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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
This is one of those books that I kept turning pages, anxious to finish it . . . and then when I did, wasn't sure what exactly I liked about it. In other words, not the amount of payoff I was expecting. It's a good read, but was overly descriptive in some places and not enough in others. Glad I read it, but don't think I'll reread.
2.5 stars. Enjoyed reading it but the main character was none too bright. At first I thought I could see all the plot twists coming just because I happen to know a lot about witchcraft (ancient, colonial, and modern), but eventually I began to realize that they were just hecka obvious.
In definitiva non mi è dispiaciuto, anzi, come spesso mi capita, l'ho letto velocemente senza fermarmi.
Qualche pecca c'è: un inizio un po' lento, alcune situazioni improbabili (è vero che si parla di streghe, ma io avrei lasciato tutto più vago) e non mi sarebbe dispiaciuto che l'autrice lasciasse uno spazio più cospicuo alle donne del passato che mano a mano ci fa conoscere.
Però l'idea è buona e originale, l'intreccio c'è, la ricerca storica anche. Una lettura buona, ma non un capolavoro.
Qualche pecca c'è: un inizio un po' lento, alcune situazioni improbabili (è vero che si parla di streghe, ma io avrei lasciato tutto più vago) e non mi sarebbe dispiaciuto che l'autrice lasciasse uno spazio più cospicuo alle donne del passato che mano a mano ci fa conoscere.
Però l'idea è buona e originale, l'intreccio c'è, la ricerca storica anche. Una lettura buona, ma non un capolavoro.
I think I need to make a list of great stories that are written badly. This one would be in the top ten. I only wish a decent editor had gotten to it before it went to print...
I enjoyed this book, allowed myself to get caught up in it despite my feelings on the characters. The main character, Connie, I felt was too stupid to have been researching the topic. She had no idea that "receipt" was "recipe" and that "almanac" meant the book. Der. Lesson one of research is that not everything will be referred to by the same name over the years.
Beyond that and the fact that I had to get past the gross grunge looking love interest (bleck to the 80s-early 90s) I did enjoy the book.
Depressed by the ending, an digitized version is not the same thing as a 400+ yr old book.
But the book seemed to be well researched and perked my interest in the Puritans/Salem Witch Trials.
Beyond that and the fact that I had to get past the gross grunge looking love interest (bleck to the 80s-early 90s) I did enjoy the book.
Depressed by the ending, an digitized version is not the same thing as a 400+ yr old book.
But the book seemed to be well researched and perked my interest in the Puritans/Salem Witch Trials.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I really enjoyed it. I liked that it was set before a lot of technology, that it went back and forth to the Salem Witch Trials, and that there was some mystery, some romance and a little suspense. All making this a great book!
I would have preferred more witches and less of the barfy predictable love interest junk, which IMHO advanced the plot not one bit.
The story was predictable, but it kept my interest enough to finish the book. If I had to put this book in a category, I would say that it was certainly a chick lit kind of story. I found the interlude story of Deliverance and Mercy Dane to be much more interesting than Connie's story. I liked the concept of this book, and I thought the subject matter concerning the persons and families affected from the Salem Witch hysteria was handled quite well with the fantasy twist. The magical elements in the book were also handled well and felt like the magic could be real. I don't think this is a book that I'd recommend right off to anyone, and it's certainly not a book that I will be revisiting.
3.5 stars. Someone recommended this to me about 10-12 years ago and it has been on my to-read shelf ever since! I did enjoy it a lot. It just wasn't quite gripping enough for me to give it a higher rating. I liked the characters and plot and I can't really even think of any specific criticisms at the moment. There are just other books that I enjoy more! I liked it enough to read the second one though if I ever come across it. :)
I love it when I read a book in the right season. This is a metaphor for many things but for this review I literally mean season. It is set in the late summer early fall just like it is now. My sister got me on this kick where you try to match the book to the season and it makes it more enjoyable. Hence southern lit or civil war will always be read in the summertime. Holocaust and WW11 will always be read in the winter. But I digress.
This was a very quick entertaining read. While I do enjoy magical realism books, I think this book would have been better if it didn't lean so heavily on the magic part. Like if it left it up to the reader to decide if the "spells" were real or could be explained by science or coincidence.
This was a very quick entertaining read. While I do enjoy magical realism books, I think this book would have been better if it didn't lean so heavily on the magic part. Like if it left it up to the reader to decide if the "spells" were real or could be explained by science or coincidence.