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cgoldenberg 's review for:
The Passion of Dolssa
by Julie Berry
"Life, love, neighbors, belonging. Friend, father. Town and home, peace and good name. All smoke and ashes." (401)
The Passion of Dolssa is sort of a rare book. The plot and setting are unique; the characters are unique, and the way the story is told is super interesting. After reading young adult book after young adult book for a while, I was looking for something to mix up the cycle a bit. (Don't get me wrong - even the most typical young adult books are really fun for me to read, but I felt like I needed a change.) So The Passion of Dolssa was perfect for me.
I didn't love the book's beginning because it started out sort of slow and a bit confusing. I was interested enough in it that I kept going (I also really enjoyed Botille's narration), but at around 20%, I was having thoughts of DNF'ing it. If you know me at all, however, you'll know I'm not one to DNF a book unless I CANNOT stand it. So I stuck the book out. And I am so glad I did.
What Julie Berry does in The Passion of Dolssa is construct an intricate story laced with details and characters you will grow to love without even realizing it, then bring in plot-turning moments, and unravel the story's truth and background, forcing you to flip back pages and wonder what is truth, what is lie, and what is in between. This may sound confusing, but I promise, if you read the book, you'll understand this concept.
The story ties in mystery, lies, secrets, and history in a most elegant way. It left me in thought, intrigue, and with a bit of heartache, too.
Now, if you've read the book, continue on because there are a few things I want to say. If you have not, please go read it! I really doubt you'll be disappointed.
Ok, here we go...
1. I fell in love with Symo's character. I am so glad he and Botille ended up together. I saw it coming, but I thought it would never happen, so when it did, needless to say, I was very excited.
2. I love Sazia, too. And I feel for Botille at the end of the book. I really really wish Sazia had come back to her, although I understand why her sister decided not to. And when Sazia revealed Botille's identity in confession, my jaw dropped.
3. I miss Plazensa. Enough said there. Although who knows, if we really can't trust Botille's story 100%, maybe Plazensa ended up reuniting with her...and Botille was just trying to protect her identity by lying and saying she had not seen her since the night in the woods.
4. http://www.julieberrybooks.com/about-the-ending-unraveling-the-passion-of-dolssa
(Check out this link from Julie Berry's website if you're interested.) I happened upon it by accident, but it sealed a lot of the story's ending for me. If you have unanswered questions or were just as intrigued as I was by this story, this'll be very helpful.
4/5 stars
The Passion of Dolssa is sort of a rare book. The plot and setting are unique; the characters are unique, and the way the story is told is super interesting. After reading young adult book after young adult book for a while, I was looking for something to mix up the cycle a bit. (Don't get me wrong - even the most typical young adult books are really fun for me to read, but I felt like I needed a change.) So The Passion of Dolssa was perfect for me.
I didn't love the book's beginning because it started out sort of slow and a bit confusing. I was interested enough in it that I kept going (I also really enjoyed Botille's narration), but at around 20%, I was having thoughts of DNF'ing it. If you know me at all, however, you'll know I'm not one to DNF a book unless I CANNOT stand it. So I stuck the book out. And I am so glad I did.
What Julie Berry does in The Passion of Dolssa is construct an intricate story laced with details and characters you will grow to love without even realizing it, then bring in plot-turning moments, and unravel the story's truth and background, forcing you to flip back pages and wonder what is truth, what is lie, and what is in between. This may sound confusing, but I promise, if you read the book, you'll understand this concept.
The story ties in mystery, lies, secrets, and history in a most elegant way. It left me in thought, intrigue, and with a bit of heartache, too.
Now, if you've read the book, continue on because there are a few things I want to say. If you have not, please go read it! I really doubt you'll be disappointed.
Ok, here we go...
1. I fell in love with Symo's character. I am so glad he and Botille ended up together. I saw it coming, but I thought it would never happen, so when it did, needless to say, I was very excited.
2. I love Sazia, too. And I feel for Botille at the end of the book. I really really wish Sazia had come back to her, although I understand why her sister decided not to. And when Sazia revealed Botille's identity in confession, my jaw dropped.
3. I miss Plazensa. Enough said there. Although who knows, if we really can't trust Botille's story 100%, maybe Plazensa ended up reuniting with her...and Botille was just trying to protect her identity by lying and saying she had not seen her since the night in the woods.
4. http://www.julieberrybooks.com/about-the-ending-unraveling-the-passion-of-dolssa
(Check out this link from Julie Berry's website if you're interested.) I happened upon it by accident, but it sealed a lot of the story's ending for me. If you have unanswered questions or were just as intrigued as I was by this story, this'll be very helpful.
4/5 stars