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3.27 AVERAGE
3.27 AVERAGE
I really liked the idea of this book. Unfortunately it felt very over descriptive and yet somehow many of the characters felt flat. Some things felt like the beginning of a solid idea but then they weren't totally finished off, I really did enjoy the wintery vibes and the idea of ballet telling a story similar to that of Death & the Maiden but unfortunately this book just did not hit how l had hoped.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC
I liked Nocturne but not enough to recommend it to a friend. It was a sort of retelling of Beauty and the Beast- the author even refers to the male protagonist as a beast. There are also references to the myth of Hades and Persephone. However I feel as though the world building and description was lacking. Some of the sequences were difficult to follow and I was unsure exactly what happened in some parts.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Title: Nocturne
Author: Alyssa Wees
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Format: eARC
Series: NA
Star Rating: 3 stars
tw: death, mob killing, humans being sold, gun violence, decay of bodies, assault, extreme grief
A special thank you goes to Netgalley and Del Ray books for giving me a copy of this book. Please know that this does not influence my rating or thoughts on the book itself.
So this book was interesting. It certainly was not what I thought it was going to be. I had thought that maybe it was a Hades/Persephone retelling but I don’t think it was. I think it’s more about the sandman or perhaps the grim reaper. Regardless of what it was, my feelings about it are mixed. I’m not sure if I truly liked it or not. I had the same feelings about The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh. I still think about that book to this day and I read it four years ago.
I’ll start with the writing. The writing was very beautiful and almost graphic at times. It did work for what the book was about. While I enjoyed the metaphors at first, after a while, it got to be too much. I often have this problem. I enjoy metaphoric writing at first but then it starts to annoy me. I understand that a metaphoric style of writing is a good writing tool, I just think it could be toned down a little bit.
Grace, who was the main character, was okay. Early in the book, she just seemed so weak and naive to me. I liked her more toward the end when she went into vengeance mode. I wish she had been that way the whole book. I think I would have rated this book higher. Before that, she felt weak as I mentioned above. I also loved the friendship between Emilia and Grace. That is what friendship and sisterhood should be.
Overall, the book was okay. It was really the ending that I had a problem with. It was an odd ending and to be honest, I think it could have been stronger. But maybe that was the ending we were supposed to get all along. I don’t think the book could have ended any other way but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. Overall, it was a bad book, I just had different expectations for it. One thing is for sure, this book is going to haunt me for a long time.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Murder
Sooooo, hard to write a review on this one. I dislike giving low ratings on books but this one was tough. It had SO much potential. But ultimately it was incredibly disjointed and confusing. And very over-written. Now don't get me wrong, I can handle flowery descriptions and The Night Circus is one of my favorite books. But this was done in a way that doesn't even make sense. I had to reread passages to try to get what she was describing but came up empty. If you want a thorough review that I agreed with, check out Marquise in the review section.
This was an ARC I read through Netgalley.
This was an ARC I read through Netgalley.
I was initially very excited to read Nocturne. It is described as a 1930s Chicago fantasy about a prima ballerina, which reminded me of a dark fairytale retelling of Phantom of the Opera (one of my favorite stories of all time). Unlike some reviewers, I loved the writing style, and thought that the lyrical prose perfectly complemented the story’s unique premise. Unfortunately, although it is beautifully written, the plot is difficult to follow and underwhelming. All of the side characters are one-dimensional, and I could never figure out why the dark and mysterious patron (SPOILER: ) was obsessed with the protagonist, Grace, at all. It quickly became a cheesy and unfulfilling Beauty and the Beast retelling, without the charm, banter, or genuine romantic connection that makes the original story beloved. I am still struggling to figure out what exactly the purpose of the plot was (even after finishing the book, I still don’t know).
I received Nocturne from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Spoiler
Death himself?I received Nocturne from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!!
This is a gorgeous fairytale!! This stole me away from reality and gave me a dark, wandering and enchanting tale to rest in.
