Search This Blog








2023 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama (1)
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California (1)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia (1)
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
- Maryland (1)
- Massachusetts (1)
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York (2)
- North Carolina (1)
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont (2)
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.*
International:
- Australia (1)
- Ireland (1)





2023 Build Your Library Reading Challenge







Monday, January 29, 2018
Circus Tale Compelling, But Cheerless
7:36 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Although she's ten years old, Lilly Blackwood has never run outside, never played with other children. Instead, she's confined to a small attic room with only her parents for (occasional) company. Her mother—a religious zealot—insists the isolation is for her own protection. If other people saw Lilly, she says, it would scare them. When she is finally released from the home that has become her prison, Lilly's freedom is short-lived. Sold by her mother to the circus, she becomes imprisoned again, just with a different jailer.
Despite the bleak, often cruel world of the circus, Lilly finds a ragtag family and, for the first time, a sense of belonging. When tragedy descends, however, it seems she may never find a happy ending ...
Twenty years later, Julia Blackwood returns to the home and horse farm she has inherited from her parents. The place holds few happy memories for her. Hoping to make peace with her past, Julia explores Blackwood House, especially the corners that were off-limits to her as a child. Stunned to discover a hidden attic room and old circus photos featuring a striking young woman, she determines to uncover all of Blackwood House's secrets. What she discovers—about her family and about herself—will shock her to her core.
The Life She Was Given by Ellen Marie Wiseman is an atmospheric, absorbing novel peopled with colorful, complex characters. Told in the alternating voices of Lilly and Julia, it tells a vivid and compelling story. Also a sad, sad one. In fact, parts of the ending are so mournful that the novel, overall, feels less than satisfying. While it offers a few sparks of hope and uplift, on the whole, The Life She Was Given is just depressing. Engrossing, but pretty darn cheerless. In the end, then, I found this one disappointing despite being well-written.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (no F-bombs), violence, blood/gore, sexual content, and disturbing subject matter
To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of The Life She Was Given from Amazon with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.
5 comments:
Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.
P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(Atom)




Reading
All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham

Listening
The War Librarian by Addison Armstrong



Followin' with Bloglovin'



-
Growing Strong58 minutes ago
-
-
A Novel Disguise by Samantha Larsen2 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
The Witch And The Vampire9 hours ago
-
-
-
The Walled Garden by Robin Farrar Maass19 hours ago
-
Sunday Salon #5 "Currently" reading20 hours ago
-
Sunday Salon: January 29, 202321 hours ago
-
The Flatshare1 day ago
-
-
Sunday Salon1 day ago
-
-
-
Guilty Minds by Joseph Finder1 day ago
-
-
Sunday Post #4892 days ago
-
-
-
-
Review of Matilda3 days ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Just finished and currently reading.5 days ago
-
-
-
2023 Goals (and 2022 in Review)1 week ago
-
-
My Bookish Goals for 20231 week ago
-
Top Ten Books of 20222 weeks ago
-
Books Read in 20233 weeks ago
-
December Monthly Wrap-up3 weeks ago
-
-
-
Thinking Out Loud: Our Wives Under the Sea2 months ago
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?3 months ago
-
-
HEARTS OF BRIARWALL by Krista Jensen5 months ago
-
-
-
-

Grab my Button!



Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
- ▼ 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ► 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
I've not ever heard of this book. And it does sound a bit grim, but I'm still interested. I'll have to be in the right mood for it. LOL
ReplyDeleteHmmm, depressing or not I’m very intrigued in this one. Ugh! Another book to add to my ever growing list.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I can handle this much grimness and cheerlessness. I think I'll pass though I do love a ragtag family!
ReplyDeleteI just got done reading a really depressing book. Sometimes they're really good to read but I just can't take many of them, lol.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds a little bit creepy!
ReplyDelete