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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
A decent book but very predictable. I wasn't a fan of the author's writing style. At times I thought she was overly descriptive of nonessential information.
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Told in alternating viewpoints between Clara in 1929 and Izzy in 1985. The writing is very atmospheric, intense, dramatic, disturbing, and horrific. What Clara had to endure was horrific. I knew that men back in the day would send their daughters or wives to the insane asylum even though they didn't have a mental health issue, but this was still very disturbing and made me angry. This had me hooked within the first couple of pages.
I struggled to finish this book. I found it too long and too depressing. The two timelines did not connect and it was much too detailed.
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Torn on this one, honestly. Parts of it just seemed too convenient for the storyline.
challenging
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was one of the best new books I've read in a long time. I couldn't put this book down, and when I had to I was still thinking about it. It was emotional, thought-provoking, and still held both hopefulness and a sense of humor on every page. The way that Ellen Marie Wiseman intertwined her two protagonists was impeccably done, and you really grew to love and feel for both of them equally. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who loves good storytelling and wants depth in their literature, and to laugh and cry with their characters.
This was a really sad book. Set in two different time periods (present day and late 1920's New York) it tells the story of Izzy, whose mother is in prison for murdering her father, and Clara, the daughter of a wealthy banker who has her committed to an insane asylum because she wanted to marry her immigrant boyfriend. The parts set in the asylum were really hard to read. Women could be committed for many things, including infidelity, infertility, even poverty. And they were not treated well. Neither were the men. The present day parts with Izzy didn't seem to fit. I think the story would have better been told just from Clara's point of view. Otherwise it was a fascinating look at mental institutions.
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The writing wasn’t elegant. It felt clunky at times.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I couldn’t put it down.