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Faraway Girl
A contemporary young-adult novel with mysterious goings-on, time travel, a curse and a strange painting.
Etta is worried about her brother, Jamie. The doctors can find nothing wrong with him, but he is getting weaker by the day. At breakfast one morning, he seems to have lost it completely:
In a voice as pale as his face, he said, ‘I think I can see a ghost.’
However, when they all turn to look, sure enough, materialising on the window seat is a girl about Etta’s age, wearing a beautiful Victorian wedding dress. Etta has to get off to school, she has no time for this, but she is about to discover that time has a whole new significance. She and her ghost companion have no choice but to work out what is going on before Jamie is lost for ever . . .
Etta is worried about her brother, Jamie. The doctors can find nothing wrong with him, but he is getting weaker by the day. At breakfast one morning, he seems to have lost it completely:
In a voice as pale as his face, he said, ‘I think I can see a ghost.’
However, when they all turn to look, sure enough, materialising on the window seat is a girl about Etta’s age, wearing a beautiful Victorian wedding dress. Etta has to get off to school, she has no time for this, but she is about to discover that time has a whole new significance. She and her ghost companion have no choice but to work out what is going on before Jamie is lost for ever . . .
- GenresYoung Adult
240 pages, Paperback
Published May 3, 2022
2 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
About the author
Fleur Beale
46 books150 followersFleur Beale is the author of many award-winning books for children and young adults, best known for her novel I am not Esther which has been published worldwide.
Beale was one of six children of a dairy farmer Cedric Corney and of a teacher and author Estelle Corney (née Cook). She was born in Inglewood, Taranaki, New Zealand, on the farm where her father was born. Beale grew up in the town before attending Victoria University, Wellington and Christchurch Teachers' Training College, where she met her husband. Since 1985 she has taught at Melville High School in Hamilton, Waikato and in Wellington. Beale's first stories were written for the children's radio programme Grandpa's Place. Her first book was a small reader and picture book for young children and she started to write for teenagers in 1993. Her stories often involve troubled adolescents engaged in outdoor activities.
Beale was a finalist in the Aim Children's Book Awards (junior fiction) and her 1998 novel I am not Esther was shortlisted for the senior fiction section of the 1999 New Zealand Post Children's Awards. In 1999 she was awarded the Children's Writing Fellowship at Dunedin College of Education and quit teaching to write full time. Her 2001 novel Ambushed was a finalist for the Junior Fiction section of the 2002 New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards. Her 2004 account of how an indigenous girl discovers how her education can save her tribal lands (My Story A New Song in the Land. The Writings of Atapo, Pahia, c.1840) received a Notable Book award in 2005 as did Walking Lightly.
Beale was one of six children of a dairy farmer Cedric Corney and of a teacher and author Estelle Corney (née Cook). She was born in Inglewood, Taranaki, New Zealand, on the farm where her father was born. Beale grew up in the town before attending Victoria University, Wellington and Christchurch Teachers' Training College, where she met her husband. Since 1985 she has taught at Melville High School in Hamilton, Waikato and in Wellington. Beale's first stories were written for the children's radio programme Grandpa's Place. Her first book was a small reader and picture book for young children and she started to write for teenagers in 1993. Her stories often involve troubled adolescents engaged in outdoor activities.
Beale was a finalist in the Aim Children's Book Awards (junior fiction) and her 1998 novel I am not Esther was shortlisted for the senior fiction section of the 1999 New Zealand Post Children's Awards. In 1999 she was awarded the Children's Writing Fellowship at Dunedin College of Education and quit teaching to write full time. Her 2001 novel Ambushed was a finalist for the Junior Fiction section of the 2002 New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards. Her 2004 account of how an indigenous girl discovers how her education can save her tribal lands (My Story A New Song in the Land. The Writings of Atapo, Pahia, c.1840) received a Notable Book award in 2005 as did Walking Lightly.
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April 14, 2022This one is a little hard for me to review, as it really is a book of two halves. The first half was a struggle, I'm not going to lie, but the second half was a solid read. This is also billed as a ghost story, which it is not. It's a time travel story. (which isn't bad, it's just a good thing to know going into this one I think)
What I enjoyed:
-Constance. She is a gem, and the most realistic and well developed character in this book. She also has the best character arc and I was very invested in her story, and learning her fate. Every time she was on the page, and we were focused on her I was happy!
-I will forever enjoy a story that is set in New Zealand, even if only half the story takes place here.
