Take a photo of a barcode or cover
kirsty_dummin 's review for:
The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart
by Holly Ringland
The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart has taken the Australian literary scene by storm, and I can understand why. It is an incredibly thorough, thought provoking and often times tense novel, spanning about a decade in the life of the young Alice. The story, while dramatic and sometimes very frustrating, is an important one to be told. It brings together issues of domestic violence, abuse and family secrets in a very real way. While I didn’t necessarily agree with each of the character’s choices and decisions along the way, I could appreciate their motives and the way Ringland explores them.
The back drop and structuring around the Australian native flowers and their language is a beautiful, poetic addition. I also particularly enjoyed the diversity of the characters and the nod to Australia’s black history.
While I can appreciate the effort and detail that has gone into this novel, I did feel that there were perhaps a few too many sub-plots going on. I almost wanted it to be scaled back so I could immerse myself further into the main story. I feel like there was potential to split this into 2 books. Because some of the earlier plot points, while resolved, felt rushed and lacking the detail they deserved, due to the continuous addition of new characters and plots.
*actual rating 3.5*
The back drop and structuring around the Australian native flowers and their language is a beautiful, poetic addition. I also particularly enjoyed the diversity of the characters and the nod to Australia’s black history.
While I can appreciate the effort and detail that has gone into this novel, I did feel that there were perhaps a few too many sub-plots going on. I almost wanted it to be scaled back so I could immerse myself further into the main story. I feel like there was potential to split this into 2 books. Because some of the earlier plot points, while resolved, felt rushed and lacking the detail they deserved, due to the continuous addition of new characters and plots.
*actual rating 3.5*