23 member(s) found this review helpful.
I was so excited to read this book after hearing all of the spectacular reviews. However, I found myself incredibly disappointed. The plot is muddy and plodding, the writing is far from interesting, and the characters are so boring that, by the time I was halfway through this book, I couldn't have possibly cared less whether any of them lived to the end or what they did on the way there. I honestly do not understand the hype over this book at all. I've read hundreds of books that were far more interesting, engaging and memorable. This was a huge, huge disappointment. Hours of my life I will never get back....
14 member(s) found this review helpful.
I absolutely loved this book. The writing is beautiful and incredibly insightful. The author drew me in so much so that I felt I was part of the story. Yes, the ending is rather abrupt, and it left me wishing it turned out another way, but after thinking about it for some time and rereading the last two chapters, I've come to understand and accept it. Again, loved the book.
12 member(s) found this review helpful.
I did not love this book like so many others that I have heard. It was just okay. I found it so filled with details and long meandering asides that it became a distraction. I like the general story, but I think it could have been told in half the pages. I found myself skimming at certain points, which I rarely ever do. This book did not keep me eager to know what happens next, by the end I just wanted to finish so it would be over. I did find the chapters from Almondine's perspective beautifully described.