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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
"I ignored everything that told me nothing was as I’d believed. That was my first mistake".
This was an interesting story. I liked more of the story with the maid and the underground information there than the actual death mystery. I also really liked the MC. I loved her idea when she was young to draw rooms and decorate, such a fun and interesting detail that I don't read often in characters. The ins and outs of society weren't my favorite parts but the story was solid and the writing was good. I liked this one.
This was an interesting story. I liked more of the story with the maid and the underground information there than the actual death mystery. I also really liked the MC. I loved her idea when she was young to draw rooms and decorate, such a fun and interesting detail that I don't read often in characters. The ins and outs of society weren't my favorite parts but the story was solid and the writing was good. I liked this one.
I'd recently read a non-fiction book about the earthquake/fires in SanFran1906, and it was so factual, so many "characters" (can't really call them that, as they were real/researched people). I wanted to experience it in a more fictional way and this was one of the novels I found. Currently I have a KU subscription, so I was able to access the Kindle and audio as part of the program.
While I liked this, and it kept my interest, I don't know that I ever really connected to the characters, enough to get emotionally involved. The whole set-up of the story seemed a little over the top SPOILER that the Uncle/Cousin would have schemed SO much, getting the MC to come out, knowing about her inheritance when even she herself did not. All the little "setups" to make May look bad, to have the murder and blame her ... that went off without a hitch. Throw in that May happens to draw interiors/architecture and that can be stolen from her as well. I had to refer to the Kindle copy to straighten out a few of the people in my mind.
I'm not sure how much the story itself will stick with me. It was interesting to see what I had learned from [book:The Longest Minute: The Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906|60784534], seeing some of the situations. The earthquake, while playing a pivotal part for May, didn't really get that much attention. The fires were mentioned. It was good to see some aspects in the story, but I think I wanted more.
First person, past tense. This had a few of the "words" I track ... roiled, deign, mullioned windows. No proFanity. There was some sex, but pretty closed door if I remember correctly.
While I liked this, and it kept my interest, I don't know that I ever really connected to the characters, enough to get emotionally involved. The whole set-up of the story seemed a little over the top SPOILER
I'm not sure how much the story itself will stick with me. It was interesting to see what I had learned from [book:The Longest Minute: The Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906|60784534], seeing some of the situations. The earthquake, while playing a pivotal part for May, didn't really get that much attention. The fires were mentioned. It was good to see some aspects in the story, but I think I wanted more.
First person, past tense. This had a few of the "words" I track ... roiled, deign, mullioned windows. No proFanity. There was some sex, but pretty closed door if I remember correctly.
What an excellent example of historical fiction! This was steeped in San Fran history, with a little bit of the Nellie Bly experience and a classic rags to riches story thrown in for good measure. The description of the treatment of residents in Chinatown hit me particularly hard, especially given the current climate. But this was meticulously researched, which is why I love reading these kinds of stories.
I was particularly drawn to the sense of place. I found myself consulting my handy coffee table book of San Francisco then and now (what can I say, I love the city) to look at Nob Hill and City Hall as they were described. It made me want to book a trip to Cali immediately and see it all again myself! It’s a city that was forced to reinvent itself after the horrors of the earthquake and fire, but has thrived despite the conditions, much like our protagonist May!
I was particularly drawn to the sense of place. I found myself consulting my handy coffee table book of San Francisco then and now (what can I say, I love the city) to look at Nob Hill and City Hall as they were described. It made me want to book a trip to Cali immediately and see it all again myself! It’s a city that was forced to reinvent itself after the horrors of the earthquake and fire, but has thrived despite the conditions, much like our protagonist May!
This book was on a list of gothic stories and...it is not that. It's a historical intrigue and murder novel. The second half also had a lot of 'revenge plot' vibes. It was a quick read and for much of the book, I wanted to turn the page. While it was pretty clear where things were going, the way the author wrote the book, she expected you to know that. Instead of 'who did it?' the questions to be answered were things like 'how will the protagonist get out of this situation?' Overall, a good weekend afternoon read.
Two things of note - (1) there is a section with an asylum and horrible practices that occur there. If that's a CW for you, stay away. (2) the big glaring omission in the story is the plague (yes, that plague). The story features the San Francisco earthquake, but no one mentions the plague outbreak that was going on before and during this time. I'm not sure why this was ignored, especially considering some of the things the author featured in the novel.
Two things of note - (1) there is a section with an asylum and horrible practices that occur there. If that's a CW for you, stay away. (2) the big glaring omission in the story is the plague (yes, that plague). The story features the San Francisco earthquake, but no one mentions the plague outbreak that was going on before and during this time. I'm not sure why this was ignored, especially considering some of the things the author featured in the novel.
I will admit I was a little hesitant picking this one up since I am not usually one for historical fiction or family dramas. However, I am super psyched I did - this book was a surprisingly mysterious and fun read and one I will definitely be recommending! I couldn't put it down and found it to be a fresh read for the new year.
Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for the copy for an honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for the copy for an honest review.
This book drew me in with its tone, suggesting things are off in a very subtle way. I did not enjoy the blessington time, which obviously was the point. As soon as she was free I did relish in May finding herself, what she wants, and dealing revenge on the Sullivans.
This novel tells the story of May Kimble, a plucky young woman who’s tragedy has turned into a life she could have only dreamed of. She and her mother live in New York in relative poverty around the turn of the century. When her mother unexpectedly dies, May fears for her future only to have her rich aunt’s family swoop in and move her to live with them in San Francisco. Except nothing is as it seems. May’s mother and her aunt allegedly had a falling out and never spoke to each other before May was born. She’s never met these people. What could go wrong in this scenario?
