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The Wish House
"A top-notch look at first love, heartbreak, and the driving force of passion." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
It's the start of summer vacation, and fifteen-year-old Richard has discovered that a family has taken up residence in the usually deserted Wish House. Richard is intrigued by both the house and the bohemian family now living there. The father, Jethro Dalton, is an internationally renowned painter; his seemingly licentious wife is fascinated by herbs and cures. But it's their beautiful and vibrant daughter, Clio, the muse for Jethro’s paintings, who draws Richard utterly into the Daltons' world. Soon Richard finds himself so captivated by Clio that he steals off to the woods to spend days and nights with her, meanwhile struggling to understand and fit in with her eccentric clan. How could he know that some mysteries are best left alone — and that some betrayals can never be forgiven?
It's the start of summer vacation, and fifteen-year-old Richard has discovered that a family has taken up residence in the usually deserted Wish House. Richard is intrigued by both the house and the bohemian family now living there. The father, Jethro Dalton, is an internationally renowned painter; his seemingly licentious wife is fascinated by herbs and cures. But it's their beautiful and vibrant daughter, Clio, the muse for Jethro’s paintings, who draws Richard utterly into the Daltons' world. Soon Richard finds himself so captivated by Clio that he steals off to the woods to spend days and nights with her, meanwhile struggling to understand and fit in with her eccentric clan. How could he know that some mysteries are best left alone — and that some betrayals can never be forgiven?
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
8 people are currently reading
585 people want to read
About the author
Celia Rees
45 books1,135 followersCelia Rees (born 1949) is an English author of children's, YA and Adult fiction.
She was born in 1949 in Solihull, West Midlands but now lives in Leamington Spa with her husband. Rees attended University of Warwick and earned a degree in History of Politics. After university, she taught English in Coventry secondary schools for seventeen years, during which time she began to write.
Since then, she has written over twenty YA titles. Her books have been translated into 28 languages. She has been short listed for the Guardian, Whitbread (now Costa) and W.H. Smith Children’s Book Awards. She is a regular tutor for the Arvon Foundation. She has been Chair of the Children’s Writers and Illustrators Group and on the Society of Authors’ Management Committee.
Her first book for adults, Miss Graham's Cold War Cookbook, was published by HarperCollins in July, 2020.
She was born in 1949 in Solihull, West Midlands but now lives in Leamington Spa with her husband. Rees attended University of Warwick and earned a degree in History of Politics. After university, she taught English in Coventry secondary schools for seventeen years, during which time she began to write.
Since then, she has written over twenty YA titles. Her books have been translated into 28 languages. She has been short listed for the Guardian, Whitbread (now Costa) and W.H. Smith Children’s Book Awards. She is a regular tutor for the Arvon Foundation. She has been Chair of the Children’s Writers and Illustrators Group and on the Society of Authors’ Management Committee.
Her first book for adults, Miss Graham's Cold War Cookbook, was published by HarperCollins in July, 2020.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
July 29, 2012
Gothic, compelling, this is the sort of YA fiction that is entirely accessible to older readers. In fact, I’d suggest it’s not suitable for the youngest YA readers as the plot revolves around the sex life of the central character.
It’s a thing I keep running into – in erotica, authors do not dare have characters under the age of eighteen. (Age of consent in the USA). In the UK, if you’re writing something a bit more literary, then underage sex isn’t merely acceptable, it seems almost to be an essential part of the genre. Still, this is a finely written piece of work so I should lay off the politics!
It has all the trappings of a modern gothic tale – the obligatory sprawling house, slightly dilapidated, the tangled garden full of poisonous plants, the sinister adult figures, lonely countryside, otherworldly references, and for the absolute gothic win, a smattering of references to witches and druids. Skeletons in closets abound. Someone dies. And there’s an old, unquiet death as well to discover.
The structure of the book is pure genius. We’re thrown into an art gallery scenario where one of the characters has presented a set of pieces as an instillation, and through the labels on the exhibits (have fun imagining the actual pieces) and the memories of another character, the story unravels. It’s not a comfortable one, but it’s a gripping, haunting, mournful sort of tale and I very much liked it.
It’s a thing I keep running into – in erotica, authors do not dare have characters under the age of eighteen. (Age of consent in the USA). In the UK, if you’re writing something a bit more literary, then underage sex isn’t merely acceptable, it seems almost to be an essential part of the genre. Still, this is a finely written piece of work so I should lay off the politics!
