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saliwali's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Child death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, Torture, Death, Grief, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Cursing, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Classism, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, and War
gssll_lpz's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Murder, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Forced institutionalization
unicyclegirl's review against another edition
2.0
I really aught to stop picking up YA "modern descendant investigates ancestral drama" historical fiction books. I found the Anastasia intrigue kind of interesting, but could not care less about the actual main character and her friends and family. Pretty sure Evan was the one redeeming feature of this story, he deserved better. She keeps saying she has to hide who she really is, but I don't really know who that is?? She doesn't seem to actually possess a personality. She treats Evan pretty badly most of the time- she's dismayed that he wants fair compensation for translating an entire trunk full of HANDWRITTEN Russian journals and gets super offended when he doesn't automatically take them at face value. (Everytime he expresses skepticism or says a box of notebooks isn't actually real evidence she gets real upset 🙄) She has the audacity to tell him information from incredibly basic Google searches on the thing he is literally getting a degree in and definitely already knows. She keeps bringing up his mom and then being confused as to why he is upset with her when its clearly a touchy subject. (Why does he even like her at all?? She's the worst) She thinks just because she WANTS her great aunt to be Anastasia that its got to be at least a *little bit* true. Worst of all, she (and the narrative) regularly equate her small, angsty teenage problems with the anastasia in the diaries. I know being a modern teenager is hard, but having to tone down your personality so your popular boyfriend still likes you is NOT THE SAME as having to hide your entire identity and go on the run across continents because you watched your entire family get brutally MURDERED in front of you. Nope. And in the end, everything is unrealistically tied up perfectly neatly with a bow, no loose ends.
Anyway, take my two stars with a grain of salt. I'm well outside the target audience now, but if I'm honest I probably would've loved this book at 14-15. And I do have to give kudos for historical research, the author clearly did their homework on the real historical facts.
Anyway, take my two stars with a grain of salt. I'm well outside the target audience now, but if I'm honest I probably would've loved this book at 14-15. And I do have to give kudos for historical research, the author clearly did their homework on the real historical facts.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Forced institutionalization and Alcoholism
themomwithabook's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Review of The Storyteller by Kathryn Williams:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
In this reimagining of Anastasia: Jess comes across her late great-great-aunt Anna’s diaries that are written in Russian. Hiring an interpreter, Jess and Evan realize that Aunt Anna’s diaries may be holding secrets that are much more valuable than the typical end-of-night kiss and tell. Could Aunt Anna really have been a Romanov princess who escaped death or is this some elaborate hoax? And what will Jess learn about herself as she looks into Aunt Anna’s past?
Oh man - how hopeful this book makes you feel! Despite the probability that it was unlikely, the possibility that Anastasia Romanov could have survived the same fate as her family and made a life for herself was enough for me. Williams creates a perfect blend of history and fiction. And the character development! It was like watching baby grow up but in a way, readers are blessed with two tales of self-actualization. Two storylines - one a young girl fleeing a past and running into an uncertain future; and generations later, another young girl looking to the past to help guide her future; both unsure of who they want to be but most importantly, who they truly are. The back and forth between timelines and use of diary entries to do so was captivating. And if you like descriptive scenes - check! ✔︎ The details Williams uses to illustrate each scene is impeccable! Kathryn Williams is truly an astounding storyteller and one can’t help but feel both transported to another time and captivated by the story. A must read!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
kiarelia's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Murder, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship
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