Without giving away too many spoilers, the plot structure of this book is broken up into three main sections. The first is May’s journey settling into her new rich life. The second section is centered around May coping with time in an asylum. The third section is May’s escape from the asylum and attempt to rectify the wrongs done to her set amongst the backdrop of the 1906 earthquake and fires that destroyed much of the city.
Now on to my thoughts. I love historical fiction, particularly the build up of how the author is going to use a historical event to further their story. Throughout the first two sections of the book, the reader is left anticipating the tragedy to come. And it works! This narrative tension really makes the reader more invested in May’s story.
Overall, I didn’t care for the characters in this story much. My main complaint is that they’re all a bit one dimensional. They can pretty much be summed up in one word:
May- Naive
May’s uncle- conniving
May’s aunt- “crazy”
May’s cousin- flighty
And the list continues.
I really would have loved to see these characters have more nuance to them. There were definitely times May was unbelievable naive, the villains were unbelievably cruel, etc.
Another change I would have loved is to the overall structure. The first part of the book spends too long setting the scene for things that are not to be. The middle section is very short. The final section isn’t long enough. I would have loved to see less attention paid to the first section and more attention paid to May in a post-earthquake trying to rebuild her life.
My biggest complaint in this book was the asylum portion. I know that the history of psychiatric care in the US is appalling. I know that patients were treated cruelly and abused. But it comes off as trauma porn. This section of the book discusses various ways in which the asylum staff are unbelievably cruel and abusive to May, but ultimately it doesn’t matter much for the plot of the book anyway. This abuse doesn’t seem to have much of an impact on May in the final section of the book, when real-life psychiatric and medical abuse leaves long lasting scars on the patients.
Ultimately, I thought the book was interesting and the plot was unique. I think pitching this book to be more about the retribution aspect of the plot from the third section would be better to attract the type of reader who would like this than the “girl stumbles into riches” and has a Cinderella moment aspect of the first section that this book seemed to be pitched as. The weakest section of the book was the middle section that takes place in the asylum. I think the strongest part of this book is the historical backdrop and would recommend it to someone who loves historical fiction and Cinderella stories where the main character has to face many hardships before eventually getting their happy ending.
If you liked this review, check out my blog: https://acrosstheskyinstars818513457....
This book was provided to me by the publisher as an advanced reader copy.
Without giving away too many spoilers, the plot structure of this book is broken up into three main sections. The first is May’s journey settling into her new rich life. The second section is centered around May coping with time in an asylum. The third section is May’s escape from the asylum and attempt to rectify the wrongs done to her set amongst the backdrop of the 1906 earthquake and fires that destroyed much of the city.
Now on to my thoughts. I love historical fiction, particularly the build up of how the author is going to use a historical event to further their story. Throughout the first two sections of the book, the reader is left anticipating the tragedy to come. And it works! This narrative tension really makes the reader more invested in May’s story.
Overall, I didn’t care for the characters in this story much. My main complaint is that they’re all a bit one dimensional. They can pretty much be summed up in one word:
May- Naive
May’s uncle- conniving
May’s aunt- “crazy”
May’s cousin- flighty
And the list continues.
I really would have loved to see these characters have more nuance to them. There were definitely times May was unbelievable naive, the villains were unbelievably cruel, etc.
Another change I would have loved is to the overall structure. The first part of the book spends too long setting the scene for things that are not to be. The middle section is very short. The final section isn’t long enough. I would have loved to see less attention paid to the first section and more attention paid to May in a post-earthquake trying to rebuild her life.
My biggest complaint in this book was the asylum portion. I know that the history of psychiatric care in the US is appalling. I know that patients were treated cruelly and abused. But it comes off as trauma porn. This section of the book discusses various ways in which the asylum staff are unbelievably cruel and abusive to May, but ultimately it doesn’t matter much for the plot of the book anyway. This abuse doesn’t seem to have much of an impact on May in the final section of the book, when real-life psychiatric and medical abuse leaves long lasting scars on the patients.
Ultimately, I thought the book was interesting and the plot was unique. I think pitching this book to be more about the retribution aspect of the plot from the third section would be better to attract the type of reader who would like this than the “girl stumbles into riches” and has a Cinderella moment aspect of the first section that this book seemed to be pitched as. The weakest section of the book was the middle section that takes place in the asylum. I think the strongest part of this book is the historical backdrop and would recommend it to someone who loves historical fiction and Cinderella stories where the main character has to face many hardships before eventually getting their happy ending.
If you liked this review, check out my blog: https://acrosstheskyinstars818513457....
This book was provided to me by the publisher as an advanced reader copy.
A late contender for my favourite book of the year! As soon as I saw the premise - a poor young woman is taken in by a rich family she never knew, in a San Francisco about to be shaken by the infamous 1906 earthquake - I had to read it, but it delivered on the premise and more!
I was largely expecting a coming of age tale, but hopefully it’s not a spoiler to hint that this was actually more in the vein of Wilkie Collins’ domestic suspense novels. I enjoyed it all the more for that pleasant surprise.
I was largely expecting a coming of age tale, but hopefully it’s not a spoiler to hint that this was actually more in the vein of Wilkie Collins’ domestic suspense novels. I enjoyed it all the more for that pleasant surprise.
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-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:
No