Natasha
3.5 stars. Enter the first major discussion point novel for 2020. No doubt it will be loved (or hated) by book clubs everywhere. It examines race, class, well intentioned interference (or was it?) and an array of really really unlikable characters.
Erima works as a babysitter for a privileged family (Alix - uurggghh, even her name is pretentious) when one night she is accused of kidnapping her small, adorable charge - Briar, simply because it is late, she is wearing party clothes and she is black. So begins a deluge of people interfering in Emira's life and telling her what to do.
It was an uncomfortable and complicated read - but sometimes we need to leave our comfort zone to be part of the conversation.
2.5 I am so torn over this rating. This was the most exquisitely written novel. Magical, whimsical, picturesque. I adored the stories within stories (especially the ballad of Simon and Eleanor) and enjoyed the quirky characters. But I still can't tell you what actually happened?? Maybe I wasn't concentrating enough (I listened to half of it on audio, and found I was losing the thread - so switched to the printed version). Am I the only one who feels this way? If someone asked me how it ended, I would have to shrug my shoulders and say “haven't the foggiest - but I loved the cherry blossom forest and confetti ocean.”
This has been on my TBR since 2013, so I am very late to the party! When I first started this I found it incredibly slow and packed with seemingly unnecessary details. But I had faith in Ms. Rowling and she didn't disappoint. It all comes together in the end, with a healthy side of red herrings. I'll definitely stick with the series.
So.... this was not my favourite Burton unfortunately. I love the cover, and I liked the concept, but just didn't connect with any of the characters.
However, in a book about self-discovery, I discovered something about myself. I don't enjoy reading about Hollywood, or film making, during any time period. This is odd because I adore watching movies. I felt similarly about the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - no connection. Go figure....
I still love Burton's writing though and will definitely pick up her next book.
Ding ding ding!! We have an unpopular opinion on its way. I was so disappointed with this book. Urgh! It had so much potential, but in the end it was your run of the mill police procedural / domestic thriller - with NO DECENT TWISTS.
I felt no connection to any of the characters - they felt flat and tropey (I don't think that's a word but whatevs).
The best part was the ‘I see dead people' little boy - but even that potential spooky twist fell flat.
This is what should have happened. SPOILER (but not really because it didn't happen). The Whisper Man had a son he hated. Pete spent 20 years looking for the final victim of The Whisper Man, a boy named Tony Smith, whose body was never found. A boy's body is found - they assume it's Tony. INSTEAD the boy in the floor was actually the son, and the WM kept Tony alive as his son and groomed him to become his successor. Too dark?
I loved this. It is (in my opinion) that rare gem of a novel that is a fun thrilling read, and has literary merit and importance. I found Aunt Lydia's back story harrowing, and actually had to put the book down at times. It made me laugh, the end made me cry - and Gilead was truly terrifying. Worth all the buzz and the hype!
If you are looking for a creepy, sinister book to read this Halloween, look no further. Faeries, dark caves, floating lights, radical medical experiments, haunted houses, servants with shocking secrets, changelings and scary dolls. Yes yes yes!! This has it all.
Bone China is a character driven gothic tale of superstition, obsession and insanity. It is so dark and atmospheric and every page is filled with an unsettling, ominous foreboding. I was gripped and beguiled.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.