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ksenix's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
tryingpeopletx's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyable novel heavily influenced by a certain strain of Brit lit. The framing is interesting but I liked Ms. Winter more than her biographer. The excess twins and ghosts got kind of old, but overall the story was engaging and the ending was mostly satisfying.
jsmnelles's review against another edition
5.0
What a great book! Borrowed this from my granny after my dad recommended this and I'm glad I gave this book a chance!
Brilliantly written, the story captivated me and it was so hard to put this book down. I even got frustrated when I got so tired that I had to go to sleep and couldn't just finish this. Really enjoyed this one!
Brilliantly written, the story captivated me and it was so hard to put this book down. I even got frustrated when I got so tired that I had to go to sleep and couldn't just finish this. Really enjoyed this one!
nightshifterika666's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
laurenreads100's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.75
slaneyg's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The writing was absolutely beautiful but the story itself dragged at points.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Incest
danarenee_reads's review against another edition
4.0
Wow, creepy and well written although I found the whole story of Margaret and her "loss" a bit over the top.
btricebasa's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
the only word i could possibly use to describe this book is "rollercoaster". a love letter to the Gothic, and storytelling. jesus.
nostalgia_reader's review against another edition
4.0
A very enjoyable read... I powered through the second half of it as I really did become invested in learning about the secrets of the Angelfield family and what exactly was going on. It certainly was a good warm up to the Halloween season, but it's also a great book for book lovers in general, especially those who love Gothic lit.
However, that last point is also what caused me to give this only 4 stars, rather than 4.5 or 5. The beginning was amazing, but once Vida started telling her story, the allusions to classic Gothic works were SO obvious. So obvious that it actually helped me to remember some plot points of Jane Eyre and The Woman in White while not really providing me with much suspense for the actual story itself. Don't get me wrong, the homage that Setterfield pays to these types of books (Wuthering Heights and The Turn of the Screw as well) is excellent, but I just felt like she didn't put much effort into hiding these inspirations at all. It was so blatantly obvious that, while the ending was a bit of a surprise, it wasn't all-around surprising.
I'd recommend it to book lovers, regardless of whether or not you've read the inspiration or not. But I do think that those who have not read any of the source material will find it even more enjoyable than those who have read the classics.
However, that last point is also what caused me to give this only 4 stars, rather than 4.5 or 5. The beginning was amazing, but once Vida started telling her story, the allusions to classic Gothic works were SO obvious. So obvious that it actually helped me to remember some plot points of Jane Eyre and The Woman in White while not really providing me with much suspense for the actual story itself. Don't get me wrong, the homage that Setterfield pays to these types of books (Wuthering Heights and The Turn of the Screw as well) is excellent, but I just felt like she didn't put much effort into hiding these inspirations at all. It was so blatantly obvious that, while the ending was a bit of a surprise, it wasn't all-around surprising.
I'd recommend it to book lovers, regardless of whether or not you've read the inspiration or not. But I do think that those who have not read any of the source material will find it even more enjoyable than those who have read the classics.
robyns_reading_habit's review against another edition
4.0
This book started out slow and a little wordy but drew me in once I got a chapter or two in. The story was engrossing and bizarre, in a good way. For some reason I had trouble picturing characters correct ages. I would picture some one as older and find out half way through the book they were in their twenties. Because of that, some of the relationships felt off to me and it was hard to get the true feeling after I figured out the ages.
Read this book with a friend. You will want to have someone to call and say "oh my god! Did you get to the part where.....". This book will fill you with questions but answer them all yet not too perfectly.
Read this book with a friend. You will want to have someone to call and say "oh my god! Did you get to the part where.....". This book will fill you with questions but answer them all yet not too perfectly.