Reviews

Unsinkable by Jenni L. Walsh

lisastriker2024's review

hopeful slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

This could have been so much better if the author would have tied Violet and Daphne together sooner (although you will figure it out)  The main story of Violet would have been a good stand-alone story.  Very slow, almost to the point of boring.  Jumps around a lot.

ambereatsbooks's review against another edition

4.0

I’m a sucker for a book about that contains anything about the Titanic. I knew that I had to listen to this one when I saw it was available from librofm as an ALC. I love that this book followed two different women at two different points in time. The part that contained the Titanic was actually fairly short but I appreciated how it was told as well as how it went on to affect the rest of Violet’s story. 

Daphne’s story was equally compelling. I thought that following a WWII Special Operations Executive was unique. I haven’t read many books that contain that type of perspective. 

What I think was the most impactful was learning that Violet’s story was based on a real person who survived not one but THREE different sinking disasters of ships she was working on. The fact that she was willing to get back on a ship after just one is incredible. It gave me a greater appreciation for the story as a whole. I did feel like the ending was tied up a little too neatly but, otherwise, I thought this was a great historical fiction novel. 

sarahvanorden713's review

adventurous informative tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

wenzday01's review against another edition

4.0

It was pretty good! I thought there was going to be more about the Titanic since it’s on the cover and I wish the two characters had more of a bond. The author’s note was really interesting. My biggest complaint was the “perfect” ending.

lynnjones's review

adventurous challenging emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

book_worm_emma's review

emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

jaymeee's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

letmetakea_shelfie_'s review against another edition

adventurous emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

3.0

daisy_02's review

adventurous emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

adelita18's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Unsinkable alternates between the quasi-fictionalized story of Violet Jessop (1912-1920s) and Daphne Chaundanson (1940s). At first, the stories seem to be stand alone novellas that just happen to alternate chapters. I felt the stories of Violet and Daphne should have either been Parts 1 and 2 with the unsinkable theme uniting them in an anthology of sorts or have been standalone stories. It wasn't until about 85% way through the story that Jenni Walsh drops the unification bomb on the reader that it makes sense. Before that point, I found Daphne's story to be much more riveting, engaging, and compelling. Violet's story was interesting but, pardon the sea pun, seemed more adrift. While Violet Jessop did spend a great deal of her childhood in Argentina, the random sprinkling of Spanish exclamations at times seemed forced and out of place. I also found her self-pitying self-denials for her family's sake to be off putting at times as it's written (and was narrated in the audiobook) as a bit whiny.  

The last 15% of the story flew by and was quite lovely. I appreciated how Jenni Walsh dovetailed the unsinkable women's stories together, however, I just wish it hadn't taken such a long walk to get there.