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A review by jemple
Winchelsea by Alex Preston
2.0
I picked this book up because I thought the cover was pretty. It is not a pretty book. I regret judging this book by its cover.
Winchelsea is about the gritty world of 18th centrury smuggling, told through the story of Goody, its androgynous protagonist. If you squint reeeally hard, it's a coming of age story about her growing from a smuggler's child into a smuggler, pirate and adult.
Goody doesn't so much grow into an adult as she swings from trauma to trauma like Tarzan, watching her family and friends be injured or killed over four years. She never seems to dwell for long on what she has lost, but you probably can't in that situation?
Personally I liked the first half of this book more, as it focused more on introducing the coastal setting.
Did not like the second half so much. Oh did I mention the incest? So much incest...
I'm unsure what rating to give this book, but overall I didn't "enjoy" it so I'm giving 2 stars. I will say that there was a lot going on, and it was an interesting and insightful read about smuggling on the south coast in that time period.
Winchelsea is about the gritty world of 18th centrury smuggling, told through the story of Goody, its androgynous protagonist. If you squint reeeally hard, it's a coming of age story about her growing from a smuggler's child into a smuggler, pirate and adult.
Spoiler
Goody doesn't so much grow into an adult as she swings from trauma to trauma like Tarzan, watching her family and friends be injured or killed over four years. She never seems to dwell for long on what she has lost, but you probably can't in that situation?
Personally I liked the first half of this book more, as it focused more on introducing the coastal setting.
Did not like the second half so much. Oh did I mention the incest? So much incest...
I'm unsure what rating to give this book, but overall I didn't "enjoy" it so I'm giving 2 stars. I will say that there was a lot going on, and it was an interesting and insightful read about smuggling on the south coast in that time period.