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srsanderson's review against another edition
3.0
[b:Da Vinci's Tiger|24951755|Da Vinci's Tiger|L.M. Elliott|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1440241895s/24951755.jpg|44611439] is a YA, historical fiction novel that takes place in 15th century Florence. While there was certainly a ton of research that went into producing this book, I don't know if I enjoyed the actual story.
After reading 1/3 of the book, I had no idea what the plot was. The descriptions of Renaissance Florence were amazing, and the characters seemed interesting enough (a young Leonardo Da Vinci is intriguing in itself) but I could not see the overall shape the novel was taking. But in a weird way, that made me want to read more, as opposed to setting it aside as a DNF. I needed to see where this was going, and I love an intelligent female main character.
I think the awkward parts of this book came from the introduction of Florence and Italian politics. While I understand the importance of Papal politics during the time of the Renaissance, there was no transition between the talk of art and poetry, to the intrigue of politics and its background. All of the characters and roles somehow melded into each other, and not in an eloquent, seamless way... More like a, "I don't care what is going on right now, and I have no energy to backtrack and find out" kind of way.
Overall, I thought it was a decent read. I finished it quickly, and I really enjoyed the setting. The story was a bit lacking, but the historical characters, and descriptions of all the art made up for it.
After reading 1/3 of the book, I had no idea what the plot was. The descriptions of Renaissance Florence were amazing, and the characters seemed interesting enough (a young Leonardo Da Vinci is intriguing in itself) but I could not see the overall shape the novel was taking. But in a weird way, that made me want to read more, as opposed to setting it aside as a DNF. I needed to see where this was going, and I love an intelligent female main character.
I think the awkward parts of this book came from the introduction of Florence and Italian politics. While I understand the importance of Papal politics during the time of the Renaissance, there was no transition between the talk of art and poetry, to the intrigue of politics and its background. All of the characters and roles somehow melded into each other, and not in an eloquent, seamless way... More like a, "I don't care what is going on right now, and I have no energy to backtrack and find out" kind of way.
Overall, I thought it was a decent read. I finished it quickly, and I really enjoyed the setting. The story was a bit lacking, but the historical characters, and descriptions of all the art made up for it.
oliviakateamerica's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
julyaphelion's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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
3.75
carolinethereader's review against another edition
DNF at 88 pages.
EUUUGHHH I tried. I was just bored by this book which is such a shame. It's obvious that the author has done a hell of a lot of research when building the world- there's a lot of depth to the characters and all the historical elements like the political circles were cool but eugh. I felt intrigued but I wasn't a huge fan of the main character and although things were interesting with the politics, the plot hadn't really moved forward at all by the 80 page mark so I decided to give up on this one.
EUUUGHHH I tried. I was just bored by this book which is such a shame. It's obvious that the author has done a hell of a lot of research when building the world- there's a lot of depth to the characters and all the historical elements like the political circles were cool but eugh. I felt intrigued but I wasn't a huge fan of the main character and although things were interesting with the politics, the plot hadn't really moved forward at all by the 80 page mark so I decided to give up on this one.
sephranix's review against another edition
2.0
I liked the setting and time period of this novel, and I liked the author's portrayal of Leonardo da Vinci, but overall, this book just fell flat for me. I respect all of the research and the time that the author put into creating this story, but it wasn't a complete story for me. There wasn't enough conflict, and the ending felt very rushed.
jnharris10's review against another edition
4.0
I've never read YA historical fiction, so this book (obtained through OwlCrate subscription) was a little intimidating at first - it's historical descriptions, character interactions, etc.). However, the more I read, the more engrossed I got in the story. A Renaissance heroine, a passionate relationship between Leonardo Da Vinci and his muse, artists, philosophers, creatives...what a beautiful book, an intriguing plot, and a super unique cast of characters. Plus, it was just really fun to get lost in the world of Renaissance Florence. The YA book world is lacking in historical fiction in my opinion, and this book definitely paves the way for more in-depth, captivating books in this genre.
suzannedix's review against another edition
Da Vinci’s Tiger is a novel of place and time, atmospheric in the opulence and splendor of 15th century Florence. Finding societal roles limiting, Ginevra de’ Benci struggles to find her voice among so many male poets and artists living among the wealthy Medici family with their love of culture and art. Ginevra in her own right is a progressive and intelligent young woman but is trapped in a loveless arranged marriage. However through her family’s wealth and influence in Florence, Ginevra moves among a well-educated crowd and soon catches the eye of several artists who use her lovely and wise face on canvas and in sculpture. Leonardo da Vinci, apprenticed to Andrea del Verrocchio, forms a genuine friendship with Ginevra, appreciating her intelligence and grace. Commissioned by a powerful ambassador, who also seems to have amorous plans for Ginevra, da Vinci paints one of his best-known works featuring Ginevra and her intense gaze. While this novel will have limited appeal due to its deliberate slow pace, this well documented historical fiction is abundant with day to day details of life during the Renaissance. The narration is tedious at times with Ginevra’s voice coming off as whiny or breathless, presenting her more as vapid than valiant. The author’s note includes a link to view all of the paintings discussed in the novel as well as images of Florence.
blawson06's review against another edition
3.0
Different from my usual picks, but still pretty good.