-The second half of this book is really where I found the author hit her stride and we were able to truely settle into the plot, and start to get to know our characters a bit more. I am a character-driven reader, so I really appreciated the slower pacing.
-The way our modern characters respond to the time-travel element of the book. I don't think I've read a story like this one where the whole "omg we can time travel" wouldn't be a closely guarded secret, involving all kinds of subterfuge and high jinks. Here, our characters utilise social media and are very public about their situation which I found to be really refreshing- it was a new take on the time travel story and I found it really interesting.
What I didn't love
-The start of this book is a tough sell. We are thrown into what feels like the middle of the story, which was rather disorienting and are then propelled at lightening speed through the first 100 pages, when so much is happening. I would have liked a moment to sit with some of the plot developments, and had a chance to get to know these characters and their lives first, before being thrown into the time travel element of the story.
-Not one person in this book so much as bats an eye at the fact that these two girls are time traveling. Literally, a girl from the 1800's appears in their kitchen, and the mum just makes her breakfast and tells her to go to school with her daughter for the day because they're all busy. It was quite unbelievable.
-This is thing that may only really bug me specifically, but the use of the word in slut in the 1860's setting doesn't really fit, as during that time it didn't have the same sexual connotations that it does today, however it is being used in that context quite a bit and it threw me out of the story whenever it occurred.
Overall, I think young adults looking for a fast, plot driven story will find something to enjoy in this one. I would absolutely recommend it to other readers, particularly anyone that typically enjoys time travel stories and is looking for a slightly different take.
A massive thanks to Turning Pages NZ and Penguin Books NZ for the early review copy
What I enjoyed:
-Constance. She is a gem, and the most realistic and well developed character in this book. She also has the best character arc and I was very invested in her story, and learning her fate. Every time she was on the page, and we were focused on her I was happy!
-I will forever enjoy a story that is set in New Zealand, even if only half the story takes place here.
-The second half of this book is really where I found the author hit her stride and we were able to truely settle into the plot, and start to get to know our characters a bit more. I am a character-driven reader, so I really appreciated the slower pacing.
-The way our modern characters respond to the time-travel element of the book. I don't think I've read a story like this one where the whole "omg we can time travel" wouldn't be a closely guarded secret, involving all kinds of subterfuge and high jinks. Here, our characters utilise social media and are very public about their situation which I found to be really refreshing- it was a new take on the time travel story and I found it really interesting.
What I didn't love
-The start of this book is a tough sell. We are thrown into what feels like the middle of the story, which was rather disorienting and are then propelled at lightening speed through the first 100 pages, when so much is happening. I would have liked a moment to sit with some of the plot developments, and had a chance to get to know these characters and their lives first, before being thrown into the time travel element of the story.
-Not one person in this book so much as bats an eye at the fact that these two girls are time traveling. Literally, a girl from the 1800's appears in their kitchen, and the mum just makes her breakfast and tells her to go to school with her daughter for the day because they're all busy. It was quite unbelievable.
-This is thing that may only really bug me specifically, but the use of the word in slut in the 1860's setting doesn't really fit, as during that time it didn't have the same sexual connotations that it does today, however it is being used in that context quite a bit and it threw me out of the story whenever it occurred.
Overall, I think young adults looking for a fast, plot driven story will find something to enjoy in this one. I would absolutely recommend it to other readers, particularly anyone that typically enjoys time travel stories and is looking for a slightly different take.
A massive thanks to Turning Pages NZ and Penguin Books NZ for the early review copy
April 6, 2022
Faraway Girl | review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Etta Limstock wakes one morning to get ready for school, once again to a voice echoing in her head. This has happened for the past two weeks – coinciding with the fact that her younger brother Jamie has been getting more and more unwell each day, no longer the bubbly child he usually is. Etta feels she is losing her mind until she goes to eat breakfast and the ghost of 16 year old Constance Williston appears in front of her family clothed in a wedding dress.
+
So the adventure begins, starting with trying to persuade Constance to change from her wedding dress into jeans (absolutely forbidden in 1869) to go to school and so they can try to figure out what’s wrong with Jamie, who is hospitalised later that day. Inconveniently, both Constance and Etta keep being pulled back and forth through time, from 1869 to 2019 and back again. I was pretty impressed at how readily the other characters accepted these two girls disappearing and reappearing at random but they were all intrigued at the goingson in other time periods that curiosity overtook the fear. Etta’s experience in this book was one I have often imagined for myself – time spent in another century. But her experiences pretty much shattered that daydream due to the frustrations she felt being strung up in a corset, dealing with nervous mamas and overbearing papas, and the fact that absolutely no one cared about what she had to say as a young woman (until she showed them her phone and they all freaked out).
