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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Honestly I’d probably have rated it a little higher, but the ending just took me out
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Death, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, War
adventurous
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
This was okay??
For a translated novel, I was very impressed with the nuance. I think that can sometimes get lost in translation (literally), and the writing can be a bit clunky. Fortunately the translator for this one did a fantastic job.
This is marketed as a historical fiction novel, but I didn’t feel like I learned much about 1930s Fascist Italy as I would have expected from a historical fiction piece. Yes, the setting was there and the names and locations were very old Italy. But I didn’t read too much detail about the political or social atmosphere of the setting itself. Thus, it felt more like a mystery/thriller with a litfic touch. It felt very lightweight to be considered historical fiction.
The plot itself was fast paced and enjoyable. I was invested in Francesca and Maddalena’s evolving friendship. However, the plot was also very standard. The themes of the novel communicated the difficulty of being believed as a woman and generalized ostracism. Did I enjoy reading? Sure. Will I remember it? Probably not.
For a translated novel, I was very impressed with the nuance. I think that can sometimes get lost in translation (literally), and the writing can be a bit clunky. Fortunately the translator for this one did a fantastic job.
This is marketed as a historical fiction novel, but I didn’t feel like I learned much about 1930s Fascist Italy as I would have expected from a historical fiction piece. Yes, the setting was there and the names and locations were very old Italy. But I didn’t read too much detail about the political or social atmosphere of the setting itself. Thus, it felt more like a mystery/thriller with a litfic touch. It felt very lightweight to be considered historical fiction.
The plot itself was fast paced and enjoyable. I was invested in Francesca and Maddalena’s evolving friendship. However, the plot was also very standard. The themes of the novel communicated the difficulty of being believed as a woman and generalized ostracism. Did I enjoy reading? Sure. Will I remember it? Probably not.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I enjoyed this story! Maddalena is such an interesting character, and I loved seeing Francesca bloom into a strong young woman throughout the story. It was refreshing to read a story about two girls making their way in the world together, a world that was incredibly difficult to maneuver through.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-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
mysterious
reflective
sad