This had the potential to be so so good, it hurts. I struggled for awhile to rate it 3 or 4 stars, but it just kinda...sucked for most of the book. Lotsa spoilers ahead by the way, so heads up.
Eleanor had to be one of the most annoying characters I have ever read. It's like she was willfully ignorant for so much of the book. We don't know much more than her and yet she makes naive and dumb decisions that she should know better than to make. I loved every other character besides her and Grandmere. I did like that there was some queer relationships sprinkled in (that were super obvious by the way) and I get this book is supposed to be set in like the 60's or something? I think? Sometime after WWII I believe. But damn, they knew gay people existed back then, and Eleanor kinda just acted like it couldn't be possible that Rhys loved Arthur. When she was literally in love with her best friend Lucy?? For a long time??? I get repressing stuff but that part didn't need to be added to the book in my opinion.
Also the fact that Arthur was super old compared to Eleanor (I don't know what her age was but I always assumed it was like 16-17) and all of them actually, didn't sit right with me. He never really reciprocated all that much but still.
I think this could've been really so amazing, but it just ended up falling flat. It was good, but only because of all the other characters. Miklos and Arthur and Persphone's backstories together. Rhys and Luma in general. Like there were so many possibilities. Even Eleanor's backstory was really interesting and I wanted to know more, but she turned into someone that I wanted nothing to do with. The ending kind of redeemed her, but barely.
Eleanor had to be one of the most annoying characters I have ever read. It's like she was willfully ignorant for so much of the book. We don't know much more than her and yet she makes naive and dumb decisions that she should know better than to make. I loved every other character besides her and Grandmere. I did like that there was some queer relationships sprinkled in (that were super obvious by the way) and I get this book is supposed to be set in like the 60's or something? I think? Sometime after WWII I believe. But damn, they knew gay people existed back then, and Eleanor kinda just acted like it couldn't be possible that Rhys loved Arthur. When she was literally in love with her best friend Lucy?? For a long time??? I get repressing stuff but that part didn't need to be added to the book in my opinion.
Also the fact that Arthur was super old compared to Eleanor (I don't know what her age was but I always assumed it was like 16-17) and all of them actually, didn't sit right with me. He never really reciprocated all that much but still.
I think this could've been really so amazing, but it just ended up falling flat. It was good, but only because of all the other characters. Miklos and Arthur and Persphone's backstories together. Rhys and Luma in general. Like there were so many possibilities. Even Eleanor's backstory was really interesting and I wanted to know more, but she turned into someone that I wanted nothing to do with. The ending kind of redeemed her, but barely.