⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 5 rounded up.
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield was such an amazing book that I never wanted it to end! But since it had to end and it has, lets review it...
What it's about: It is a winter night at The Swan at Radcot, an inn sitting on the bank of the Thames, and storytelling is in full swing. They always tell stories there, especially the owner Margot's husband Joe who happens to be the best storyteller of them all. On this night, storytelling is abruptly interrupted when a man walks in with the corpse of a little girl and promptly falls over unconscious. The little girl seems to be dead, but a few hours later she is definitely alive. As everyone wonders how this could be, 3 possible parents come forward thinking the girl is theirs. Thus begins the story of who she belongs with and what will happen next.
I LOVED THIS BOOK! It is highly atmospheric and although it may be considered overly descriptive by some, I was so caught up in the story that I was totally into it. There is a very magical quality to this novel, and it reads a bit like you are reading a fairy tale which I personally loved. The imagery of the writing really brought the book alive for me and it was a very enjoyable experience.
There are a lot of characters to remember in Once Upon a River, and it reminded me a little bit of The Clockmaker's Daughter in both the bounty of characters and atmospheric style in which it is written. Lots of detail, lots of characters, but also lots of fun to read (at least for me).
I don't think the pacing is overly fast or anything, and this is one of those books you want to savor instead of speeding through. For a lot of people, this is also a book you will find best read with no distractions. Every time I picked up Once Upon a River I was transported to another world and the magic of the Thames. It also made me really want to visit The Swan which is an actual place! This is a book that contains folklore and some historical fiction, so if you are into one or both of those things I think it is definitely worth checking out.
Final Thought: If you love books that are richly atmospheric and read like a fairy tale then I highly recommend reading Once Upon a River. This book made me an instant fan of Setterfield whom I have never read a book from before. The mystery was great, and I didn't know what was going to happen until I got to the end. There are some sad parts, and some tough subjects, but also lots of joy and humor. This book is pure magic and I hope you decide to pick it up!
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield was such an amazing book that I never wanted it to end! But since it had to end and it has, lets review it...
What it's about: It is a winter night at The Swan at Radcot, an inn sitting on the bank of the Thames, and storytelling is in full swing. They always tell stories there, especially the owner Margot's husband Joe who happens to be the best storyteller of them all. On this night, storytelling is abruptly interrupted when a man walks in with the corpse of a little girl and promptly falls over unconscious. The little girl seems to be dead, but a few hours later she is definitely alive. As everyone wonders how this could be, 3 possible parents come forward thinking the girl is theirs. Thus begins the story of who she belongs with and what will happen next.
I LOVED THIS BOOK! It is highly atmospheric and although it may be considered overly descriptive by some, I was so caught up in the story that I was totally into it. There is a very magical quality to this novel, and it reads a bit like you are reading a fairy tale which I personally loved. The imagery of the writing really brought the book alive for me and it was a very enjoyable experience.
There are a lot of characters to remember in Once Upon a River, and it reminded me a little bit of The Clockmaker's Daughter in both the bounty of characters and atmospheric style in which it is written. Lots of detail, lots of characters, but also lots of fun to read (at least for me).
I don't think the pacing is overly fast or anything, and this is one of those books you want to savor instead of speeding through. For a lot of people, this is also a book you will find best read with no distractions. Every time I picked up Once Upon a River I was transported to another world and the magic of the Thames. It also made me really want to visit The Swan which is an actual place! This is a book that contains folklore and some historical fiction, so if you are into one or both of those things I think it is definitely worth checking out.
Final Thought: If you love books that are richly atmospheric and read like a fairy tale then I highly recommend reading Once Upon a River. This book made me an instant fan of Setterfield whom I have never read a book from before. The mystery was great, and I didn't know what was going to happen until I got to the end. There are some sad parts, and some tough subjects, but also lots of joy and humor. This book is pure magic and I hope you decide to pick it up!