A review by reka111
The Girl in the Northwest Tower by Claire Olivia Golden

challenging emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

Sometimes it hurts too much
to keep any hope. Because we’re all too used to being disappointed.

First, what you can expect from this book:
· found-family
· friendships
· sapphic relationship
· pansexual FMC
· single POV
· medieval alternate France
· strong & complex FMC
· surviving trauma
· fast-paced

Thank you for the ARC e-copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

This book pushed me out of my comfort zone, that's for sure. But I can't decide whether that's good or not. Basically, I read very, very little poetry (not counting when I need a very short and easy book at a moment) and frankly I've never really grasped them completely, not quite, most of them haven't always given me a whole or coherent story like this one. Either way, I'm glad I met one along the way — and I'm sure I will because I don't feel bad about it.

I don't even know who or what to start with, I have so many things in my head that I want to write down, and I know I'll forget them by the time I finish this phrase, but I'm trying my best.

A survivor and a victim, Mathilde is an extremely empathetic and complex character who clung to the light so hard even in the worst of times. It was a good decision to write the book from her point of view, because we gained insight into her life, her feelings, and everything else. I owe my soul to Cécile for helping, supporting and encouraging her even in the deepest depths of hell, when everything seemed to be lost, so wise and yet so broken, so badly deserving of peace. Julien is somehow a character who had both an important and negligible role in the story, but despite his initial negative moments, I loved him very much, and he really grew close to my heart along the way, a true friend, lover, and companion (let's call it what you want it to end), a great soul.
I want and would like to believe that the child was his, that he deserves his legacy to live on.
Sylvie, my only little Sylvie, deserves so much, so much better,
she shouldn't have died, not this way and not now, life was before her and she disappeared from the world as cruelly quickly as if she had never existed.
I do not necessarily want to mention the others because they had either nothing or very little influence on the whole; But one thing is for sure, I fell in love with each of them in their own way, and I can't believe that this was their end.

Cécile and Mathilde's love felt a bit out of the blue and forced—but surely the problem was with me. They were cute and complementary to each other, but I would have given them some more time.

The plot, although in verse form, deals with a rather serious and difficult topic. Frankly, it's horrible and terrible that this could happen not only a long time ago, but still. The story itself was set in medieval France (which I noticed at the beginning because of the map — what can I say, I'm a historical nerd haha), but not completely. There was also a lot of religious stuff in it, which is largely because it mattered a lot at the time; It was both a controlling power and a comforting grace. I think the pace was good, although I felt it was a bit fast in some places. I think the wording was nice, but I wouldn't necessarily call it outstanding.

Overall, it showed all the dark shadows of history and modernity through an innocent life. I sympathize with all souls—those who live or have died—who have had to go through this or something like this. No one deserves and deserved this, not at all.

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