+
The friendship between Constance and Etta was really sweet in how it grew despite their opposing personalities and culture clash (in both dress and language). It’s also always interesting reading about social media and the power of a good story through a more objective lens, because their story went viral pretty fast (as all ghost stories should) and it was vital that it do so in order for them to solve the mystery of why they were time travelling and at the same time making Jamie sicker.
At times, this feels like a bit of a slow burn but that was mostly because I was desperate to understand the reason for it all, but time spent exploring the characters and all their motives was key in setting up the big reveal at the end – which I did not expect but absolutely LOVED.
I would absolutely recommend this one if you like to read about young adult fiction with a strong, outspoken female lead 💛, ghosts 👻, time travel, fantasy and a little bit of cursed magic at the hands of a glory-seeking artist 💫✨⚡️
+
Thank you to @turningpages for my review copy! This was such a treat to read in advance of publication because I am a lifelong fan of Fleur Beale and am thrilled to own her latest work 💘💘💘
•
•
•
Genres: historical fiction, fantasy, young adult, NZ fiction
Trigger warnings:
Bad language, mentions of rape and sexual harassment
Etta Limstock wakes one morning to get ready for school, once again to a voice echoing in her head. This has happened for the past two weeks – coinciding with the fact that her younger brother Jamie has been getting more and more unwell each day, no longer the bubbly child he usually is. Etta feels she is losing her mind until she goes to eat breakfast and the ghost of 16 year old Constance Williston appears in front of her family clothed in a wedding dress.
+
So the adventure begins, starting with trying to persuade Constance to change from her wedding dress into jeans (absolutely forbidden in 1869) to go to school and so they can try to figure out what’s wrong with Jamie, who is hospitalised later that day. Inconveniently, both Constance and Etta keep being pulled back and forth through time, from 1869 to 2019 and back again. I was pretty impressed at how readily the other characters accepted these two girls disappearing and reappearing at random but they were all intrigued at the goingson in other time periods that curiosity overtook the fear. Etta’s experience in this book was one I have often imagined for myself – time spent in another century. But her experiences pretty much shattered that daydream due to the frustrations she felt being strung up in a corset, dealing with nervous mamas and overbearing papas, and the fact that absolutely no one cared about what she had to say as a young woman (until she showed them her phone and they all freaked out).
+
The friendship between Constance and Etta was really sweet in how it grew despite their opposing personalities and culture clash (in both dress and language). It’s also always interesting reading about social media and the power of a good story through a more objective lens, because their story went viral pretty fast (as all ghost stories should) and it was vital that it do so in order for them to solve the mystery of why they were time travelling and at the same time making Jamie sicker.
At times, this feels like a bit of a slow burn but that was mostly because I was desperate to understand the reason for it all, but time spent exploring the characters and all their motives was key in setting up the big reveal at the end – which I did not expect but absolutely LOVED.
I would absolutely recommend this one if you like to read about young adult fiction with a strong, outspoken female lead 💛, ghosts 👻, time travel, fantasy and a little bit of cursed magic at the hands of a glory-seeking artist 💫✨⚡️
+
Thank you to @turningpages for my review copy! This was such a treat to read in advance of publication because I am a lifelong fan of Fleur Beale and am thrilled to own her latest work 💘💘💘
•
•
•
Genres: historical fiction, fantasy, young adult, NZ fiction
Trigger warnings:
Bad language, mentions of rape and sexual harassment
April 21, 2022
Quick, easy and so much fun that's how I would describe Farway Girl. The book follows 17 year old Etta who have been hearing voices in her head for 2 weeks which coincides with her brother mysterious illness. If that wasn't enough one morning ghost of 16 year old Constance appear at her home in front of her family. What follows is an unlikely friendship between two strong teens.
I loved how Etta and Constance were thrown together in this adventure. As the story progress they form a tight bond and a great friendship. The back and forth between 1869 and 2019 was fun to read from the prospective of these teenagers who are tossed around in unexpected situations.
Without going into too much detail I liked how the story unfolds. I prefer second half more than the first. First half is slow and gets a little bit getting into whereas the second half is more complex and fast paced. The reveals in the last third of the book kept me on the edge of my seat.
Overall, an entertaining YA novel that has something for everyone with two strong female leads and an amazing friendship that you can't help but root for.
