 1920s America, the novel spans a time of in-betweens. Not only is Thea at that awkward age between child and adult, but it is also a time where women’s roles and rights were changing, social rules were shifting and of course the start of the Great Depression; where the once rich have to deal with being the new poor. Thea has lived a very sheltered life and somehow that manages to continue despite the rest of the world falling into chaos. She comes across as a bit distant. She’s one of those characters who you won’t exactly like as a person but it all fits with everything you learn about her and her upbringing.
I have never quite grown out of horse books and being a pony-mad girl growing up, I would have killed to have been sent away to riding camp long term! Anton is careful to explain some things that would seem obvious to those who know horses so a lack of knowledge wouldn’t get in the way of enjoying Yonahlossee. However, I do know some people just don’t like horses and well, they do play a big enough role to get annoying if you’re that way inclined. It’s not really about the horses though; it’s about a girl who is cushioned throughout life and the resulting consequences.
I did think at the start that I knew what her secret was and whilst I may have been partly right, each dip into the past reveals something new and my prediction changed repeatedly. It’s fairly slow-paced but enough information is drip-fed at the right moments to keep the intrigue going. I loved the setting, both in time and the secluded ranch in North Carolina. I have seen some people recommending this for fans of The Great Gatsby, but in all honestly, I enjoyed Yonahlossee a whole lot more.
Set in 1920s America, the novel spans a time of in-betweens. Not only is Thea at that awkward age between child and adult, but it is also a time where women’s roles and rights were changing, social rules were shifting and of course the start of the Great Depression; where the once rich have to deal with being the new poor. Thea has lived a very sheltered life and somehow that manages to continue despite the rest of the world falling into chaos. She comes across as a bit distant. She’s one of those characters who you won’t exactly like as a person but it all fits with everything you learn about her and her upbringing.
I have never quite grown out of horse books and being a pony-mad girl growing up, I would have killed to have been sent away to riding camp long term! Anton is careful to explain some things that would seem obvious to those who know horses so a lack of knowledge wouldn’t get in the way of enjoying Yonahlossee. However, I do know some people just don’t like horses and well, they do play a big enough role to get annoying if you’re that way inclined. It’s not really about the horses though; it’s about a girl who is cushioned throughout life and the resulting consequences.
I did think at the start that I knew what her secret was and whilst I may have been partly right, each dip into the past reveals something new and my prediction changed repeatedly. It’s fairly slow-paced but enough information is drip-fed at the right moments to keep the intrigue going. I loved the setting, both in time and the secluded ranch in North Carolina. I have seen some people recommending this for fans of The Great Gatsby, but in all honestly, I enjoyed Yonahlossee a whole lot more.
emdav_e's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
craftygoat's review against another edition
3.0
This book was a librarian recommendation based on some other books I've enjoyed. I double-checked a few chapters in to see if maybe it was a YA book. It's obvious by the end of the book that it's not exactly rated PG, but it still seemed youngish to me.
The protagonist was hard to like at first, and I'm not sure why the author included some of the things that made me dislike her -- how did her stealing her mother's muff & her brother's handkerchief, or sneaking through her cabin-mates' personal items, add to her story?
Lots of parallels & symbolism -- the mother who grows roses and kids in an environment where they don't belong, dumb horses whose fault it never is & who don't actually belong to the girls anyway, the girl Thea pushes away because she's too much like herself, the differences in the ways Thea eventually treats her twin and her Cissy. I'm sure these details help the critical acclaim for the author. Overall I found the story unsatisfying, though. I was compelled to keep reading to find out the big family secret, but in the end I didn't feel there was sufficient growth or resolution.
The protagonist was hard to like at first, and I'm not sure why the author included some of the things that made me dislike her -- how did her stealing her mother's muff & her brother's handkerchief, or sneaking through her cabin-mates' personal items, add to her story?
Lots of parallels & symbolism -- the mother who grows roses and kids in an environment where they don't belong, dumb horses whose fault it never is & who don't actually belong to the girls anyway, the girl Thea pushes away because she's too much like herself, the differences in the ways Thea eventually treats her twin and her Cissy. I'm sure these details help the critical acclaim for the author. Overall I found the story unsatisfying, though. I was compelled to keep reading to find out the big family secret, but in the end I didn't feel there was sufficient growth or resolution.
emjanereads's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
lauriestein's review against another edition
2.0
The settings were fascinating, but I did not find any of the characters remotely realistic. Typical of my usual disappointment when I depart from my normal patterns and read a book-clubby novel.
amchica's review against another edition
2.0
This seemed like it was going to be a very interesting read at first. But the book's "secret" was fairly obvious from the beginning. There wasn't a single character who didn't behave in exactly the way I would have expected them to. Bland and forgettable. The only thing that saves it is that DiSclafani clearly has a talent with words. But without a compelling story and characters, it's not quite enough.
julieb118's review against another edition
3.0
By far, one of the strangest books I've ever read. I was intrigued by the reviews - seemed people either gave it 5 stars or 1, and commented that they couldn't put it down or absolutely hated it. I probably fall in the middle, but find this to be a book with a MAJOR identity crisis. It is described as a coming of age and period book, but it couldn't be further from what I view as a coming of age book - it was dark and weird. It also was not a period piece - nothing in it really made you feel like you were "in" the period in which it takes place, or understand the lives of people during that time. The sex scenes were WAY too graphic for the type of book it seemed like it was trying to be. Like I said - major identity crisis.
dsbressette's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent writing....it kept me turning the pages to find out why Thea was sent to the riding camp...recommend