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lvnreadig's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Wow!!!! This book kept me guessing and I couldn’t put it down. Loved the use of the authors sense of place. My trip to Iceland was one of my favorite trips ever, so this book was a wonderful way to relive the beauty of Iceland.
While many of the characters were tragically flawed, they were able to show remarkable changes. The book featured many brutal aspects of life in past in Iceland, but also showed how two very different characters changed. If you have been to Iceland or wish to go, I recommend this book!
The only thing I wish wasthat the book ended with Rosas chapter instead of Jon’s. I liked her ending better.
While many of the characters were tragically flawed, they were able to show remarkable changes. The book featured many brutal aspects of life in past in Iceland, but also showed how two very different characters changed. If you have been to Iceland or wish to go, I recommend this book!
The only thing I wish was
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Incest, and Murder
badgerden's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
I'll have a more expansive review later, but I'm very surprised that nobody seems to mention that this is essentially a Beauty and the Beast rewrite.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual violence, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Physical abuse, Mental illness, Gore, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicide attempt
elinev's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Be aware that this book should come with some trigger warnings. I loved the setting and scenery, however I did not expect such heavy/explicit themes, which is why I took off a little bit off the score. Still a beautiful read, but just be aware!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Incest, Homophobia, Child death, and Rape
whimsicalish's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
While this does feel similar to Rebecca, I appreciate the differences in setting, story, and characters.
The writing is easy to read, although the author reuses phrases multiple times. I should have counted how many times I read the line "she bit her lip until she tasted blood." Do you know how hard you'd have to bite to split your lip open? This is repeated a handful of times.
You can spot exactly what was going to happen to the letters.
Why on Earth would you try to "hide" your notes that describe in great detail how you don't trust your husband in the house you share? Was any reader shocked to learn he found them? It's painstakingly obvious.
You completely lose the tension when you read chapters from Jon's perspective.
I don't know why authors do this to their stories. When you build a tense situation where the reader isn't sure someone will survive and then have that character's POV with a time stamp, well now the reader KNOWS they survive. You completely lose out on the worry and stress.
The writing was average and took away the tension. I didn't care much for any of the characters. The only thing that really stuck out was the setting.
The writing is easy to read, although the author reuses phrases multiple times. I should have counted how many times I read the line "she bit her lip until she tasted blood." Do you know how hard you'd have to bite to split your lip open? This is repeated a handful of times.
You can spot exactly what was going to happen to the letters.
You completely lose the tension when you read chapters from Jon's perspective.
The writing was average and took away the tension. I didn't care much for any of the characters. The only thing that really stuck out was the setting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Death and Sexual assault
Minor: Incest, Miscarriage, and Alcoholism
spiderwitch's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Rape, Pregnancy, Death, Incest, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Misogyny, and Confinement
Moderate: Xenophobia, Miscarriage, and Vomit
Minor: Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Cancer
bookedbymadeline's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This historical novel is character driven, with the mysterious plot slowly unraveling. I’m usually picky with character driven novels since they tend to be slower/less interesting for me, but this one held my attention. The setting of Iceland in the 17th century felt perfect for winter!
I enjoyed the mythology/cultural background about Icelandic peoples and their beliefs. It piqued my interest in reading more about the country. This was my first book set in Iceland and I loved being transported to the country and set in the past. I also liked watching the story unfold as secrets are revealed through duel POVs.
The husband Jón’s POV could be confusing at times as it looked at the last at times but still indicated the same year as Rósa’s chapters. It was amazing to watch all the characters develop throughout the novel, and I loved how the landscape became a sort of character too!
If you enjoyed The Familiars, Jane Eyre, or books set in the 17th century then I think you’ll enjoy this one. Also the cover is just gorgeous!
I enjoyed the mythology/cultural background about Icelandic peoples and their beliefs. It piqued my interest in reading more about the country. This was my first book set in Iceland and I loved being transported to the country and set in the past. I also liked watching the story unfold as secrets are revealed through duel POVs.
The husband Jón’s POV could be confusing at times as it looked at the last at times but still indicated the same year as Rósa’s chapters. It was amazing to watch all the characters develop throughout the novel, and I loved how the landscape became a sort of character too!
If you enjoyed The Familiars, Jane Eyre, or books set in the 17th century then I think you’ll enjoy this one. Also the cover is just gorgeous!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Domestic abuse, Blood, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Animal death and Homophobia
Minor: Rape and Incest
Stillbirth
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