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thereadingbee's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
lunaseline's review against another edition
3.0
Det här är en välskriven bok, med fin miljö och en trevlig premiss kring historia och historier.
Men sen är det liksom inte så mycket mer.
Jag vet inte riktigt vad jag hade tänkt mig, men familjetragedierna och de två tidslinjerna (och totalt 4 kvinnorösterna) tillför inget nytt, och det är inte alltid helt självklart att ta karaktärernas parti. Visst, människor gör konstiga val och har ibland svårt att ta tillbaka dem, men... nä, författaren gör det lite för enkelt för sig i att förklara varför saker blir som de blir.
"Ihopknytningen" i slutet är dock fin och välnyanserad (andra författare hade säkert gärna dragit på större växlar, vilket jag helt säkert hade stört mig på).
Och kul att se en liten annan del av USA än den som brukar figurera internationellt - jag som inte är någon större fan av utbroderande av historiska fakta eller miljöbeskrivningar vågar nästan påstå att jag hade velat ha mer av den varan i den här romanen.
Som det landar nu är det en historia som visserligen sträcker sig över lång tid, men inte breder ut sig åt något särskilt håll. (Den korta men upprepade beskrivningen av tonårig kärlek får dock en extra liten stjärna!)
Men sen är det liksom inte så mycket mer.
Jag vet inte riktigt vad jag hade tänkt mig, men familjetragedierna och de två tidslinjerna (och totalt 4 kvinnorösterna) tillför inget nytt, och det är inte alltid helt självklart att ta karaktärernas parti. Visst, människor gör konstiga val och har ibland svårt att ta tillbaka dem, men... nä, författaren gör det lite för enkelt för sig i att förklara varför saker blir som de blir.
"Ihopknytningen" i slutet är dock fin och välnyanserad (andra författare hade säkert gärna dragit på större växlar, vilket jag helt säkert hade stört mig på).
Och kul att se en liten annan del av USA än den som brukar figurera internationellt - jag som inte är någon större fan av utbroderande av historiska fakta eller miljöbeskrivningar vågar nästan påstå att jag hade velat ha mer av den varan i den här romanen.
Som det landar nu är det en historia som visserligen sträcker sig över lång tid, men inte breder ut sig åt något särskilt håll. (Den korta men upprepade beskrivningen av tonårig kärlek får dock en extra liten stjärna!)
elisabeth7291's review against another edition
3.0
We all grow up with myths. Myths about place. Myths about history. Myths about family. Growing up is, in part, about the sifting process that takes us from a world of myth to one of truth.
Abi Maxwell’s The Den tells the story of two pairs of sisters, separated by one and a half centuries, but who are inextricably linked by myth. Located in a small New Hampshire town surrounded by wilderness, both pairs of sisters are separated by one’s decision to leave – a decision forced by what their small towns will and will not accept from a young woman.
Told in alternating points of view – eventually getting around to all four – the story focuses on the more recent pair of sisters, Jane and Henrietta. Jane, the younger of the two, is haunted by her sister’s abrupt disappearance, her role in the false accusation of Henrietta’s lover, and the story that has been recorded about a family who once dwelled in the same spot.
As Jane comes into her own, she begins to realize that in order to have real peace about the place she calls home, she’ll need to look directly into the myths she’s believed and sort out once and for all, fact from fiction. In doing this, she may find better truths than what she had expected.
Maxwell’s book should appeal to those who enjoy the themes of sisters, lore and nature. What started slow for me, came together as an enjoyable read in the end.
***
I was provided an advanced readers copy of The Den by Penguin Random House’s First to Read program in exchange for an honest review. The Den will be available to all readers on May 14, 2019.
More book reviews at www.literatureandleisure.com.
Abi Maxwell’s The Den tells the story of two pairs of sisters, separated by one and a half centuries, but who are inextricably linked by myth. Located in a small New Hampshire town surrounded by wilderness, both pairs of sisters are separated by one’s decision to leave – a decision forced by what their small towns will and will not accept from a young woman.
Told in alternating points of view – eventually getting around to all four – the story focuses on the more recent pair of sisters, Jane and Henrietta. Jane, the younger of the two, is haunted by her sister’s abrupt disappearance, her role in the false accusation of Henrietta’s lover, and the story that has been recorded about a family who once dwelled in the same spot.
