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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
sad
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:
No
Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks is set in a small English village in 1666, where life is turned upside down by an outbreak of the plague. Inspired by the real village of Eyam, whose residents chose to quarantine themselves during a similar outbreak in 1665, the novel follows the villagers’ decision to isolate themselves in the hopes of containing the disease. The story is told through the eyes of Anna Frith, a housemaid and reluctant observer of impending death.
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I was completely hooked from the opening pages. Brooks’ writing is evocative and immersive - her depiction of 17th-century village life feels richly textured, without ever becoming bogged down in overly archaic language. The dialogue, in particular, struck a delicate balance between being authentic enough to feel believable (at least to my modern ear), and also being clear and easy to follow.
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Where the book faltered, for me, was in the final third. As the focus shifted away from the collective trauma of the plague toward more dramatic personal revelations, the tone began to wobble. Some of the character decisions felt out of place, and certain plotlines were unnecessarily sensational. It felt like the novel veered off course in an attempt to tie things up with a dramatic flourish, which undercut some of the more powerful emotional groundwork laid earlier.
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That said, I still found this to be a moving and beautiful read. I'd definitely recommend it, but I can't help wishing for a slightly different ending, one that stayed truer to the quiet devastation that made the first two-thirds so compelling.
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📚
I was completely hooked from the opening pages. Brooks’ writing is evocative and immersive - her depiction of 17th-century village life feels richly textured, without ever becoming bogged down in overly archaic language. The dialogue, in particular, struck a delicate balance between being authentic enough to feel believable (at least to my modern ear), and also being clear and easy to follow.
📚
Where the book faltered, for me, was in the final third. As the focus shifted away from the collective trauma of the plague toward more dramatic personal revelations, the tone began to wobble. Some of the character decisions felt out of place, and certain plotlines were unnecessarily sensational. It felt like the novel veered off course in an attempt to tie things up with a dramatic flourish, which undercut some of the more powerful emotional groundwork laid earlier.
📚
That said, I still found this to be a moving and beautiful read. I'd definitely recommend it, but I can't help wishing for a slightly different ending, one that stayed truer to the quiet devastation that made the first two-thirds so compelling.
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Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Pandemic/Epidemic
I really enjoy this author. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, and her books are a terrific submersion into history. The main character was so real, and the tragedy of the time was palpable. The only thing I didn’t like (and I really didn’t like it) was the end. After reading the epilogue, I understand it. But … ugh!
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was amazing. I listened to it - read by the author - and loved, loved, loved the voice of Anna Frith. So heartbreaking but also a story of a strong, smart woman!
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An emotional and heartm,-rending story, that I felt got a bit lost and slow in the middle. And the ending really didn't fit with the rest of the book in my opinion. Despite these quibbles, this was a good read and I enjoyed it.