Marian
Really quick read, great for summer. There were some minor plot issues, but overall enjoyed it and loved that I didn't know where it was going. I would definitely recommend this one.
Felt like they tried to draw out the suspense (which I didn't even find suspenseful) and then the ending was ridiculous. Such a cop out and unrealistic. And I had such high hopes . . .
If there were 3.5 stars, that is what I would give it. I enjoyed this book, but more about the history of the world's fair than the sensational murders (which surprised me). Good read though and I would recommend.
My review can't do this book justice. One that will stick with me for a long time. Can't wait to share this book with my girls.
More like a 2.5 star rating. The writing was excellent, but the story wasn't for me. Each section could have been a standalone book.
Not at all what I thought it was going to be. Beautifully written. Loved the characters but wanted it all to tie back together in the end. Almost a 5-star book.
Chris Bohjalian is one of my favorite authors, so I was a little nervous about this book since it is a departure from his usual New England stories. I enjoyed it, but it was really graphic and disturbing in some parts.
I was so disappointed in this book. I really wanted to like it because I've enjoyed other Lisa See books, but I just couldn't relate to anything in it. It was too romantic even for me. And if read about clouds and rain one more time I was going to lose my mind (if you've read it you know). And then I get to the end and find out it was based on actual events! Too unbelievable.
I haven't read this since high school. Still disturbing and moving at the same time.
I enjoyed this, but would have liked it better if I had read it as a young adult. I just couldn't empathize with the characters. I'll be interested what my children think when they read it in a couple of years. Maybe I'll gain a new appreciation through them.
I enjoyed this book. It was an easy read and had some great characters. I was surprised it won the Pulitzer prize though!
This is a 4.5 star book. Love his writing, but some of the material in here was so hard to read. Love the way it all came together.
Why do I keep coming back to Anita Shreve when I know better? This book tried to cover too much – WWI, rape, women's property rights, homosexuality, shell shock and more! And yet at the end it is all tied up and handed to us in a pretty little package with everything working out and a love story to boot. Quite ridiculous. Really just deserved 1.5 stars.
I really couldn't get into this book. It was beautifully written, but could still not hold my attention.
Let me start by saying that the writing is amazing – colorful, evocative, rich in detail. Now I understand why people have been waiting for so long for Donna Tartt to publish another book. However I just couldn't give this more stars. It started out with a bang – the first act really was great. The second part of the book also had me completely hooked but for completely different reasons. It was so gritty and real, I couldn't stop reading. But then it started to lose me. The story and the main character just went meandering along. It all seemed to be too good to be true (which it is) and then abruptly we're thrown into a violent, drug-induced, too crazy to even possibly happen portion of the book. I didn't want to give up though since I only had another 100 pages or so, but then when everything was tied up neatly and the main character started “talking” to the reader I felt cheated. I would love to read another one of Tartt's novels since I loved her voice, but I'm not sure this was the story for me.
After hearing all of the amazing reviews on NPR and elsewhere, I expected more. As always, the writing was exquisite, but I didn't feel that it ever moved beyond an accounting of the character's lives. I had read that it was gripping and suspenseful (even noted on the dust jacket), but I disagree. The character's lack of emotion when recalling the pivotal moment of the story made it read more like a historical essay. Enjoyable, but definitely not my favorite book by her.
I really enjoyed the way all of the stories tied together without being so obvious. A beautiful and sad story.
If I were a timewalker like Diana Bishop I would go back and tell myself not to bother reading this book. A disappointing end to a (very) long series.
The philosophical ramblings almost made me put this down. I only made it through to the end so I could find out who did it. Very disappointing since I like the other series.
Although I enjoyed this book (especially the last couple of chapters), it could have been condensed into almost half and not lost any of the storyline. There were times I felt that the other was beating me over the head with just another example of the main character's “stories”.
