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A review by bizarrebrunette
The Spectacular by Fiona Davis
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
5 stars - all the stars.
New York City—1956. Marion is a young woman who decides to follow her dreams of auditioning to be a Rockette. Much to her father's chagrin, he would rather see her marry off and start a family. Marion loves being a Rockette and feels like she's following in her mother's footsteps, as she also wants to balance a career in the arts. In a turn of events, Marion is a witness to a bombing committed by the man known as the "Big Apple Bomber." Marion is now involved as she partners with a psychiatrist to investigate and stop future bombings.
I LOVED this book. I am not sure why I was sleeping on Historical Fiction as a genre. This was the first book I read by Fiona Davis and definitely not the last. I like the way Fiona describes New York as I felt I could picture the city full of life in my mind. When Marion goes to work, dances in her shows, and takes the subway when she has to, I thought about who she was and what her life looked like. I think this imagery is crucial in Historical Fiction because if I don't feel involved with the story, why bother to continue reading?
Regarding the characters, I liked reading about Marion and her struggles. Marion is aloof and naive. She says things that feel privileged and once she goes into the city, she realizes how sheltered her life was. I felt for Marion because her struggles felt real. She was torn between the life she wanted and what her father desperately wanted for her. Her father was aggressive in the way that she wanted to live her life which pushed her away. It was true to the period, but I felt for her. I truly despised her father and found it difficult to feel sorry for him Simon did not provide evidence as to the bomber's identity as he hid files from former employees. On top of that, Simon was aggressive in his approach to Marion and told her she had to leave the house if she went to the city. When Marion did, Simon was shocked. HELLO! You were the one who asked her to leave. Marion grew throughout the book and her decisions toward the end were selfless taking care of her father when he reveals his Parkinson's diagnosis. She knows how poorly he treated her and it could have been easy to cut him out of her life, but she didn't. The level of maturity that Marion showed is admirable. OH, and Simon threatened to have full custody of the children, both Marion and Judy when Lucille wanted a career on broadway. This man was the worst Marion was a character I was rooting for and I wanted her to follow her dreams.
It's not often that books make me think, but The Spectacular got to me. I thought about my own life and how I had a choice. I could go off to college or travel. I think back to my mom, grandmother, and great-grandmother's generations and how there was a role women had to fill. It makes me sad. I feel fortunate to have all the experiences I have had knowing that women didn't always get the option. I think about the romance in the story and how realistic it felt. Marion and Peter ended up not being together for 36 years. Peter ended up working for the FBI in Virginia while Marion stayed in New York. Peter was scared that he would develop schizophrenia and didn't want Marion to have to take care of him. Both Marion and Peter had their own dreams and while it was heartbreaking that they didn't get to be together, they ended up having a moment toward the end of the book. It shows that some may experience the "one who got away" but also how two people may need to go their own way even though it may be devastating. There's so much to talk about with this book and I didn't even go into how corporate greed plays into this as well.
The Spectacular was so good and will be a go-to recommendation to friends and family. I'm going through Fiona's other books and adding them to my shelf as a reminder to read her other books.
New York City—1956. Marion is a young woman who decides to follow her dreams of auditioning to be a Rockette. Much to her father's chagrin, he would rather see her marry off and start a family. Marion loves being a Rockette and feels like she's following in her mother's footsteps, as she also wants to balance a career in the arts. In a turn of events, Marion is a witness to a bombing committed by the man known as the "Big Apple Bomber." Marion is now involved as she partners with a psychiatrist to investigate and stop future bombings.
I LOVED this book. I am not sure why I was sleeping on Historical Fiction as a genre. This was the first book I read by Fiona Davis and definitely not the last. I like the way Fiona describes New York as I felt I could picture the city full of life in my mind. When Marion goes to work, dances in her shows, and takes the subway when she has to, I thought about who she was and what her life looked like. I think this imagery is crucial in Historical Fiction because if I don't feel involved with the story, why bother to continue reading?
Regarding the characters, I liked reading about Marion and her struggles. Marion is aloof and naive. She says things that feel privileged and once she goes into the city, she realizes how sheltered her life was. I felt for Marion because her struggles felt real. She was torn between the life she wanted and what her father desperately wanted for her. Her father was aggressive in the way that she wanted to live her life which pushed her away. It was true to the period, but I felt for her. I truly despised her father and found it difficult to feel sorry for him
It's not often that books make me think, but The Spectacular got to me. I thought about my own life and how I had a choice. I could go off to college or travel. I think back to my mom, grandmother, and great-grandmother's generations and how there was a role women had to fill. It makes me sad. I feel fortunate to have all the experiences I have had knowing that women didn't always get the option. I think about the romance in the story and how realistic it felt.
The Spectacular was so good and will be a go-to recommendation to friends and family. I'm going through Fiona's other books and adding them to my shelf as a reminder to read her other books.