Monday, October 21, 2013

The Heiresses

The Heiresses by Allison Rushby
4/5 stars
St. Martin's Griffin, 2013
344 pages
YA/NA Historical

Source: Bought

This book attracted me for several (rather shallow) reasons. For starters, the cover is super pretty. I love the color of her dress and her lipstick and it just screams historical elegance to me. Once I read the summary, I was pulled in by the mention of sisters (triplets to be specific) and 1920s London, a time of elegance for those wealthy enough to be a part, which these girls most certainly are. So I bought a copy and then it sat and sat and sat while I worked through review books before finally settling down with it this past weekend.

Well I could just kick myself for waiting so long to pick up this book. Though it had some flaws that nagged at me, I was mostly just swept away and I really enjoyed it. Best of all, I believe it is supposed to be a standalone so each story is pretty much wrapped up. I think this is partly because it seems to have been originally published as six e-books with a cliffhanger to end each section but designed just to be those six parts and nothing more. I appreciate a conclusive ending with the most important plot points addressed but with room for the reader to speculate about the ultimate end for the characters as they age and continue moving through their lives.

However I was nervous at the start because it begins with the birth of the triplets to a dying mother and a cruel father with an indifferent doctor in attendance. Only aunt Hestia's determination and the ministrations of a kind nursemaid aid the girls in their first days. Soon each is farmed out to a different family with their origins concealed until they reach the age of eighteen and their father is dead. Aunt Hestia brings the three girls together to share the news and lets them at London. Eldest Thalia is thrilled to escape her horrible upbringing and eagerly partakes in everything offered: parties, boys, alcohol, drugs, etc. anything to battle her demons. Middle Erato is of a more intellectual bent and is excited for the opportunity to attend university but is derailed by a young man. Youngest Clio had the idyllic pastoral childhood and is concerned with her mother's lungs as she observes her sisters' embrace of decadence. Additionally the girls have to battle their half-brother for their mother's fortune and investigate the mystery of why Clio looks so different.

There is so much packed into this novel so there is really something for everyone. Family drama, romance, childhood traumas galore, class issues, eugenics makes an appearance, religion, contemporary birth control: what have you is probably there (and I'm not even mentioning everything!) Personally I found myself most drawn to Clio, being rather appalled by Thalia's casual disregard for her person and never quite clicking with Erato though I had anticipated being most connected with her. Instead Clio's faith and confidence in herself was what I loved. That's not to say that I didn't like the other characters, just that Clio had that something special that intrigued me.

I also must mention the names. The older generation are sisters Demeter and Hestia with next generation being Thalia, Erato, and Clio. As a lover of Greek mythology, I recognized the source but I do wonder about its likelihood. It just seemed so out-there and I would have expected names more like Margaret, Mary, and Elizabeth. I never got used to seeing them in print even with acquaintances like Venetia appearing next to them.

Overall: An enchanting breakneck romp through 1920s London stuffed to the brim with drama that kept me breathlessly flipping through the pages especially as I reached the conclusion.

Other Opinions:
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24 comments:

  1. Hmm. This sounds like an interesting read - I'm a huge fan of historicals, and I do have to admit that the cover is beautiful. I'm glad that you enjoyed it! Clio sounds like a very interesting character - but I'm unsure about the other two. They're "trying to solve the mystery of why Clio looks so different"? I think they should be proud that she doesn't looks just like them! :P Awesome review, girly. ;)

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    1. Well two of the sisters look very similar to each other and to their mother but Clio looks very unlike so they're left wondering why that might be and if she's actually related.

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  2. Thanks for the write-up! We wondered about this when it was first announced as a serial project; sounds like it functions best as a 6-in-1 full story? The names do sound little wackadoo/indulgent, but besides that, seems like the kind of story we would enjoy!

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    1. It does function well as a 6-in-1 story-I wasn't sure what to expect but I thought the way it was split up served the novel just fine.

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  3. I am often attracted to books for shallow reasons, too. :D

    I think I ended up with more mixed reactions to this book than you did, but I agree that Clio was an interesting character. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

    Wendy @ The Midnight Garden

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    1. The writing really swept me away and helped to smooth out some of the issues I didn't like as much.

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  4. Ahhh. I had this on my to-read list and then got sidetracked. Now that I know you loved it, I will definitely give it a try!

    Jen @ YA Romantics

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    1. I would love to know what you think of it! I'm cautiously exploring the NA category and this helps to give me more of a positive impression of it.

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  5. I've been trying to read more of my own novels lately too, so that's great you were finally able to pick this up. I like that it's set in London and stand-alones are some of my faves right now because I don't have a lot of time for series.

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    1. It made me so happy-I read so many ARCs that I often just skip over my own books and I don't want to do that!

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  6. This sounds like it could be a fun book. I do enjoy historical fiction and the time period. It is interesting that the book was originally serialized as e-books. It is rare to find standalone teen fiction these days and I consider that another plus. Thanks for your review!

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    1. Love the standalone aspect-always on the lookout for them!

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  7. I'm glad you liked this one! It gives me more confidence that it'll be one I enjoy. I've had it on my radar for a while now, so I should definitely make an effort to check it out!

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    1. Yeah, it's not my favorite but I think it has a lot of sparkle to appeal to a variety of readers.

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  8. This one's new to me but thanks to your review I'll keep an eye out for it, I think I'd enjoy it too :)

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    1. I hope you like it if you do pick it up-was such an enjoyable read.

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  9. Drama, romance, and fabulous names - I'm sold. I'm definitely going to check this out!

    Fabulous review :D

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    1. Happy reading-this had so much going on and moved at such a pace that it just kept me on the edge of my seat until I finished.

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  10. I haven't seen this one. It'll be a maybe. I liked that you liked it, but it makes me so sad when girls throw their lives away and don't care, so it makes a depressing read for me. However, it sounds like things might improve as the stories progress. We'll see. Thanks for the review!

    Tressa @ Tressa's Wishful Endings

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    1. That part was so sad-Thalia just didn't care about her life and I really wanted to help her though I think that's a good sign that I'm connecting with the characters.

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  11. what fun! I had this on my list but was afraid it would be a let down (like Cinders and Sapphires was for me). You make it sound like a great romp though. I hope my library has a copy!

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    1. Well I liked Cinders and Sapphires a lot more than you did so this might still let you down...just so you know!

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  12. I hope you won't mind my disagreeing but, ugh, I hated this one. It felt entirely out of tune with the era in which it took place (four modern characters [I'm including Hestia!]) plopped into the past) and I didn't connect with any of them, nor did it feel realistic to me. It was like the book went through all the motions of being a good teen historical, but the execution fell short. For me at least!

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    1. I appreciate your disagreement-that's what is so fun about book blogging. We can read the same book and see so many different things! I was wondering if these characters were too modern but since I don't really know the era, I disregarded it.

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