This is my first time reading Kate Morton, an author known for her historic novels, so maybe my ambiguity towards the story is justified, this being h...moreThis is my first time reading Kate Morton, an author known for her historic novels, so maybe my ambiguity towards the story is justified, this being her debut novel, and me trying to conquer unknown territory. I think this was good and well written, but at the same time it did not impress, and I just felt disappointed by its conclusion.
“It is a universal truth that no matter how well one knows a scene, to observe it from above is something of a revelation.”
The story revolving around the family living at the House of Riverton, and its servants, is very interesting, and the author did a good job inducing me in intrigue, but I feel like it was too much tell and no show. Oh, she does tell a lot, and maybe this was my biggest problem with the story. In my opinion, it could have been cut short a little, and still a great, and why not greater book. Most questions are already answered by the time the story picks up its pace, and after too much build-up, those last remaining details don’t make too much of a difference or impact.
“Two points are unreliable; with nothing to anchor them there is nothing to stop them drifting in opposite directions. If it is string that binds, it will eventually snap and the points will separate; if elastic, they will continue to part, further and further, until the strain reaches its limit, and they are pulled back with such speed that they cannot help but collide with devastating force.”
I very much loved the time, the settings and language. Part of what makes historical fiction such a good read is because it’s transcendent. It transports us to another time and place. Katie was a likable character, reminded me of the old lady from Titanic… but I might have cut back on her recounting at the present a bit, even though it’s an important part of the story. I was much more invested in her past life as a maid at Riverton House, and would have liked to have more insight on that time.
“For while she was not one of Them, neither was she one of Us.”
On another note, the story features a remarkable similarity with the series Downton Abbey. It’s impossible not to notice, and it was quite fun actually to find the differences between book and show. Mind you, these may just be coincidences, and a perfect setting for fans of the show. It’s an astonishing coincidence, but a coincidence all the same… (less)
I’m fairly new to Julia Quinn’s long and much appraised list of historical romances, but I enjoy her stories, so I finally decided to meet the Bridger...moreI’m fairly new to Julia Quinn’s long and much appraised list of historical romances, but I enjoy her stories, so I finally decided to meet the Bridgertons. And they are indeed an interesting family, but unfortunately interesting wasn’t good enough for me. I wanted more out of this story than just the ordinary marriage of convenience, over protective brother and the tortured hero cliché plot. These are not things I find appealing within a story, it just made the whole thing un-romantic. And since the purpose of the book was to be romantic, well it kind of ruined the mood.
I didn’t find any of the characters particularly interesting, not even Daphne and Simon. Daphne falls head over heels for Simon too quickly, and there’s not much of a relationship development, or chemistry, for that matter. I guess I never felt the connection needed to truly enjoy this story. The story was actually nice at the beginning, but gradually I began to lose interest. I kept on reading hoping that at any moment I would be caught off guard with a witty remark that can change the entire course of history. Unfortunately, this didn’t happen.
The characters kept making incredibly stupid choices; the plot kept being uninteresting and moving towards unreasonable actions. There are a lot of very well executed hilarious scenes that put a smile on my face, but although it seems funny, it doesn’t feel funny. There was a lot I missed in this book about Julia Quinn, specially the easy, meaningful subtle humor. This book has less humor, and more boring banter. I could probably pick up a few smart lines, but that’s it. There was something definitely missing…
This is not the best book I’ve read by Julia Quinn, but it’s certainly not the worst. I liked Lady Whistledown’s gossip, and am interested to know about this mysterious character. And the Bridgertons are not only an interesting family, but they are a lot, so I look forward to meeting them in the next books. (less)
I expected this to be a realistic, emotional, and memorable read that would stay with me for a long while, like it happens with those books you fall h...moreI expected this to be a realistic, emotional, and memorable read that would stay with me for a long while, like it happens with those books you fall helplessly in love because they are so good. As it happens, it turned out to be just an okay read, which I found too exaggerate and unrealistic. This might have been because of the writing, or maybe it’s just a matter of taste. I personally don’t like simple and sparse writing, because I cannot feel the depth of the story, and that’s what happened with The Sky is Everywhere. It has some great, beautiful lines, but that’s about it, and most of the time the story sounds like a pre-teen’s ramblings about boys and life in general, and not the grief stricken girl who just lost her sister. Everything is interconnected, but it took too long to get to that place where the story can still be saved, namely when Lennie and Gram destroy the copy of Wuthering Heights. Considering the amount of times the book is referenced in the story, and how it’s already been used by countless authors, and how it seems a general rule that every girl in a YA novel has to have that book as a classic favorite, I too felt like tearing it to shreds.
The romance was unbelievable, no matter how cute and funny, I couldn’t believe this relationship. It all happens too fast for the reader to catch a pace. One moment, Lennie is involved with Toby, the next she’s wrapped around Joe Fontaine. This all added to my finding all the intense dialogue, and declarations of love, only after a few days, completely insubstantial. Like I said, the story was a bit too much over the top; it felt like the author was trying too hard to sound like a cool and quirky teenager.
However, there were some things that I liked, and made this a perfectably acceptable book. For one, I liked Gram, she’s the only character I liked and was interested to read more about, and even she felt underdeveloped, which is too bad. I would have liked to read more about eccentric Gram. The book touches a very emotional theme, and that’s maybe the only realistic part of the story. Also, the scattered poems throughout the book are cute, and it all wrapped up pretty nicely at the end.
An honest 1 star rating, because I honestly didn’t like the book. Judging by all the enthusiastic reviews, combined with the paranormal aspects of the...moreAn honest 1 star rating, because I honestly didn’t like the book. Judging by all the enthusiastic reviews, combined with the paranormal aspects of the story, it all lead to believe this would be something amazing, but amazing is that I was able to finish reading the book; I was that close to giving up. There was nothing interesting to keep me engaged, at some point I just wanted to get through with it. It was like watching a boring filler episode of a tv show, which is kind of ironic considering that’s what they wanted to make.
The story is nothing new, your typical ghost-hunter storyline, which made it even more unbearable. More so when I think about how the lighthouse mystery could have had a better use for the whole story, had it not taken that direction.
Perry Palomino and Dex had everything to be great characters, but they just became bland and uninteresting. Also, they are adults, but talk and act like teenagers, which can be really annoying when you’re trying your best to enjoy the story despite its flaws.
When it comes to these kinds of stories, I need something different, and not the same old same old, that’s why I couldn’t find it enjoyable. I was pretty much indifferent for the whole book and never connected with the story, so I won’t be continuing with the series. (less)
Loading...