It has all the trappings of a modern gothic tale – the obligatory sprawling house, slightly dilapidated, the tangled garden full of poisonous plants, the sinister adult figures, lonely countryside, otherworldly references, and for the absolute gothic win, a smattering of references to witches and druids. Skeletons in closets abound. Someone dies. And there’s an old, unquiet death as well to discover.
The structure of the book is pure genius. We’re thrown into an art gallery scenario where one of the characters has presented a set of pieces as an instillation, and through the labels on the exhibits (have fun imagining the actual pieces) and the memories of another character, the story unravels. It’s not a comfortable one, but it’s a gripping, haunting, mournful sort of tale and I very much liked it.
October 3, 2008
I would have enjoyed this book even more if there had been illustrations to go with the gallery descriptions.
May 17, 2008
I'm not sure how I feel about this book. Although it was published for teens it just feels like an adult title. I did enjoy the atmospheric setting. Even though the themes suited for YA audience, something about the time frame, pacing, and characters' voice felt more mature than most teen titles and Rees' other books (which I loved!) I'd be curious to see teen reviews.
April 20, 2012
"The Wish House" is one of those coming of age stories that will either be a hit or a miss with its readers. I usually love summer themed, coming of age stories where the character grows in some manner during his or her experiences in a place outside of their usual dwellings, but this one left me wanting more than what it provided.
The story takes place in the 1970s. 15-year-old Richard spends the summer with his family in South Wales near an interesting dwelling called "The Wish House." What he doesn't expect is to meet quite the bunch of colorful, illustrious characters staying in that house. They're free-spirited - some of which freely take drugs, make out, living life as if each day is their last. Richard is quickly taken under the wing of one of the resident artists there, and used as a subject of quite a few portraits. But while Richard visits the house regularly, he's caught up in many of his "first times" while there: falling in and out of love, dealing with loss, and wrestling with long standing demons and fears that aren't so easy to get rid of.
I definitely liked the set up of the storytelling, each chapter preceded by a description/depiction of an artwork as interpreted by critics in the famous artist's portfolio. But I found Richard's story to be largely underwhelming despite the themes provided in the novel, and this is coming from someone who loves slice-of-life, coming of age sories. There was something in the style of the story that left much to be desired. I don't know if it was the way it was written (third person limited), if the character's POV wasn't as intimate as it could've been, or if there were some other confounding factors in the story that were lacking. Given that this is my first read from Celia Rees, I don't really have anything to compare it to, but it left enough of an impression on me to say that I felt for Richard as his perspective grows from the experiences he has in that summer. It's a quick read, one I think older teens might appreciate more, and those who don't mind the YA coming of age genre in general. Is it the best story I've read in its particular setting? Not really, but it's worth checking into to see what it has to offer.
Overall score: 2.5/5
The story takes place in the 1970s. 15-year-old Richard spends the summer with his family in South Wales near an interesting dwelling called "The Wish House." What he doesn't expect is to meet quite the bunch of colorful, illustrious characters staying in that house. They're free-spirited - some of which freely take drugs, make out, living life as if each day is their last. Richard is quickly taken under the wing of one of the resident artists there, and used as a subject of quite a few portraits. But while Richard visits the house regularly, he's caught up in many of his "first times" while there: falling in and out of love, dealing with loss, and wrestling with long standing demons and fears that aren't so easy to get rid of.
I definitely liked the set up of the storytelling, each chapter preceded by a description/depiction of an artwork as interpreted by critics in the famous artist's portfolio. But I found Richard's story to be largely underwhelming despite the themes provided in the novel, and this is coming from someone who loves slice-of-life, coming of age sories. There was something in the style of the story that left much to be desired. I don't know if it was the way it was written (third person limited), if the character's POV wasn't as intimate as it could've been, or if there were some other confounding factors in the story that were lacking. Given that this is my first read from Celia Rees, I don't really have anything to compare it to, but it left enough of an impression on me to say that I felt for Richard as his perspective grows from the experiences he has in that summer. It's a quick read, one I think older teens might appreciate more, and those who don't mind the YA coming of age genre in general. Is it the best story I've read in its particular setting? Not really, but it's worth checking into to see what it has to offer.