As Jane comes into her own, she begins to realize that in order to have real peace about the place she calls home, she’ll need to look directly into the myths she’s believed and sort out once and for all, fact from fiction. In doing this, she may find better truths than what she had expected.
Maxwell’s book should appeal to those who enjoy the themes of sisters, lore and nature. What started slow for me, came together as an enjoyable read in the end.
***
I was provided an advanced readers copy of The Den by Penguin Random House’s First to Read program in exchange for an honest review. The Den will be available to all readers on May 14, 2019.
More book reviews at www.literatureandleisure.com.
jadehi79's review
3.0
I received a free copy of this book from First to Read in exchange for an honest review. The overall plot of this story is intriguing, but telling it in two different timelines makes it feel disjointed. I was much more interested in the modern day storyline of Jane & Henrietta than I was in the storyline of Elspeth & Claire. Everytime the story switched to the older timeline, I was pulled out of the story. This made it more difficult to read the book, but overall, the story was enjoyable.
candacesiegle_greedyreader's review against another edition
5.0
I've been in a restless mood, picking up books, putting them down if they didn't grab me instantly, moving on to the next.
"The Den" grabbed me instantly. The story is divided into two sections, with the Den at the center. In the more modern story, the den is nothing but a foundation for a small house that has fallen into ruin. In the mid-19th century story, it is the home of an immigrant family from Scotland. Both sections revolve around sisters, one of whom has vanished.
You can read other reviews to learn more about the plot, but what I want you to know is how gorgeous the writing is and how visceral the connection between the sisters. The modern Jane/Henrietta story is more satisfying, but that does not mean the Claire/Elspeth is a throwaway. Both Elspeth and Henrietta are young women who long for the sexual encounter--dangerous for both in their times--while Claire and Jane are more cerebral, the problem-solvers needed fir survival. If you don't have a sister you'll feel the lack. If you do have one, you'll be reaching out right away.
I'm grateful to this novel for getting me off that restless route, and also for being such a wonderful reading experience.
"The Den" grabbed me instantly. The story is divided into two sections, with the Den at the center. In the more modern story, the den is nothing but a foundation for a small house that has fallen into ruin. In the mid-19th century story, it is the home of an immigrant family from Scotland. Both sections revolve around sisters, one of whom has vanished.
You can read other reviews to learn more about the plot, but what I want you to know is how gorgeous the writing is and how visceral the connection between the sisters. The modern Jane/Henrietta story is more satisfying, but that does not mean the Claire/Elspeth is a throwaway. Both Elspeth and Henrietta are young women who long for the sexual encounter--dangerous for both in their times--while Claire and Jane are more cerebral, the problem-solvers needed fir survival. If you don't have a sister you'll feel the lack. If you do have one, you'll be reaching out right away.
I'm grateful to this novel for getting me off that restless route, and also for being such a wonderful reading experience.
laurazdavidson's review
3.0
The writing was lovely but somewhat detached, and I found it difficult to really connect with any of the characters. Furthermore, I had expected (based on the book description) more of a fantasy element. There just wasn't enough here to make me really love this book.
sarahkomas's review
2.25
Struggled to care for the characters or engage with the stories. Henrietta and family just seemed so unbelievable in their plot lines
jmatkinson1's review
4.0
1850s New Hampshire and Scottish immigrant Elspeth and her sons disappear one very cold night, possibly eaten by coyotes. Elspeth's sister Claire determines to find out what has happened to her sister and travels to the small intense town, a community haunted by the tale of disappearance. In the same town in the 1990s a troubled pregnant teen Henrietta disappears on a cold night, her sister determined to find her.
This is a slow tale about parallel sets of sisters, the elder a little loose, the younger more straight-laced. In both cases the elder sister disappears after scandalous behaviour and leaves no trace. The claustrophobic atmosphere of small town New England is beautifully imagined and the links between the two tales adds another dimension to surprisingly interesting book.
This is a slow tale about parallel sets of sisters, the elder a little loose, the younger more straight-laced. In both cases the elder sister disappears after scandalous behaviour and leaves no trace. The claustrophobic atmosphere of small town New England is beautifully imagined and the links between the two tales adds another dimension to surprisingly interesting book.
reneereads's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape