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Oct 18, 2008

Stephanie rated it:

Usually, I do not enjoy Historical Fiction novels, but Daughter of Venice was an exception. The author, Donna Jo Napoli, did a tremendous job explaining the setting and characters, making the plot and characters come to life. I found myself predicting throughout the entire book, there was a lot of action and twists.
The story was about a fourteen year old girl, Donata, who lives during the 1590s in Venice. She is a noble daughter, and in noble families only one daughter and son may marry. A More...

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Dec 21, 2010

Alessandria rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Jul 20, 2010

Michael rated it:

Daughter of Venice is an interesting story about a pampered Renaissance noble, Donata, in Venice. She is not content with a lot of the norms that there are in her society (such as only one daughter and one son can marry). She always hears of life from other people, but she never experiences it herself. She decides to disguise herself as a poor boy, and she finds herself in the Jewish ghetto and makes a friend who gives her a job as a scribe, even though she doesn't know how to read.
She More...

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Jul 04, 2010

Jodi rated it:

This YA novel was interesting because the Venice of the late 1500s is unknown to me. Seems to be a theme of mine this summer to read books about girls in eras of suppression and what they do to break free or co-exist (but as usual any real change has to come when the males of the family agree—be it from persuasion by the female or his astounding ‘liberal’ viewpoints).

Enjoyed the girl’s relationship with her siblings—reminded me of mine growing up. Although we teased and perhaps to More...

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Oct 22, 2009

saferia rated it:

I really wanted to like this book more than I did, and wish that I could give a 2.5 star rating instead of 3. The book was hard to get through for a few reasons. The first being that the protagonist, Donata, seemed to waver between a bratty child a and a witty teen. Her character is 14 years old, but her voice often appeared as that of an 11 year old. While the random facts/lessons on Venetian history were interesting, not all of the facts were pertinent(thought interesting) to the telling of Do More...

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Oct 12, 2011

Annabelly rated it:

I REALLY LOVED THIS BOOK!!!
I wish I could write a proper review someday, with character analysis and everything, but you'll just have to settle with this.
Donata was a REAL PERSON (not REAL real, but PERSONALITY real. This is really important if you want your readers to not burn your book.)
She had fire.
She had guts.
She was a girl pretending to be a boy pretending to be a girl pretending to be a boy.
She was awesome.

Her awesomeness radiated from th More...

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Jun 19, 2011

Candice rated it:

At first, this book did not seem as enticing as the ever dramatic Red Necklace. (I got them together at the library, recommended by my sis.) But after reading deep into it, I realized it was as intense and sad as Red Necklace was.
It's a story of a young noble girl named Donata living in Venice a long time ago. It's a custom that only the oldest daughter of the family gets the privilege to marry, but Laura (Donata's twin) and Donata's only dream is to marry just like Andriana (the oldest). More...

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Sep 03, 2009

Sandra rated it:

This novel set in 1592 Venice traces the story of
younger daughter in a noble family who longs to break the bounds set so firmly around her actions by her noble birth and the attitudes toward women of her society and class. She dresses as a boy to wander the streets and canals of Venice having adventures, but those adventures bring challenges she has no way of foreseeing, challenges to her preconceived ideas, her prejudices, and her way of life. This well researched novel presents a vivid More...

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Feb 05, 2009

Kristin rated it:

I happened upon this book on night when I was terribly bored. I had nothing to read so searching the downstairs bookshelf I picked up this book. I Had picked it up many times before but never started to read it. So I decided to give it a chance. I loved it.

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Apr 01, 2011

Jenny rated it:

I really enjoyed this book. It is set in Renaissance Venice and gives an intriguing peek into the lives of the nobles, their interactions with other classes (particularly the jews), and the roles given to noble youth based on their gender. They have an interesting family structure--they all act for the good of the family, but available roles become filled quickly and it leaves very little personal choice. Our heroine is searching for a role that won't lead her into a convent; she is also tryi More...

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Oct 01, 2011

Melissa rated it:

This was such BAD book maybe the author should stop writing!I didn't like that the main character, who was 14, acted like an 10 year old. I am sorry, but she was sooooo annoying. She was crying she couldn't get married, but when she finally can marry someone she doesn't want to. Second all this history made me feel like i am in school......not that i hate school as much as this book. Some pages it was just history. Third the author got her facts all mixed up. She said that Albrecht Durer was Du More...

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Oct 25, 2011

Pip rated it:

I was fortunate enough to find an English copy of this book in a small second hand bookshop in Venice when I was there earlier this year! How amazing it was to read this book as I strolled around the very city it was set in, a few hundred years before! I think I would name Donna as someone I would most like to have lunch with one day, given the opportunity! Her ability to blend an amazing amount of historical research within an exceptionally crafted story is second only to the passion that I fee More...

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Oct 04, 2011

Jaima rated it:

Donata is adrift, cloistered in her family home and destined for life in a convent. Confronted with her brothers' lives of purpose, activity and exploration, she determines to discover Venice on her own, instead of through their tales.
I love the girl disguised as a boy plot device, and this one played out well with tenderness and poignancy. This book brings to life the historical people and setting without clothing them in unrealistic, contemporary attitudes. The plot, historical details, More...