Overall score: 2.5/5
October 28, 2014
I really like Celia Rees books however this one felt like nothing really happened in the whole thing or even more like nothing was ever fully explained why it had happened. I really didn't like Richard too much in it as he just seemed a little bit like he had never lived in the real world at all and it seemed to me a little unreal that he was so attracted to the dysfunctional daltons. However i still enjoyed reading and waiting to discover what might happen though it felt very anti-climatic in the end.
July 3, 2013
è scritto bene, ma il resto è...vuoto. racconta una storia banale e contorta che in sè non è neanche una vera storia: un ragazzino di 15 anni che passa l'estate nella famiglia stramba di un artista e dove, alla fine, viene spontaneo domandarsi 'e quindi?' Se lo scopo della Rees era scrivere un libro di transizione dall'adolescenza all'età adulta in stile 'stand by me/Stagioni diverse' di King non c'è riuscita per nulla.
April 28, 2024
This book oozed intoxicating and prevalent teenage angst. It was atmospheric and described an evocative coming of age. I felt consumed in the dark moodiness of Richard’s character. It rippled off the pages and compelled me to read on.
I loved the layout of the story and felt the completion was well executed. A worthy read, when it forces me to pause, reflect and catch my breath.
I loved the layout of the story and felt the completion was well executed. A worthy read, when it forces me to pause, reflect and catch my breath.
February 24, 2023
Beautifully written and intriguing premise ultimately let down by an unsatisfying ending and a plethora of unnecessary characters. I’ve enjoyed the work of Celia Rees in the past so had high hopes for this book. However, the ending of this book was just too weak and did not meet the promise of earlier chapters. I thought there would be more to the ending than what there was, and the ending for Clio, in particular, stung a little. Too many characters who sprang up unnecessarily also distracted from the read. All in all a beautifully written book, but not one I will go back to again.
February 17, 2022
Piacevole e intrigante, questa storia tra il fantastico e il tragico, che racconta l'iniziazione all'amore e all vita adulta di un ragazzo nella fine degli anni '70, rivista attraverso i dipinti di una mostra. Lo stile è accattivante, quasi visivo, porta alla mente immagini e sensazioni in modo vivido e mai noioso, verso un finale meno triste di quanto le premesse facciano pensare.
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July 11, 2022From Follett
An invitation to an art exhibit sets off memories in a now grown-up Richard of the pivotal summer of 1976 when, as a lonely and naive fifteen-year-old vacationing in South Wales, he comes under the enthralling influence of the artistic, uninhibited, sometimes cruel, and ultimately tragic Dalton family.
An invitation to an art exhibit sets off memories in a now grown-up Richard of the pivotal summer of 1976 when, as a lonely and naive fifteen-year-old vacationing in South Wales, he comes under the enthralling influence of the artistic, uninhibited, sometimes cruel, and ultimately tragic Dalton family.
September 13, 2018
Not as good as I remember it being but still really poignant.
November 10, 2019
Pretty weird stuff (not a bad thing) but loved Celia Rees and want to read more by her. Love witchcraft and strange people so this was a good pick for me.
March 16, 2017
This was a decent read/listen. I definitely think the themes were for older Y.A. and better for high school aged. The details and descriptions of the art were good, although some of the text was really redundant with vocabulary. The storyline was solid, but in the end I was disappointed that the story took so long to come back and that it ended with kind of a whimper. The characters were interesting and they were well fleshed out. Overall, I would recommend this book to someone looking for a coming of age story in the mid 1970's that gives a glimpse into a time period that still has resonance today.
January 24, 2012
This is the book that made me fall in love with the idea of bohemian lifestyle. Placed on the later 70's this book travels you in a world so much different than ours without the technical achievements that involve our world.
It is summer and our main character, a 15-year-old boy named Richard goes on family vacation on South Wales. It's the place that he and his family going on vacation for several years. But this time something changed. In a big house no far from where his staying is leaving a family. A famous artist with his wife and children. One day, Richard is taking a walk in the woods and meets Clio. The artist's daughter. After several events Richard is losing his virginity with Clio. But the story doesn't end here. Richard is meeting her weird family. They all are bohemians. They believe in free love, they are not following the rules other families have, and they are smoking innocent drugs. Richard is entering this new world where everything seems so easy. No responsibilities. No rules. No secrets. No secrets?
Our character,Richard, is recalling memories and feelings from that summer as he's traveling back in South Wales on his early twenties. It's a memorable journey in the past. Richard didn't only have his first love, first sex and first death, but also learned things that made him change his point of view.
