Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil

I’ve loved so many books by V.E. Schwab but I can’t say I loved this one. So much of the book is spent telling the story of Sabine’s life who is wholly unlikable. I tried to appreciate her for her enigma, her crafty navigation of the world, and her sultry independence, but found her predominant qualities were always selfishness and indifference.

I think the only characters I felt drawn to were Matteo and his lover in Venice. I could have read a book about their story.

The whole story feels told from a distance… I never found myself caring about the characters or really feeling anything at all. The swaths of time it covers and the multi-generational cast of characters remind me a little of the narration from 100 Years of Solitude - poetic, but not gripping.

I wasn't sure about this at the start, I was unsure how Maria's story would go, we hadn't met Charlotte and I didn't really connect with Alice's chapters, but there was a shift during one of Maria's chapters and I was completely hooked.

This is dark and atmospheric and I really enjoyed it.