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A review by irreverentreader
A Tip for the Hangman by Allison Epstein
3.0
I had a really hard time rating this book and coming to terms with how I feel about it. It felt like it should have been a five star read--and it was for the first fifty pages. Allison's writing is beautiful and descriptive without it feeling forced or overly-contrived. Her relationship dynamics between Kit and Tom are so believable and pure that I was cheering for them from the start. It also was partially set in Cambridge, a location near and dear to me, so I was sure I was just going to gobble this book up.
But like quite a few of the reviews I read, the book never really snagged me. It was difficult to pick up and easy to put down. Nothing was particularly gripping, and yet there was certainly nothing bad about it. Like I said, Allison can craft words as well as a seasoned author, and yet there was just something missing/lacking. The two things I am able to pinpoint are 1) I had a difficult time understanding what made Kit want to serve the crown in the manner he did. He doesn't seem particularly patriotic nor does he feel threatened to do so. Therefore, much of the guilt and horror he went through due to his various betrayals felt a bit contrived. 2) I thought the book would have been better served with less POVs because besides Kit and Tom, I don't feel very invested in any of the other characters and often they weren't visited enough to feel like they deserved their own chapters.
Overall, I do think it's worth a read, but I just wish it would have been better--mainly because her writing has just such a lovely sound to it!
But like quite a few of the reviews I read, the book never really snagged me. It was difficult to pick up and easy to put down. Nothing was particularly gripping, and yet there was certainly nothing bad about it. Like I said, Allison can craft words as well as a seasoned author, and yet there was just something missing/lacking. The two things I am able to pinpoint are 1) I had a difficult time understanding what made Kit want to serve the crown in the manner he did. He doesn't seem particularly patriotic nor does he feel threatened to do so. Therefore, much of the guilt and horror he went through due to his various betrayals felt a bit contrived. 2) I thought the book would have been better served with less POVs because besides Kit and Tom, I don't feel very invested in any of the other characters and often they weren't visited enough to feel like they deserved their own chapters.
Overall, I do think it's worth a read, but I just wish it would have been better--mainly because her writing has just such a lovely sound to it!