I believe that, this is what the writer tries to achieve. Entering us in a different lifestyle, she makes us consider the possibility of being more open-minded to the people around us.
Despite the fact that it's a small book, it makes you think many things for the people around you, and challenge you to change your lifestyle a little bit. Of course the writer is spreading her own message at the end of the book, reminding us that she is describing a different period of time and that we should not follow the exact facts.
Bottom on this is a book which can be read easily from both sexes. It's simple, a little dramatic, and enters you in another place and time.
It is summer and our main character, a 15-year-old boy named Richard goes on family vacation on South Wales. It's the place that he and his family going on vacation for several years. But this time something changed. In a big house no far from where his staying is leaving a family. A famous artist with his wife and children. One day, Richard is taking a walk in the woods and meets Clio. The artist's daughter. After several events Richard is losing his virginity with Clio. But the story doesn't end here. Richard is meeting her weird family. They all are bohemians. They believe in free love, they are not following the rules other families have, and they are smoking innocent drugs. Richard is entering this new world where everything seems so easy. No responsibilities. No rules. No secrets. No secrets?
Our character,Richard, is recalling memories and feelings from that summer as he's traveling back in South Wales on his early twenties. It's a memorable journey in the past. Richard didn't only have his first love, first sex and first death, but also learned things that made him change his point of view.
I believe that, this is what the writer tries to achieve. Entering us in a different lifestyle, she makes us consider the possibility of being more open-minded to the people around us.
Despite the fact that it's a small book, it makes you think many things for the people around you, and challenge you to change your lifestyle a little bit. Of course the writer is spreading her own message at the end of the book, reminding us that she is describing a different period of time and that we should not follow the exact facts.
Bottom on this is a book which can be read easily from both sexes. It's simple, a little dramatic, and enters you in another place and time.
April 12, 2014
This is an interesting book, but not really a 'young adult' title. TV in the 1970s seems to have been full of such stories - ingénue encounters sophisticated/bohemian/depraved family and is taught all sorts of bittersweet lessons - and you could say that that plotline is a staple of English fiction from Brideshead Revisited to the Line (or Loin) of Beauty. Here we get it in its Andrea Newman, watered-down Iris Murdoch guise, with a splash of Alan Garner's The Owl Service and a few Angela Carter-ish witchy touches (I loved Lucia, as Lucille Ball didn't quite say). You could even see parallels with John Fowles' The Ebony Tower - artists, muses, the sexual laissez-faire novelists tell us is a signifier of bohemianism. There's a languid eroticism, and some nicely done observation, but it needed a little more tightness in the plot. Mind you, the pastiches of art gallery catalogues which serve as chapter epigraphs are very well done, and Rees is certainly better at creating male characters than many male novelists are at creating female ones.
I've always wanted a witches' garden like the one described here, but I think a wide-eyed adolescent boy would be a little too much to cope with in my dotage.
In all then, I liked this but it didn't go quite far enough and its denouement was a little rushed and clumsy. It could easily have been fifty pages longer, a little more psychologically detailed and marketed as an adult work.
It's not to be confused with Rudyard Kipling's 'The Wish House', an altogether more challenging piece of work that rates a star or two more.
I've always wanted a witches' garden like the one described here, but I think a wide-eyed adolescent boy would be a little too much to cope with in my dotage.
In all then, I liked this but it didn't go quite far enough and its denouement was a little rushed and clumsy. It could easily have been fifty pages longer, a little more psychologically detailed and marketed as an adult work.
It's not to be confused with Rudyard Kipling's 'The Wish House', an altogether more challenging piece of work that rates a star or two more.
November 5, 2013
Atmospheric is certainly the word for this one. Indeed, there is almost nothing but atmosphere here. I kept waiting for something to happen, something to warrant the lengthy descriptions and extreme attention to the most minute details of scenery, but nada. The descriptions are beautiful, poetic and extremely rich in detail, but I felt that it dragged at points. The story was interesting, it took me a minute to get into it, told from the present and flashing back to the 70s when our protagonist was a teenager enthralled with the lovely Clio, but it worked. As others have noted the juxtaposition of descriptions of the works of art at the start of each chapter with the story interwoven added a complexity to the story that I appreciated. But when the final twist came I was left scratching my head. It wasn't much of a twist and it wasn't very exciting. The Rees does such a great job of setting her scene and creating nuanced characters that I expected more. I was sorely disappointed by anti-climatic ending. I listened to audiobook and I have to say the narrator was FANTASTIC. Love a good British narrator. LOVE.
