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A review by angelayoung
The Portrait Girl by Nicole Swengley
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Well-told, well-plotted art-world suspense.
I loved The Portrait Girl. I could see the descriptions of jewellery and paintings, and the evocation of the art world felt so real, as did the names of the galleries, particularly the Ryder Gallery ... it made me think there really must be one. Swengley's writing persuaded me to suspend disbelief and believe in Freya becoming Emily at Ralph’s salons – and it didn’t occur to me ... but I won't say what didn't occur to me because I don't want to spoil such a well-told, well-plotted story for new readers. The parallel stories of Oliver/Freya and Ralph/Emily were subtly done so I could gradually work them out (Swengley always shows and never tells) and I wouldn’t mind having a friend like Brooke to help me through the difficult times.
I loved The Portrait Girl. I could see the descriptions of jewellery and paintings, and the evocation of the art world felt so real, as did the names of the galleries, particularly the Ryder Gallery ... it made me think there really must be one. Swengley's writing persuaded me to suspend disbelief and believe in Freya becoming Emily at Ralph’s salons – and it didn’t occur to me ... but I won't say what didn't occur to me because I don't want to spoil such a well-told, well-plotted story for new readers. The parallel stories of Oliver/Freya and Ralph/Emily were subtly done so I could gradually work them out (Swengley always shows and never tells) and I wouldn’t mind having a friend like Brooke to help me through the difficult times.