Lucky Bunny by Jill Dawson
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 349 (Paperback)
Source: TLC Book Tours
Author's Website
Buy it: Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Book Depo
Description:
'Crime's a man's business. So they say. Who was that small figure then, slender enough to trot along the moonlit track, swift and low, virtually invisible? Who was it that covered the green signal with a glove to stop the train, while the two others took care of the driver and his mate? Could it have been one Queenie Dove, survivor of the Depression and the Blitz, not to mention any number of scrapes with the law?'
Queenie Dove is a self-proclaimed genius when it comes to thieving and escape. Daring, clever and sexy, she ducked and dived through the streets of London from the East End through Soho to Mayfair, graduating from childhood shop-lifting to more glamorous crimes in the post-war decades. So was she wicked through and through, or more sinned against than sinning? Here she tells a vivacious tale of trickery and adventure, but one with more pain and heartbreak than its heroine cares to admit. Yes, luck often favoured her, but that is only part of the story.
My Review:
The premise, setting, and writing in Lucky Bunny was great. The writing especially made this a very authentic read. The world and the characters felt so real. I love when I get a book where the writing makes me stop and take notice. I was inspired. Unfortunately though, I had a very hard time getting through this book. The pacing was just off for me. As I was reading, I could never quite understand the point of where everything was going. It's kind of hard to describe but I'll try. The story is told from Queenie's perspective. All of the events have already occurred and she's looking back and retelling it as she remembers. But before each new event, she foreshadows how things will turn out by pretty much saying how it will turn out. It wasn't annoying or bothersome but it took away the drive to keep reading. There was nothing pushing me forward. I pretty much knew how everything would turn out. If I put the book down, I pretty much had to force myself to pick it up and keep reading. Once I got back into things, it was okay.
Overall, I think the writing might be good enough to at least give this one a try despite the pacing issue I described. I can see many people loving it. Just a heads up, Queenie's in an abusive relationship so there is quite a bit of domestic violence in this one.
I love your review of "meh." Honest book reviews are hard to find. I have bookmarked your site for future reviews. I just finished a book that is worth mentioning. It is called, "Shadow of the sun by author Merrie P. Wycoff . This is historical fiction novel that showcases the mysticism/paranormal aspects of ancient Egypt.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'll check it out.
DeleteThis is one I wanted (for the cover) and the reviews keep telling me to stay away.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad really. The cover is amazing though.
DeleteOh gosh, I'm sorry to hear this. I was so drawn in by this one. Oh well.
ReplyDeleteI know!
DeleteJust realized that I made it seem like I read it. I didn't, I was drawn in by description, cover, etc :)
ReplyDeleteOh okay. I understand now.
DeleteI think it would totally suck to read a book where the narrator literally tells us how everything will turn out. Takes the joy out of the journey.
ReplyDeleteThe premise sounds interesting enough, but since there is basically no mystery about it, I don't know why people would want to keep reading. Sorry this didn't work for you, but I can understand why!
I actually couldn't figure it out at first. But by the end, I realized why it wasn't working and didn't work for me. It's like everything was an upfront conclusion. It's not something you know going in though. You see cover and read the premise and it sounds great.
DeleteWow! I thought this would be interesting but.... I'll pass!
ReplyDeleteThanks