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February 6, 2013In this book you meet Richard, a teenager who is trying to fill his summer after he finds out that his childhood friend has grown and become a full time worker for his father. He meets a family that is beyond odd. The "father" is a painter that spends most of his time in his painting room. The "daughter"(of whom Richard falls head-over-heals for and is a sexual partner) toys him along in a game and webs of lies. The "mother" has many 'partners'. The "son" is portrayed as a lay back kind of guy (not really feature). The whole story drags along the ground. The reader tries to find out what is really happening in the "Wish House" only to be revealed at the end. Although, at the beginning you see that he is just visiting and seeing Cilo (the "daughter") again at an art show. The whole book is just Richard recalling his summer at the "Wish House". It is a shame how it ended. The conclusion left me very upset as well as satisfied. All the ends were tied up and he is alone. Over all, it's a good book, but I don't know if I would recommend it.
December 23, 2010
Unfortunately, this turned out to be a disappointing read for me. There is no doubt that Rees is a very skilled and exceptional writer. The descriptions are very vivid, the prose is beautiful, and there were many underlying themes and meanings all weaved in together. I just found the story to be a little cliche.
Boy meets girl. Girl introduces boy to wonderful, strange new world, which in this case, involves a lot of nudity, sex and paintings. Something terrible happens and they're separated only to be reunited many, many years later.
Somehow, I just couldn't get into the story. I didn't find myself relating to the characters and I found Clio to be an annoying character, rather selfish really. In addition, while I found the added descriptions of paintings to be interesting, it would have been even better if illustrations of the paintings could have been included as well.
I really do hope Cees' other books will prove to be more engaging for me.
Boy meets girl. Girl introduces boy to wonderful, strange new world, which in this case, involves a lot of nudity, sex and paintings. Something terrible happens and they're separated only to be reunited many, many years later.
Somehow, I just couldn't get into the story. I didn't find myself relating to the characters and I found Clio to be an annoying character, rather selfish really. In addition, while I found the added descriptions of paintings to be interesting, it would have been even better if illustrations of the paintings could have been included as well.
I really do hope Cees' other books will prove to be more engaging for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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January 15, 2016hardcover
261pg
Comment from the Celia Rees website
"Summer, 1976: Life-changing, heartbreaking, unforgettable.
Every year, Richard has taken the same holiday with his parents, in the same part of Wales, meeting up with the same people.
But, this summer, everything is about to change. "
A coming of age novel ....
Not your usual....we have druids, poisonous herbs, the recently inhabited wish house
and a family well beyond bohemian.
Fifteen year old Richard, vacationing in the area is drawn into the mysterious web of the family
and
becomes obsessed with the young daughter Clio.
Family secrets are revealed and the novel often tiptoes on the perimeter of the erotic....
The novel is listed as YA....really??
I can't say I would recommend it to a young person.
It is, however, a fast read and does appear to finally tie together multiple plot strands.
--------------
I've not rated this because it's not something I'd normally read.
261pg
Comment from the Celia Rees website
"Summer, 1976: Life-changing, heartbreaking, unforgettable.
Every year, Richard has taken the same holiday with his parents, in the same part of Wales, meeting up with the same people.
But, this summer, everything is about to change. "
A coming of age novel ....
Not your usual....we have druids, poisonous herbs, the recently inhabited wish house
and a family well beyond bohemian.
Fifteen year old Richard, vacationing in the area is drawn into the mysterious web of the family
and
becomes obsessed with the young daughter Clio.
Family secrets are revealed and the novel often tiptoes on the perimeter of the erotic....
The novel is listed as YA....really??
I can't say I would recommend it to a young person.
It is, however, a fast read and does appear to finally tie together multiple plot strands.
--------------
I've not rated this because it's not something I'd normally read.
