Helpful Score: 2
Sophie's husband Thomas left in search of the holy grail of butterflies, but he has returned a changed and altogether incomplete man. From his mysterious wounds to his inability or unwillingness to speak, it is clear that his travels were wrought with trauma and brutality.
It started out as a slow read, and I found it difficult initially to immerse myself in the identities of Sophie & Thomas. But before long, I was eagerly following the dual points of view, slowly discovering with Sophie the reason for her husband's frightening transformation, and reliving with Thomas the disturbing events of his time in the jungle.
The story is filled with acute & thorough descriptions of even the most insignificant details, mentally illustrating vibrant scenes and evoking complex yet common emotions. The Edwardian restraint of Engliand is smartly juxtaposed with the fierce primitiveness of the jungle, essentially creating two additional subtle yet fundamental characters in the story.
In the end, it is a tale of mystery, interspersed with love, deceit, brutality, and violent history. While it lacks some depth, skimming over points that might have added more interesting dimensions to the story, I found it a fast and entertaining read.
And thank you, Harper Collins (publisher), for the advanced reader copy & opportunity to review it early!
It started out as a slow read, and I found it difficult initially to immerse myself in the identities of Sophie & Thomas. But before long, I was eagerly following the dual points of view, slowly discovering with Sophie the reason for her husband's frightening transformation, and reliving with Thomas the disturbing events of his time in the jungle.
The story is filled with acute & thorough descriptions of even the most insignificant details, mentally illustrating vibrant scenes and evoking complex yet common emotions. The Edwardian restraint of Engliand is smartly juxtaposed with the fierce primitiveness of the jungle, essentially creating two additional subtle yet fundamental characters in the story.
In the end, it is a tale of mystery, interspersed with love, deceit, brutality, and violent history. While it lacks some depth, skimming over points that might have added more interesting dimensions to the story, I found it a fast and entertaining read.
And thank you, Harper Collins (publisher), for the advanced reader copy & opportunity to review it early!
Overall I thought this was a good book. Rachael King has a way with words that paint the most exquisite landscapes. While there were many great aspects of this book, the best of them all has to be her command of language.
The begining of the book seemed to take off slowly, more effort seemed to be placed on painting the landscapes as opposed to character development. However, as the book goes on the characters begin to take shape and the lack of explanation in the begining is seen as appropr...more Overall I thought this was a good book. Rachael King has a way with words that paint the most exquisite landscapes. While there were many great aspects of this book, the best of them all has to be her command of language.
The begining of the book seemed to take off slowly, more effort seemed to be placed on painting the landscapes as opposed to character development. However, as the book goes on the characters begin to take shape and the lack of explanation in the begining is seen as appropriate for the development of the story itself.
I think that the book was very well written and the journey into Sophie, her husband, and the mystery surrounding his muteness was well put together. Never giving too much to give away the ending, but not leaving the reader wanting for more. This book also takes a dive into the human experience, the emotions and thoughts that lead to the actions that people take.
Overall I would say this book was a good read. I didn't find myself not wanting to put it down, but while I was reading I was definitely drawn into another world, that of the rain forest and England. I would not say this is a re-read, but it leaves me looking forward to Rachael King's next novel
The begining of the book seemed to take off slowly, more effort seemed to be placed on painting the landscapes as opposed to character development. However, as the book goes on the characters begin to take shape and the lack of explanation in the begining is seen as appropr...more Overall I thought this was a good book. Rachael King has a way with words that paint the most exquisite landscapes. While there were many great aspects of this book, the best of them all has to be her command of language.
The begining of the book seemed to take off slowly, more effort seemed to be placed on painting the landscapes as opposed to character development. However, as the book goes on the characters begin to take shape and the lack of explanation in the begining is seen as appropriate for the development of the story itself.
I think that the book was very well written and the journey into Sophie, her husband, and the mystery surrounding his muteness was well put together. Never giving too much to give away the ending, but not leaving the reader wanting for more. This book also takes a dive into the human experience, the emotions and thoughts that lead to the actions that people take.
Overall I would say this book was a good read. I didn't find myself not wanting to put it down, but while I was reading I was definitely drawn into another world, that of the rain forest and England. I would not say this is a re-read, but it leaves me looking forward to Rachael King's next novel