Grace has not had an easy life. She is living in Chicago around the 1930's.
Orphaned by age 13, she finds herself at a local ballet school. Now, at age 20, she is finally offered the position of prima ballerina. However, as is often warned in fairytales, all things come with a price.
Grace finds out she has a very rich and mysterious sponsor. So, naturally, she does everything in her power to find out who he is. When she finally does she is shocked at what she finds. No mere man, but death himself. And, Grace finds herself trapped between reality and illusion.
This was an entrancing read. I loved the dreamlike quality of the author's writing style. Especially because this only added to the natural surreal quality of the story.
Out February 21, 2023!
This is a gorgeous fairytale!! This stole me away from reality and gave me a dark, wandering and enchanting tale to rest in.
Grace has not had an easy life. She is living in Chicago around the 1930's.
Orphaned by age 13, she finds herself at a local ballet school. Now, at age 20, she is finally offered the position of prima ballerina. However, as is often warned in fairytales, all things come with a price.
Grace finds out she has a very rich and mysterious sponsor. So, naturally, she does everything in her power to find out who he is. When she finally does she is shocked at what she finds. No mere man, but death himself. And, Grace finds herself trapped between reality and illusion.
This was an entrancing read. I loved the dreamlike quality of the author's writing style. Especially because this only added to the natural surreal quality of the story.
Out February 21, 2023!
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
"Sleep comes to mortals every night of their lives, while death only comes but once."
Orphan Grace Dragotta has always wanted to be a ballerina but, when she is given the role of prima, a mysterious benefactor changes everything. With Death and Sleep battling it out on stage for the soul of The Girl, Grace realizes there's a battle also taking place off stage.
As a former ballet dancer and lover of The Phantom of the Opera, the way Alyssa Wees brings together the hauntingly beautiful nature of both is extraordinary. I highly recommend this book to all ballet lovers and those who enjoy a good fantasy with a side of romance thrown in.
ARC provided by NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group in exchange for a fair review.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own, and I am writing a voluntary review.
This book has a little bit of phantom of the opera and a little bit beauty and the beast and a little bit hades and persephone, but it still feels very unique.
Wees has a masterful grasp on language and how to use it to make the reader not only feel something but to experience that feeling as they read the words on the page. This is not a long book, but each word is expertly chosen in order to have the most impact possible.
Centered around an aspiring prima ballerina in a Chicago ballet company during the Depression, Nocturne takes dance and music and makes them magical. It imbues these arts with capabilities that they are often talked about with hyperbole, but makes them real. Dance and music are escapes, but the question Nocturne raises is, escapes from what? and what happens when you do break free?
While I think some of the execution in the latter part of the story, particularly the inner workings of the world of Noctem could have used a little more explaining, not knowing the rules is also what makes the story work. Because you don't see the ending until its right upon you, even though you've been looking at it the whole time.
This book has a little bit of phantom of the opera and a little bit beauty and the beast and a little bit hades and persephone, but it still feels very unique.
Wees has a masterful grasp on language and how to use it to make the reader not only feel something but to experience that feeling as they read the words on the page. This is not a long book, but each word is expertly chosen in order to have the most impact possible.
Centered around an aspiring prima ballerina in a Chicago ballet company during the Depression, Nocturne takes dance and music and makes them magical. It imbues these arts with capabilities that they are often talked about with hyperbole, but makes them real. Dance and music are escapes, but the question Nocturne raises is, escapes from what? and what happens when you do break free?
While I think some of the execution in the latter part of the story, particularly the inner workings of the world of Noctem could have used a little more explaining, not knowing the rules is also what makes the story work. Because you don't see the ending until its right upon you, even though you've been looking at it the whole time.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Headlines:
Little bird and the beast
The veil between worlds
Darkly delicious
I saw this book being likened to beauty and the beast and phantom of the opera, having read it, I can see these themes but Nocturne is truly its own story. It was a book full of mystery, twists and turns eroded by darkness and fog. I really enjoyed the dark vibe, occasional horrorish vision and twisted tale it evoked.
