The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell
The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell
It’s the summer of 1889, and Amelia van den Broek is new to Baltimore and eager to take in all the pleasures the city has to offer. But her gaiety is interrupted by disturbing, dreamlike visions she has only at sunset-visions that offer glimpses of the future. Soon, friends and strangers alike call on Amelia to hear her prophecies.
However, a forbidden romance with Nathaniel, an artist, threatens the new life Amelia is building in Baltimore. This enigmatic young man is keeping secrets of his own-still, Amelia finds herself irrepressibly drawn to him.When one of her darkest visions comes to pass, Amelia’s world is thrown into chaos. And those around her begin to wonder if she’s not the seer of dark portents, but the cause.
I bought this back on April 30, 2011. I'm sure it was the cover that caught my eye. The plot sounded interesting. Unfortunately the description on the book jacket is more intriguing than the book itself.
Nothing happens. Where are the visions at sunset? It's 293 pages long and I gave up on page 102. She had one vision and there's been more than one sunset.
It has just been a story about Amelia and her cousin Zora acting like silly mischievous school girls.
Where are the people who start to turn on her because of her visions?
The "instant attraction" between Amelia and Nathaniel falls flat. I was actually finding him annoying. I was like, "You again!?"
The prose was trying too hard to sound Victorian and it just ended up convoluted.
The concept was good but the execution was amateur. It read like someone's first story in a creative writing class. Where were the agents and editors to advise that this needed more action?
I thought I could stick with it and finish out of guilt because I've had it since 2011, but it's too boring. By page 102 she should have had multiple visions already. This story is not as advertised. It's going on the sell/donate pile.
1 out of 5 Lack of Visions.
It’s the summer of 1889, and Amelia van den Broek is new to Baltimore and eager to take in all the pleasures the city has to offer. But her gaiety is interrupted by disturbing, dreamlike visions she has only at sunset-visions that offer glimpses of the future. Soon, friends and strangers alike call on Amelia to hear her prophecies.
However, a forbidden romance with Nathaniel, an artist, threatens the new life Amelia is building in Baltimore. This enigmatic young man is keeping secrets of his own-still, Amelia finds herself irrepressibly drawn to him.When one of her darkest visions comes to pass, Amelia’s world is thrown into chaos. And those around her begin to wonder if she’s not the seer of dark portents, but the cause.
I bought this back on April 30, 2011. I'm sure it was the cover that caught my eye. The plot sounded interesting. Unfortunately the description on the book jacket is more intriguing than the book itself.
Nothing happens. Where are the visions at sunset? It's 293 pages long and I gave up on page 102. She had one vision and there's been more than one sunset.
It has just been a story about Amelia and her cousin Zora acting like silly mischievous school girls.
Where are the people who start to turn on her because of her visions?
The "instant attraction" between Amelia and Nathaniel falls flat. I was actually finding him annoying. I was like, "You again!?"
The prose was trying too hard to sound Victorian and it just ended up convoluted.
The concept was good but the execution was amateur. It read like someone's first story in a creative writing class. Where were the agents and editors to advise that this needed more action?
I thought I could stick with it and finish out of guilt because I've had it since 2011, but it's too boring. By page 102 she should have had multiple visions already. This story is not as advertised. It's going on the sell/donate pile.
1 out of 5 Lack of Visions.