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Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Doll Factory in Books

Feb 7, 2020

The Doll Factory

Elizabeth Macneal | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery

8.3

(3 Ratings)

Book Rating

‏I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

The Doll Factory is the debut novel of Elizabeth Macneal. It is not a children's book. Before reading it, some reviewers thought it could be because of the cover. Afterward, they realized they were mistaken.

It is a historical fiction novel set in 1850 London. It revolves around Iris, a doll maker, who dreams of a better life. Iris knows her life drastically changes when she meets Louis Frost, a painter, who agrees to teach her to paint in exchange for sitting as his model. What she does not know is it also drastically changes with a brief exchange with Silas, a strange collector who is entranced and quickly becomes obsessed with Iris.

The story is a slow burn and took a while for me to really get into it. It was because of this, the story felt longer than 336 pages. Macneal's description of Silas's increasing obsession with Iris is creepy, dark, and extremely believable. What made it creepier is that Iris does not even remember meeting Silas. Yet, he believes Iris is as infatuated with him as he is with her. This theme has been done before but the 1850 London setting helps make the obsession even darker.

This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 2/6/2020.

Kudos

Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Rumour in Books

Feb 22, 2020

The Rumour

Lesley Kara | 2018 | Crime, Thriller

7.5

(6 Ratings)

Book Rating

‏I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

I try to write my review soon after reading each book. Because it took so long for me to finish reading The Rumor by Lesley Kara, I needed time to process my thoughts before writing this review.

In The Rumor, a mom hears a rumor outside her son's school. Her casual comment repeating the rumor was not intended to be a big deal. However, once something is said, it is impossible to take it back. Words run faster than people ever could. Words travel faster than the speed of light.

I enjoyed the beginning of the book but reached a point where I kept having to put it down. I do not know why because I liked the writing style and the story. I think it might be because I felt the middle was too long.

I am glad I finished it because I did enjoy the last few chapters. Many reviews thoroughly liked the novel and I did not have to invoke the "50-page rule" so it is worth reading.

This was Lesley Kara's debut novel. Her next one, Who Did You Tell, is due out in 2020 and I have added it to my "want to read" list.

This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 2/21/20.