June 21, 2009
Welcome to the world of artistry... this book tackles the significant role of art into one's wholeness. a story about a 15 year, Richard who used to camp with his friend every summer in an abandoned house- the wish house (because of the sound that created by the reverberation of the wind through the leaves of the trees, creating a sound of a "wisssshhhh")who later became occupied by a well-knowned painter and with his strange family which brings Richard into a unusual dimension. the book per se represents nature and its philosophies, the importance of every small details that sometimes people seems not to recognized, not knowing that it built an outstanding composition into one's life... this book will surely bring you into confusion in a sense that you'll understand life more deeper... i really enjoyed reading the book ^^
February 13, 2011
I loved the intro of each chapter with the description of a painting or drawing. I thought it gave each chapter an almost magical feel. It made the world, for me, so real it was almost tangible.
I thought this was a great story about first love and first loss. About the possessive struggle within yourself that you may experience with "your first".
There will never be another "first" like that and sometimes it's hard not to want to smother that person ~ want to hold them and constantly be near them. I could totally understand his jealously and mistrust that comes along at that age. I thought this was a great read for an older teen.
I thought this was a great story about first love and first loss. About the possessive struggle within yourself that you may experience with "your first".
There will never be another "first" like that and sometimes it's hard not to want to smother that person ~ want to hold them and constantly be near them. I could totally understand his jealously and mistrust that comes along at that age. I thought this was a great read for an older teen.
February 15, 2011
This was a strange book for me to read because the boy and girl were exactly my own age (i.e. I was also 16 in 1976) and yet I didn't seem to recognise them at all. It didn't remind me much of what it was like to be a teenager in the UK in the 1970s. It reminded me more of the Agatha Christie book Five Little Pigs published 1942. Still, that's one of my favourite Agatha Christies and I enjoyed this too. 3 and a half stars really.
December 28, 2025
I would like to start off by saying that this book is misshelved. It is NOT YA. It is definitely literary fiction. It is told from the perspective of a man looking back on the summer he was 15. It has themes and topics that are mature and not straight forward(I would say trauma, abuse, grooming and neglect). I actually read it as a teenager and again as an adult and got so much more out of it as an adult.
It is beautifully written and engaging. I actually think the lower ratings are due to the marketing of YA. One of my favorites.
It is beautifully written and engaging. I actually think the lower ratings are due to the marketing of YA. One of my favorites.
September 10, 2015
The book was captivating in its descriptions of this eccentric family that Richard finds himself getting attached to. The descriptions of the paintings also add to its suspense as art and reality start to blend. I loved how it began, and how the story was looking back through the series of paintings. In the beginning, you are mystified by the secrets of the characters and the paintings, and at the end, you find a sense of relief-- the same that you imagine Richard feels as well.
June 28, 2014
I enjoyed the way the story unfolded, combining both current storyline with the past. Smart that each chapter began with a specific piece of art and then the corresponding event was told. I read another review that said it would have been awesome to have a picture of the art piece along with the exhibition description, which I agree with wholeheartedly. As for plot, it was alright. Very 70's, free love, free drugs, artsy kinda feel. Mature YA.
January 22, 2013
I expected more.
The bio seemed so enthrawling and the plot so intresting but the book fell short. I didnt feel connected to Richard, could care less about what happened to the characters and the writting was...not good.
I finished it, but because I had nothing else to read at the time. Maybe this book just wasn't for me.
The bio seemed so enthrawling and the plot so intresting but the book fell short. I didnt feel connected to Richard, could care less about what happened to the characters and the writting was...not good.
I finished it, but because I had nothing else to read at the time. Maybe this book just wasn't for me.
February 6, 2010
I should have read Witch Child instead, but this was what they had at my local branch. This main character is a young man who becomes obsessed with a girl who lives with her hippie parents. Contains some mature content. Most appropriate for upperclassmen.
March 22, 2010
When I finished this audiobook, I said to myself "So what?" Not that interesting a story.
Richard falls in love with Cleo. Cleo is the daughter of a famous artist, who has arranged the whole affair to get Richard to be his muse and model. A coming of age story that falls flat.
Richard falls in love with Cleo. Cleo is the daughter of a famous artist, who has arranged the whole affair to get Richard to be his muse and model. A coming of age story that falls flat.
February 11, 2011
La narrazione dell'autrice è piena di suspence e devo ammettere che ho aspettato tutto il tempo una grande rivelazione sulla vera natura di questa famiglia, mentre in realtà il finale è piuttosto piatto.In ogni caso, il romanzo è molto buono se visto come uno stimolante racconto di formazione.
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July 30, 2011intriguing interesting atmospheric, great characters, unique story lines. kept me interested and engaged from start to finish. listened to it on tape in between la and belmont. very colorful and engrossing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews