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shesbecomingbookish 's review for:
The Last Russian Doll
by Kristen Loesch
Quick and Dirty
-intergenerational saga
-female-focused fiction
-multiple POVs and changing timelines
-mystery, secrets, and lies
Musings
While I enjoy a good Russian novel as much as anyone, this one was a challenge at times. It's a great read, suspenseful, and highly intricate. At its heart, the book is a mystery novel. But there is also a love story at the core of the novel that reminded me of Anna Karenina and Dr. Zhivago, both of which the author references in her author's notes. I enjoyed being swept away in the story of this complex family living in an even more complex time in Russian history. That being said, it felt like A LOT! There were lots of characters, timeline/POV changes, name changes, political changes, etc. I know that's the point, but it felt like I needed to be taking notes at times. I don't feel like this book is well-suited for audio readers, and I feel like it's probably a better physical/e-reader experience. It's not a book you can put on and do things like cook/clean/etc; I found myself needing to dedicate my full attention to keeping track of what was going on every time I listened, which was not the case when I transitioned to the physical book. I also wanted more of the Pre-Revolution period. To me, it felt kinda rushed in the beginning, which may make it hard for some readers to truly appreciate how significant the change was for Tonya. Anyone interested in family drama/sagas and/or Russian history will probably really love this novel. Overall, it's a good book for the right reader!
-intergenerational saga
-female-focused fiction
-multiple POVs and changing timelines
-mystery, secrets, and lies
Musings
While I enjoy a good Russian novel as much as anyone, this one was a challenge at times. It's a great read, suspenseful, and highly intricate. At its heart, the book is a mystery novel. But there is also a love story at the core of the novel that reminded me of Anna Karenina and Dr. Zhivago, both of which the author references in her author's notes. I enjoyed being swept away in the story of this complex family living in an even more complex time in Russian history. That being said, it felt like A LOT! There were lots of characters, timeline/POV changes, name changes, political changes, etc. I know that's the point, but it felt like I needed to be taking notes at times. I don't feel like this book is well-suited for audio readers, and I feel like it's probably a better physical/e-reader experience. It's not a book you can put on and do things like cook/clean/etc; I found myself needing to dedicate my full attention to keeping track of what was going on every time I listened, which was not the case when I transitioned to the physical book. I also wanted more of the Pre-Revolution period. To me, it felt kinda rushed in the beginning, which may make it hard for some readers to truly appreciate how significant the change was for Tonya. Anyone interested in family drama/sagas and/or Russian history will probably really love this novel. Overall, it's a good book for the right reader!