At last, I have finished the book which has moved from bookstack to bedside table to shelf and back again for well over a year. I give it a kindly 3 stars.
I think it goes without saying that I did not find this book to be overly compelling or "unputdownable" - on the contrary, it seems I couldn't stop putting it down.
I was initially taken with the very idea of Madame Burova, palmist and tarot reader of Brighton Pier, she sounded fascinating and like someone who would have quite the story to tell. Unfortunately for Imelda Burova, she was written fairly 2 dimensionally and I had a difficult time connecting with her in the ways I felt I should have been able to.
I was oddly bored by Billie's storyline, again I think this is due to its lack of believability - I found her to be cardboard; flimsy and insubstantial.
The part of Madame Burova which I did find to be compelling was Imelda and Cillian's romance, and I wish that they had more page time. I enjoyed the scenes with the two of them together, they were just sadly limited.
I imagine a large part of why I found them to be of interest is that I had the chance to see a wall of death motorcycle show last year, and it was one of the most adrenaline inducing and terrifying things I've ever witnessed. Whilst I have no desire to attend more shows, it left me fascinated by the types of people who would take part in such a ridiculous and risky show of defiance and bravery (read idiocy). One way or another, I found Cillian to be a character of interest even though I felt we could have gotten to know him better.
By the end of this book I was interested in the web of story which came together, and I was pleased with the end, even though the writing was mediocre.
I am so glad to have finished!
I think it goes without saying that I did not find this book to be overly compelling or "unputdownable" - on the contrary, it seems I couldn't stop putting it down.
I was initially taken with the very idea of Madame Burova, palmist and tarot reader of Brighton Pier, she sounded fascinating and like someone who would have quite the story to tell. Unfortunately for Imelda Burova, she was written fairly 2 dimensionally and I had a difficult time connecting with her in the ways I felt I should have been able to.
I was oddly bored by Billie's storyline, again I think this is due to its lack of believability - I found her to be cardboard; flimsy and insubstantial.
The part of Madame Burova which I did find to be compelling was Imelda and Cillian's romance, and I wish that they had more page time. I enjoyed the scenes with the two of them together, they were just sadly limited.
I imagine a large part of why I found them to be of interest is that I had the chance to see a wall of death motorcycle show last year, and it was one of the most adrenaline inducing and terrifying things I've ever witnessed. Whilst I have no desire to attend more shows, it left me fascinated by the types of people who would take part in such a ridiculous and risky show of defiance and bravery (read idiocy). One way or another, I found Cillian to be a character of interest even though I felt we could have gotten to know him better.
By the end of this book I was interested in the web of story which came together, and I was pleased with the end, even though the writing was mediocre.
I am so glad to have finished!