Thank you to @turningpagesnz and @penguinbooksnz for my copy!
I loved how Etta and Constance were thrown together in this adventure. As the story progress they form a tight bond and a great friendship. The back and forth between 1869 and 2019 was fun to read from the prospective of these teenagers who are tossed around in unexpected situations.
Without going into too much detail I liked how the story unfolds. I prefer second half more than the first. First half is slow and gets a little bit getting into whereas the second half is more complex and fast paced. The reveals in the last third of the book kept me on the edge of my seat.
Overall, an entertaining YA novel that has something for everyone with two strong female leads and an amazing friendship that you can't help but root for.
Thank you to @turningpagesnz and @penguinbooksnz for my copy!
May 10, 2022
Everyone is worried about Jamie, especially his half-sister Etta. He used to be full of energy and life, but lately is lethargic and weak, as if life is leaking out of him. The doctors can’t figure out why and their mum is about to take him to a specialist when he says,
“I think I can see a ghost”
Etta, mum and her stepdad Geoff turn to see where Jamie is looking. Sure enough, a girl is sitting in their kitchen in a beautiful dress from long ago. She is no ghost, but a young woman called Constance Williston from the year of 1869. The dress she is wearing is her wedding dress, even though she is not quite 17. Etta and her family are dumbstruck, as is the strange visitor.
With all that is going on in their household, Etta is given Constance to look after as Jamie is whisked off to the specialist. Constance leaps from fright to awe as she experiences 2019. Jeans, cars and the fact that Etta organised the school assembly fascinates her, even if she flinches at first at Etta’s strong language.
Soon it is Etta’s turn to feel out of place as both girls are flung back to 1869 to Constance’s life of a cold and calculating family and even worse fiance. Etta must bite her tongue at the tsunami of misogyny that is her new friend’s life.
What they do have in common is the conundrum they are facing. Why are they jumping back and forth to different lives, centuries and continents? What does the painting Constance was posing for have to do with it, and most important of all, why is it killing Etta’s little brother?
Both girls are soon swirling with turmoil as any choices to be made will inflict hurt or worse on those they love. Torn between these choices, they work together to solve the mysteries that confront them, hoping with all they have that this will solve everything. But more powerful people have other plans in store for them.
Faraway girl is a swirl of contrasts, written in a limited third person omniscient point of view. This allows the reader into the heads of both Etta and Constance (in the same chapter) as they face a time and place that is foreign to each of them. Constance’s awe or fear is clear, at the same time Etta’s amazement or anger rises up.
Experiencing life in 1869 for a girl the same age, Etta sees for herself the severe restrictions Constance must live under. Constance in turn sees how a 17 yr old girl in 2019 lives, speaks and behaves – strong-minded, clever and accomplished. Both give the other courage and respect, binding them in their fate.
Underneath this ingenious time-travel tale is the constant malice of a twisted curse that has all but taken the life of a young boy generations into the future.
Fleur Beale has given readers yet another gripping read. The threads of malice, mystery, historical and present day are well written, weaving into a plot-driven, page turning novel for young adults.
Age 13+ (Strong Language)
“I think I can see a ghost”
Etta, mum and her stepdad Geoff turn to see where Jamie is looking. Sure enough, a girl is sitting in their kitchen in a beautiful dress from long ago. She is no ghost, but a young woman called Constance Williston from the year of 1869. The dress she is wearing is her wedding dress, even though she is not quite 17. Etta and her family are dumbstruck, as is the strange visitor.
With all that is going on in their household, Etta is given Constance to look after as Jamie is whisked off to the specialist. Constance leaps from fright to awe as she experiences 2019. Jeans, cars and the fact that Etta organised the school assembly fascinates her, even if she flinches at first at Etta’s strong language.
Soon it is Etta’s turn to feel out of place as both girls are flung back to 1869 to Constance’s life of a cold and calculating family and even worse fiance. Etta must bite her tongue at the tsunami of misogyny that is her new friend’s life.
What they do have in common is the conundrum they are facing. Why are they jumping back and forth to different lives, centuries and continents? What does the painting Constance was posing for have to do with it, and most important of all, why is it killing Etta’s little brother?
Both girls are soon swirling with turmoil as any choices to be made will inflict hurt or worse on those they love. Torn between these choices, they work together to solve the mysteries that confront them, hoping with all they have that this will solve everything. But more powerful people have other plans in store for them.
Faraway girl is a swirl of contrasts, written in a limited third person omniscient point of view. This allows the reader into the heads of both Etta and Constance (in the same chapter) as they face a time and place that is foreign to each of them. Constance’s awe or fear is clear, at the same time Etta’s amazement or anger rises up.
Experiencing life in 1869 for a girl the same age, Etta sees for herself the severe restrictions Constance must live under. Constance in turn sees how a 17 yr old girl in 2019 lives, speaks and behaves – strong-minded, clever and accomplished. Both give the other courage and respect, binding them in their fate.
Underneath this ingenious time-travel tale is the constant malice of a twisted curse that has all but taken the life of a young boy generations into the future.
Fleur Beale has given readers yet another gripping read. The threads of malice, mystery, historical and present day are well written, weaving into a plot-driven, page turning novel for young adults.
Age 13+ (Strong Language)
April 19, 2022
Thank you to Turning pages NZ and Penguin books NZ for the review copy of Faraway Girl by New Zealand author Fleur Beale.
This Young adult novel is set in Wellington, New Zealand in 2019 and in England in 1869 and features TIME TRAVEL.
Modern teenager Etta & her family are a little bit surprised when Victorian teen Constance appears in their house one morning during breakfast wearing an elaborate wedding gown. Etta's little brother is desperately ill and his illness is somehow connected to Constance's unexpected time travel.
After Constance has been thrust into the modern world, learnt about cars, cell phones, jeans and high school something timey wimey occurs again and now both girls are in 1869 with Constance's horrid parents and fiance.
I enjoyed watching Constance's character grown from a neglected & occasionally physically abused pawn into a strong and courageous woman who dares to break free and fight for her independence with a little bit of support from Etta as they both seek to unravel the reason for the time travel & save Etta's little brother from his illness before its too late. The book is part YA historical feminist adventure and part genealogical mystery with a magical painting and time travel as framing.
There were a few twists and big reveals towards the end which made for an emotional and enjoyable ending.
Etta's reactions to the Victorian Era and her interactions with characters were entertaining. The book felt middle grade at first and has no real romantic plot line but Etta is pretty sweary (like most modern New Zealand teenagers) which puts the book firmly in the Young adult category.
I also enjoyed reading a bit about life in colonial and early 20th century Wellington. My great grandfather built several buildings in Central Wellington in the 19th century & my family in lived there until after World War One when my Grandmother was a teenager & Wellington is my favourite city in New Zealand so it was nice to see it featured.
I did find the jumping back in forth in point of view between the girls mid paragraph confusing at times & kept having to double check which "she" the sentence was referring to.
I struggled a bit with the first 50 pages of the book. Mostly because I couldn't get my head around the people in both centuries simply accepting the whole time travel thing at face value and I do feel there was a missed opportunity in the plot. I would have expected people to have assumed a mental illness or attention seeking behaviour to be the true explanation. In the Victorian section Etta is suspected for a witch but neither girl are ever threatened with a trip to the asylum. I did enjoy the story more after I eventually suspended my disbelief.
This Young adult novel is set in Wellington, New Zealand in 2019 and in England in 1869 and features TIME TRAVEL.
Modern teenager Etta & her family are a little bit surprised when Victorian teen Constance appears in their house one morning during breakfast wearing an elaborate wedding gown. Etta's little brother is desperately ill and his illness is somehow connected to Constance's unexpected time travel.
After Constance has been thrust into the modern world, learnt about cars, cell phones, jeans and high school something timey wimey occurs again and now both girls are in 1869 with Constance's horrid parents and fiance.
I enjoyed watching Constance's character grown from a neglected & occasionally physically abused pawn into a strong and courageous woman who dares to break free and fight for her independence with a little bit of support from Etta as they both seek to unravel the reason for the time travel & save Etta's little brother from his illness before its too late. The book is part YA historical feminist adventure and part genealogical mystery with a magical painting and time travel as framing.
There were a few twists and big reveals towards the end which made for an emotional and enjoyable ending.
Etta's reactions to the Victorian Era and her interactions with characters were entertaining. The book felt middle grade at first and has no real romantic plot line but Etta is pretty sweary (like most modern New Zealand teenagers) which puts the book firmly in the Young adult category.
I also enjoyed reading a bit about life in colonial and early 20th century Wellington. My great grandfather built several buildings in Central Wellington in the 19th century & my family in lived there until after World War One when my Grandmother was a teenager & Wellington is my favourite city in New Zealand so it was nice to see it featured.
I did find the jumping back in forth in point of view between the girls mid paragraph confusing at times & kept having to double check which "she" the sentence was referring to.
I struggled a bit with the first 50 pages of the book. Mostly because I couldn't get my head around the people in both centuries simply accepting the whole time travel thing at face value and I do feel there was a missed opportunity in the plot. I would have expected people to have assumed a mental illness or attention seeking behaviour to be the true explanation. In the Victorian section Etta is suspected for a witch but neither girl are ever threatened with a trip to the asylum. I did enjoy the story more after I eventually suspended my disbelief.
April 6, 2022
This one was quite a fun read for me, even if it was plot-driven. I usually prefer character-driven novels, but the plot was interesting enough for me to keep reading. This is the first book I ever read by a Kiwi author and it was so cool as it was also based in Welly (just as the author was). Not gonna lie it kinda made me miss Welly lol.
Anyways, on to what I liked, and what I didn't quite enjoy:
I like how the differences between the two time periods and types of family Etta and Constance had were shown. Although I feel like we still have more way to go, the freedom that Etta can enjoy now as a woman is certainly a big improvement from the times then. However, I do recognise that this is just one kind of family that existed in those times, it doesn’t mean that all families were like Constance’s.
I also really like how we were given flawed (very flawed) characters (besides Constance, she seems like an amazing girl 🥺), even if we didn't really get to see much character development.
Now on to the parts I didn't quite enjoy — while we're at the topic of the characters, I felt kind of indifferent to most of the characters, besides Constance. If I felt anything, it was dislike towards Constance’s family and fiance but that is as much emotion I have towards the characters. I thought I would empathise with Jamie and Etta but I just really wanted justice for Constance through it all. I did feel like the characters weren’t as fleshed out as I would like it to be, but the plot was interesting enough to keep reading.
I gave this one three stars cause it was an okay read, not laborious or boring, but also not something that blew me away. It was a good introduction for me to Kiwi Authors though, I will definitely explore more.
Anyways, on to what I liked, and what I didn't quite enjoy:
I like how the differences between the two time periods and types of family Etta and Constance had were shown. Although I feel like we still have more way to go, the freedom that Etta can enjoy now as a woman is certainly a big improvement from the times then. However, I do recognise that this is just one kind of family that existed in those times, it doesn’t mean that all families were like Constance’s.
I also really like how we were given flawed (very flawed) characters (besides Constance, she seems like an amazing girl 🥺), even if we didn't really get to see much character development.
Now on to the parts I didn't quite enjoy — while we're at the topic of the characters, I felt kind of indifferent to most of the characters, besides Constance. If I felt anything, it was dislike towards Constance’s family and fiance but that is as much emotion I have towards the characters. I thought I would empathise with Jamie and Etta but I just really wanted justice for Constance through it all. I did feel like the characters weren’t as fleshed out as I would like it to be, but the plot was interesting enough to keep reading.
I gave this one three stars cause it was an okay read, not laborious or boring, but also not something that blew me away. It was a good introduction for me to Kiwi Authors though, I will definitely explore more.
November 13, 2025
Thankful to Fleur Beale for writing so many books my students love. "End of The Alphabet" and "I am Not Esther" are treasured by my Year 10s; my Year 9s adored "Faraway Girl" at first. HOWEVER, once the mechanics of the time travel were revealed they were less interested in the mystery of the painting. It was also a little painful reading Etta's character - she definitely felt written by an 80 year old.
September 22, 2022
The writing style was a bit juvenile for me. I'm always suspicious when writers try to mimic the ways in which young people actually speak - it's as if they don't realise that young readers are capable of understanding this is a novel, and not a verbatim account. After a while, the language began to grate on me.
July 22, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. However, I don't think it was amazing. It was a quick and easy read that didn't take too much of my mental capacity to read. The writing was good the story was good overall, a nice book to take your mind off of things.
September 11, 2023
This was a good but not compelling novel. I enjoyed the character Constance, however I had little to no investment in the character Jamie.
This would be a great book for a younger reader as it covers some important issues, such as women’s rights and family.
This would be a great book for a younger reader as it covers some important issues, such as women’s rights and family.
March 23, 2023
Actually quite good!
November 12, 2023
2.5 stars.
April 27, 2024
I remember reading this 2 years ago and so I read it again and it was quite good. I rlly hate her parents and her betrothed soooooo much I’m gonna murder them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2025
4.5 rounded up. Loved the timey-wimey story set in Wellington, and the characters, but the frequent head hopping ie changing character perspective half way through a paragraph made me twitch.
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