What I Liked:
Writing Style. I've always been a fan of Ruta Sepety's writing style since I first discovered Between Shades of Grey. I actually found myself loving this novel, her newest novel more than any others.
Characters. The best aspect of the novel, besides the writing, was how well Sepety's crafted her characters. The novel goes between five different points of view but they were so unique that it was easy to get sucked into the story. The changing of POVs were well-done so it never took away from the main plot. It is hard to pick just one character that I loved above the others because they were all fleshed out and well-written.
Plot/Historical Elements. I found the plot intriguing and it kept me reading until the end. However, I did stop with 100 pages left because I was afraid of what was going to happen next because of my experience with her other novels. And like always Ruta Sepety does an amazing job taking the reader back in time and exploring the time period. It is a great novel for young readers like her others because it exposes them to a different culture. I also learned a lot from the novel.
What I Disliked:
Pacing. The only thing I disliked was the pacing of the novel. It was a slow read with not a lot of action.
I recommend checking out this well-done historical fiction and coming from someone who does not read the genre that is saying something.
Rating: 4.5 Stars out of 5 Stars.