The main character, Grace was an orphan of sorts, having experienced life of familial tragedy in the 1930s hardships of Chicago. Grace was a ballerina in a struggling dance company. However, this wasn't only Chicago, there was a foggy veil between two worlds. That otherworldly place was sometimes scary but it became familiar and a place Grace came to want to exist in.
The other main character was the Master, her patron at the dance company. He was a mysterious, unseen character, in a private box at the theatre, sponsoring Grace for an unknown reason. How this story and relationship played out made me trepidatious for Grace but I came to settle into how things evolved. I hated the house and I didn't trust the Master's assistant.
Things got pretty messed up through a unique storyline as the two worlds collided and enmeshed. I couldn't put the second half of the book down. This isn't a neatly tied up story but there's a cleverness and authenticity in where this tale ends.
Thank you to DelReyUk for the review copy.
Little bird and the beast
The veil between worlds
Darkly delicious
I saw this book being likened to beauty and the beast and phantom of the opera, having read it, I can see these themes but Nocturne is truly its own story. It was a book full of mystery, twists and turns eroded by darkness and fog. I really enjoyed the dark vibe, occasional horrorish vision and twisted tale it evoked.
The main character, Grace was an orphan of sorts, having experienced life of familial tragedy in the 1930s hardships of Chicago. Grace was a ballerina in a struggling dance company. However, this wasn't only Chicago, there was a foggy veil between two worlds. That otherworldly place was sometimes scary but it became familiar and a place Grace came to want to exist in.
The other main character was the Master, her patron at the dance company. He was a mysterious, unseen character, in a private box at the theatre, sponsoring Grace for an unknown reason. How this story and relationship played out made me trepidatious for Grace but I came to settle into how things evolved. I hated the house and I didn't trust the Master's assistant.
Things got pretty messed up through a unique storyline as the two worlds collided and enmeshed. I couldn't put the second half of the book down. This isn't a neatly tied up story but there's a cleverness and authenticity in where this tale ends.
Thank you to DelReyUk for the review copy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Nocturne is a beautifully told, gothic not-quite-fairy tale following orphaned ballerina Grace Dragotta as she longs to make principle of her dance company and is suddenly elevated to her dream role by a mysterious benefactor who is not what he seems.
Although I’d heard in recommendations that this was reminiscent of Phantom of the Opera I don’t feel that’s the case at all, despite the presence of a ballet company and a mysterious benefactor that commissioned his own ballet at the end. It definitely felt like it took a bit of inspiration from Beauty and the Beast, had a fleeting mention of Hades/Persephone, and then was mixed with the dark vibe of Black Swan towards the end. It didn’t take a clear direction, but there seemed to be so many threads to this that it couldn’t stand concisely as it’s own cohesive thing either.
Nocturne to me read more overall more YA, despite it being the authors first foray into adult fantasy. At times the flowery language outshined the plot, and the middle lagged for me as Grace begins to unpack what her benefactor is and what he wants. I felt confused at points, and I think a lack of characterization is why I felt things unraveled a bit abruptly. Without spoiling it, that lack of development for a certain pair of main “villains” is probably why I could not feel invested and couldn’t grip onto the real story happening here.
I will say it did not end how I first thought, but I love how it wrapped up (and because of this I think Grace’s love and command over the violin was so much more tangible than her dancing). Although not fantasy and more akin to historical fiction, I feel like some of the strongest writing and characterization happens in the first third while we’re learning about Grace’s struggles and backstory. Also, side note, I wish we had more time with Emilia’s character who was the real mvp throughout.
I give this 3.5 stars because I just couldn’t get fully transported into her story and it took a while to get through. Thank you to NetGalley & Random House for the ARC.