Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
I enjoyed the writing and the setting, although the plot was very slow.
The very eloquent low-star reviews already posted here by others perfectly sum up my feelings about this book so I won't restate what has already been said.
Love this author, disappointed in this book.
Love this author, disappointed in this book.
A truly extraordinary book that uses turn of the century Coney Island and the NYC Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire as the frame for a story of finding an identity. Wonderfully well done.
I’ll tell you what. Alice Hoffman knows how to write! This is an intriguing historical fiction novel primarily set in 2011 on Coney Island, NY. Coralie’s controlling father is passionate about his Museum of Extraordinary Things and thinks of himself as a professor of science. Coralie is not allowed into the museum until she is ten years old. When she is finally ushered into the museum on that long-awaited birthday, she learns about her father’s plans for her to become a special attraction.
All grown up in 2011, Coralie has rarely resisted her father’s strict demands and expectations. Coralie eventually finds her independence when her story intersects with Eddie. Eddie, born Ezekiel, fled to New York from Ukraine after his mother was killed. In his youth, Eddie discovered his knack for finding people when he went to work for a well-known mystic (based on a real life person). Eddie rejects his father and his Orthodox heritage to settle down as a photographer with an appreciation for the beauty of nature.
Several of the characters and key events in the book are true. The unfortunately true tragic 2011 fires at the triangle shirtwaist factory and at the Coney Island Dreamland amusement park play key roles in the plot. The complicated plot includes themes such as abuse, mystery, murder, outcasts, and love. This is a solid five start book with excellent writing and an extremely creative storyline that ties into history. Love. Love. Love.
All grown up in 2011, Coralie has rarely resisted her father’s strict demands and expectations. Coralie eventually finds her independence when her story intersects with Eddie. Eddie, born Ezekiel, fled to New York from Ukraine after his mother was killed. In his youth, Eddie discovered his knack for finding people when he went to work for a well-known mystic (based on a real life person). Eddie rejects his father and his Orthodox heritage to settle down as a photographer with an appreciation for the beauty of nature.
Several of the characters and key events in the book are true. The unfortunately true tragic 2011 fires at the triangle shirtwaist factory and at the Coney Island Dreamland amusement park play key roles in the plot. The complicated plot includes themes such as abuse, mystery, murder, outcasts, and love. This is a solid five start book with excellent writing and an extremely creative storyline that ties into history. Love. Love. Love.
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
I loved this book! A wonderful look into early 1900’s New York and a beautiful love story filled with hope
I enjoyed the historical context of the book, especially the descriptions of Manhattan island still having wilderness. The author paints a vivid picture of what life was really like living in the tenement buildings of the early 20th century.
What disappointed me was the two characters who the love story is supposed to be about hardly spending any time together until far into the book. Because there were sections written from both characters' first-person perspectives, as well as regular narrative, it almost felt disjointed, like I was reading two separate books and waiting for them to come together.
All in all, it was enjoyable enough to read but not amazing.
What disappointed me was the two characters who the love story is supposed to be about hardly spending any time together until far into the book. Because there were sections written from both characters' first-person perspectives, as well as regular narrative, it almost felt disjointed, like I was reading two separate books and waiting for them to come together.
All in all, it was enjoyable enough to read but not amazing.
Bit slow at the beginning but loved the time period and it kept me engaged
It's the little touches. The small details. The unbelievable truths that make Alice Hoffman's novels so compelling. So heartbreaking. So enjoyable. A new favorite.
At first I really didn't like this book. I really enjoyed the way the characters and plot developed throughout the book and how you still learned things towards the end.
Holding onto only The Dovekeepers as experience with Alice Hoffman's writing, I dove into The Museum of Extraordinary Things with enthusiasm...and hit my head on the pool floor, so to speak.
I found TMOET extraordinarily disappointing. It felt like I was reading a struggling debut novel from a novice writer. The writing, in my opinion, was stiff, formulaic, and without any semblance of real emotion. The characters were uninteresting and archetypal. Going from alternating first-person POVs to third person POV made for a jarring reading experience. The plot was rooted in true historical events, much like The Dovekeepers, but instead of adding her own twists and depth, it felt much more like a history lesson than a historical novel.
I also found there to be a strange lack of subtlety. The characters' motives were pretty much spelled out, often by the characters themselves. I didn't see the point of the first-person accounts, when all they did was contribute to creating an oddly-paced, mundane storyline.
To be fair, the story picked up when the two protagonists' lives finally began to intertwine. There were some suspenseful moments that genuinely had me hooked, and to an extent the novel was engaging.
Overall, TMOET was a disappointing and forgettable novel.
I found TMOET extraordinarily disappointing. It felt like I was reading a struggling debut novel from a novice writer. The writing, in my opinion, was stiff, formulaic, and without any semblance of real emotion. The characters were uninteresting and archetypal. Going from alternating first-person POVs to third person POV made for a jarring reading experience. The plot was rooted in true historical events, much like The Dovekeepers, but instead of adding her own twists and depth, it felt much more like a history lesson than a historical novel.
I also found there to be a strange lack of subtlety. The characters' motives were pretty much spelled out, often by the characters themselves. I didn't see the point of the first-person accounts, when all they did was contribute to creating an oddly-paced, mundane storyline.
To be fair, the story picked up when the two protagonists' lives finally began to intertwine. There were some suspenseful moments that genuinely had me hooked, and to an extent the novel was engaging.
Overall, TMOET was a disappointing and forgettable novel.