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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
This is a great October read. A threatening and atmospheric ghost story that spans several generations of (more than) one family. The writing is really beautiful - it reads like something produced in the 1800's. The author does a great job of creating a sense of place and time, which is impressive considering how many places and times exist within this single book. Victorian medical practices, experimentation, and abuses; love; coming of age; women's rights; war; rural England; rural Italy; London - truly a feat.
I will say that it jumps around a lot in time and changes characters frequently - so if you like linear novels, you may struggle with this.
I will say that it jumps around a lot in time and changes characters frequently - so if you like linear novels, you may struggle with this.
dark
emotional
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
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Far too long. Far far too long. Especially the end which, incidentally, I thought was a different story. Did anything actually happen? I'm genuinely not quite sure. I liked some of the writing, I think, but my god it went on in some parts. And, to be honest, you could probably pick the books that heavily influenced the author paragraph by paragraph. Nothing new, and those who went before did it so much better.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A unique (yet still classic) take on a ghost story, and one of the best I've read.
Some families describe their histories as haunted due to wars, famines, and other traumas. But in Catriona Ward’s The Girl from Rawblood, the family is genuinely haunted. The Villarcas of Rawblood have all died young and horribly after getting married. Consequently, Iris, the youngest and last of the Villarcas, has grown up isolated to protect her from the family curse. Even though she follows her father’s rules (most of the time), the curse might be coming for her anyway...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.
In honesty, I really wanted to like this book since everything about it seemed intriguing and a good storyline. But upon starting it and getting further and further in to the book, I couldn't help but feel confused and just get even more confused when the time lines started to jump around a little.
I know some books aren't for everyone and I think this one is not for me. It gave me a small headache trying to get through it and trying to sort characters out from events and from time jumps. Hopefully other people can enjoy the book because it's not one that I'm going to be keeping on my shelves.
I know some books aren't for everyone and I think this one is not for me. It gave me a small headache trying to get through it and trying to sort characters out from events and from time jumps. Hopefully other people can enjoy the book because it's not one that I'm going to be keeping on my shelves.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really wanted to love this book. I did, for about two thirds of it - it was a four, teetering on a five depending on the ending, and I was all set to rave about a fantastic Victorian/Gothic ghost story. I wasn't crazy about Iris as a character, but I did like her friend, her father, and her father's friend. I can't remember their names, I'm so sorry. Once it started jumping approx. 20 years into the past, to the medical experimentation of Iris's father and friend CHARLES that's it, I was absolutely riveted. The writing - as in the actual use of words, not the pacing - is genuinely great, despite the issues you'll read below.
Unfortunately, even though I wasn't at all crazy about the ending, the pacing of the final third just became tedious. The synopsis above exemplifies the convolution of the novel. The writing remained good, but I found myself flicking ahead to see how long each section was. Around that point, characters mentioned earlier are finally explored in detail, and one new character was added in towards the end simply for perspective. While those characters weren't uninteresting, it was all just too unwieldy to be satisfactory. I think my mood about the book had been tainted somewhat, so I wasn't as ready to accept the unusual ending as I might otherwise have been. Originally, I really didn't like it at all, though in retrospect I guess it was pretty okay.
I feel like this book might actually work better on re-read, knowing what to expect and knowing the pacing in advance. I may read it again sometime, and it may go up to four stars then. But for now, I just liked it. Fabulous writing though, really.
Unfortunately, even though I wasn't at all crazy about the ending, the pacing of the final third just became tedious. The synopsis above exemplifies the convolution of the novel. The writing remained good, but I found myself flicking ahead to see how long each section was. Around that point, characters mentioned earlier are finally explored in detail, and one new character was added in towards the end simply for perspective. While those characters weren't uninteresting, it was all just too unwieldy to be satisfactory. I think my mood about the book had been tainted somewhat, so I wasn't as ready to accept the unusual ending as I might otherwise have been. Originally, I really didn't like it at all, though in retrospect I guess it was pretty okay.
I feel like this book might actually work better on re-read, knowing what to expect and knowing the pacing in advance. I may read it again sometime, and it may go up to four stars then. But for now, I just liked it. Fabulous writing though, really.