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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
emotional
slow-paced
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This short novel had beautiful atmosphere and tone, though its dream-like, hazy storyline left me feeling a little unsatisfied. I absolutely adored Anna's short story collection, Goodnight, Beautiful Women and I see a lot of the same strong writing here, but where the stories would cut off just in time to leave you short of breath, the novel flowed from one time of the characters' lives to another without ever feeling like it settled in.
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Good story line, however the writing was often hard to follow and I frequently got lost.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I liked how mysterious and spooky this was! Not all of it makes a ton of sense and it's definitely slow paced, but the sisters were an interesting dynamic and learning the families history and secrets was worth it. The descriptions of the island and setting were 10/10, I really liked this gritty, disturbing underrated novel🙏🌊
Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for providing me with an ARC of Anna Noyes’s debut novel The Blue Maiden.
The Blue Maiden follows two sisters who look nothing alike, while they navigate their island life as outsiders. Their mother has died giving birth to Bea (the youngest daughter), forcing Ulrika (the oldest) to assume a caretaker role from a very early age. Their father is the island's priest and is glaringly absent and neglectful so they grow inseparable as girls. Until their paths deviate from one another once Bea becomes part of the "socially accepted" crowd that has always excluded her sister.
Whilst I found the eery setting interesting, I admit that I struggled with the narrative. The ending took me by surprise but it could be because the book felt a little underdeveloped for me. There were some plot points that made very little sense to me, and the characters, while engaging, could not compensate for the hollowness of their arcs.
I feel like this is perfect for people looking less for a plot, and more for witchy, weird Scandinavian Christian vibes.
The Blue Maiden follows two sisters who look nothing alike, while they navigate their island life as outsiders. Their mother has died giving birth to Bea (the youngest daughter), forcing Ulrika (the oldest) to assume a caretaker role from a very early age. Their father is the island's priest and is glaringly absent and neglectful so they grow inseparable as girls. Until their paths deviate from one another once Bea becomes part of the "socially accepted" crowd that has always excluded her sister.
Whilst I found the eery setting interesting, I admit that I struggled with the narrative. The ending took me by surprise but it could be because the book felt a little underdeveloped for me. There were some plot points that made very little sense to me, and the characters, while engaging, could not compensate for the hollowness of their arcs.
I feel like this is perfect for people looking less for a plot, and more for witchy, weird Scandinavian Christian vibes.
The description of this novel alludes to witchy vibes and buried family secrets, all in the shadow of a mysterious neighboring island. While we open with a sufficiently dark and disturbing witch hunt on Berggrund Island, the ensuing story of two sisters, Bea and Ulrika, growing up generations later, is frankly boring. Was their mother, an outsider and long dead, a witch? Are Bea's visions a result of a supernatural connection to the past? Does the red book really contain spells, or just home remedies? Nothing is particularly clear, the sisters are not terribly compelling characters, and there's unfortunately a lot of telling without much showing. Alyssa Bresnahan's narration is perfectly fine, but it can't make up for an otherwise lackluster story that never delivered on its compelling promise.
Thanks Net Galley and RB Media for an advance copy of this book.
Thanks Net Galley and RB Media for an advance copy of this book.