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Sep 18, 2010

Natalie rated it:

I really liked the writing but it was too off for me. I'm a 14 year old but i feel like the charater really is 11 and immature. Also i couldn't finish it because it made me rediculously mad that women had such a restricted range of rights. I don't know....I'm not a feminist or anything but it eas all i could think about as i was reading and i didn't keep my attention. So, I didn't like it, especially the end (Isipped ahead and read only little parts here and there) because i felt like it was too More...

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Sep 28, 2009

Alicia rated it:

I hope that this book is accurate because she paints an amazing picture of venice in the 15th century. As Donata explores Venice and discovers all that really exists in the city she has always loved, and still loves despite all the realities she never knew existed,I watched as her mind expanded and she grew up and learnes what it means to be who you really are. I really enjoyed this one. I was hesitant to read it because I read her book on the story of repunzel and didn't really like it.Completl More...

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Apr 22, 2009

Angelina rated it:

This book, Daughter of Venice, is about a 14 year old girl, Donata, who lives in Venice, Italy in the 16th century who does not think like most girls of her time. She wants an education, she wants to go outside her palazzo and have fun and adventures. But girls of noble families in Venice at this time did not go outside their homes without at least their mother with them, they were not educated, they were not encouraged to be curious or to do much of anything other than marry and have children More...

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Jun 04, 2010

Tara rated it:

This was an average YA historical novel. I don't really have much to say about it because I wasn't "wowed" by it nor did I dislike it. It follows Donata in 1592 Venice. She is one of many daughters in a noble family in a time when dowries were of great import. Basically all the dowry money is going towards marrying off her older sister so Donata and her female siblings are looking at life in a convent stuck inside looking out all the time.

Donata dons the attire of a f More...

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Sep 22, 2008

Laura rated it:

The setting for this story is Venice in the late 1500's. Donata is a daughter in a nobleman's house. She has 11 siblings. In the society of Venice at this time only one son and one daughter will marry. Donata is destined for a convent. She is a girl blessed with a seeking and curious mind. She has been sheltered in her palazzo all of her life and knows only what she has glimpsed on a map or what her older brothers have told her about the storied city in which she lives. She devises a plan More...

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May 25, 2011

Bu rated it:

Donata is a strong young woman who wants to step out of the bonds of her mother and father to find adventure for herself. To see her city Venice for what it's worth. Disguised as a boy she ends up meeting Neo a Jewish man and their friendship has grown strong but what will happen to them, can they be together or not? you have to find out when you read it. It was a very good book that informs us about Venice and it's people.

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Jan 01, 2012

Mathilde rated it:

I'm not usually a big fan of history novels and I did find the beginning of this book a bit boring. I suppose the introduction to italian life bored me, seeing as I live in Italy.
Then, at page 65, things started picking up. Hidden sigh of relief there, by the way.
From page 65 onwards, I read avidly. I was kind of sad that Donata just forgot about Noè and all, but hey, that's her life I guess!

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Dec 06, 2011

Jill rated it:

Daughter of Venice is historical fiction about a girl whose future is both uncertain and strictly controlled by tradition. Desperate for some control over her own life, she takes risks that end up jeopardizing the ones she loves. Through her efforts to control the damage of her actions, she discovers new options for her life.

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Oct 26, 2011

Eliza rated it:

I love reading historical fiction and this did not disappoint. It started off a little slow but it worked in the end to establish a solid base for the rest of the novel. I found it to be an interesting and fun read while also providing lots of food for thought about life, traditions,and the relationships between right and wrong, men and women, rich and poor, etc.

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Nov 02, 2009

Emily rated it:

I ended up liking this book a lot more than I expected. It is a story inspired by the first woman to receive a doctorate in philosophy degree in Italy. This book gave a nice peek into what life was like for people of the time period. It made me realize that we've come a long way in terms of women's rights. This is a young adult book so a pretty easy read.

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Mar 20, 2010

Christy rated it:

This was quite good. I learned a lot about Venetian society and family life in the 1500's. Written from a teenager's point of view, not too heavy or deep but still able to touch on important issues. An easy and interesting read that I would recommend to others. A little adventure and romance, a lot of sibling and parent/child dynamics.

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Oct 07, 2009

Carl rated it:

This was a fun book to read especially after having been to Venice. The places described had a memory, but the best part of the book was bout the family and how marriages were arranged and not allowed in a family of 12 children. Written for young readers but quick read and interesting story.

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Sep 13, 2009

Talia rated it:

I read this book because it was recommended to me by a friend. I enjoyed the book. I also learned a lot about the renaissance and the way people used to live in earlier centuries. I do not normally enjoy historical fiction but i liked this book because i thought it was interesting and exciting.

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Mar 18, 2009

Fluffychick rated it:

Okay, so I bought this from Amazon's rcommendation without realising it was a book for younger readers. Due to this it's probably unfair to judge the actual story which was simplistic, characters without depth and lacked pace...however, I did enjoy the historical side of the book which was fasinating and so that's where it picks up an extra star.

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Jan 06, 2011

Jenny rated it:

Donata, a 14 year old girl,in 16th century Venice, rebels against the restrictions placed on noble girls. She goes out disguised as a boy and meets Noe, a Jewish printer. Eventually, Donata must face the consequences of her masquerade, when she is betrothed to a man she does not love.

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May 10, 2009

Clara rated it:

From what I remember of reading this book, I found it difficult to get into. Through perseverance, however, I ending up falling in love with it. It was one of my favourites when I was younger and manages to combine the history of Venice with the enthralling plot. Great.

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Mar 18, 2011

Kathleen rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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