Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Gilded Mountain: A Novel by Kate Manning

2 reviews

leweylibrary's review

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challenging emotional sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

I'm so torn on my feelings about this book. On one hand, I felt like it was dragging on forever in so many places and just moving at a glacial pace with very few exciting moments to keep me going. There were also some parts though that felt so rushed and underwhelming when they shouldn't have been. The MC also got on my nerves a lot, mostly just making terrible decisions for horrible reasons.

On the other hand, I did still find myself wanting to read it 🤷‍♀️ I kept waiting and waiting for this inevitable strike to happen and then once it did to see how it turned out, and honestly we never really see that lol the book leaves off with Sylvie's story instead. I did think the union parts were really interesting and her work with the paper and KT. I also liked the rough parts lol like
her father dying
and the grueling conditions they endured in the winter. Everything about the romance was so annoying lol big moments felt too rushed and cheapened--like why the heck did George react like that to finding out
there was someone else? Like he didn't even know who it was or anything, he just left and abandoned the strike effort there when it was so close to resolved


Lastly I'll say that there were some really well-written parts throughout, and I think that helped keep me going.

Quotes:
  • We were not taught to question ideals engraved in cast iron. (35)
  • "I want for you to appreciate the sociology," the Countess said. "If we make the comfortable village, the habitants don't strike. They work."
    "Like slaves," Jasper said.
    "Sleeves, pph, "she said. "That's the past."
    Perhaps that past is where the bosses got their training, I did not say. (113)
  • A girl of no means has to be doubly careful with the rich man, not to become a broken toy, as such people have so many. They don't repair what they break, or mend their shoes. They want a new pair and discard the old. But I did not know that then. (135)
  • It is a strange human need, to feel we are above the rest. We look for reasons to tell ourselves our ways are correct, better, and that others are lesser, wrong, deluded. I've never figured out why. Perhaps it is because the golden rule, of do unto others is so difficult to obey when greedy, odious characters won't follow the commands of kindness. In truth, we enjoyed the sneering. (176)
  • "It's not a crime. It's a right," he said.
    His words were a gift. I've kept all my life as a justification and a defense for what I did, and later took. More than a few lumps of coal. (203)
  • The riddle for me was how to be American like her, but not a knocker, not a snoop, not an Abercrombie, not a socialiste, not a Frenchy, not a witch. not a nincompoop. Not jilted. (218)
  • "Complaint is the seed of misery," I said softly. "My mother believes."
    "Your mother has it backward," said Mrs. Jones. "Misery is the seed, grows complaint, and that brings justice if you'll only speak up." (268)
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gracescanlon's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring sad tense slow-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

4.0

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