kapiolani

Briony is a naughty girl, she hurts people, and she can do things others can't. She can speak to the Old Ones, and everyone knows only witchs can speak to the Old Ones in the swamp. Stepmother warned her before she died that Briony must keep her secret, she must not go into the swamp, and she must never tell anyone what she can do. For in Swampsea, there is only one punishment for being a witch. Hanging. Billingsley is a brilliant author. Her depictions of the swamp and of Swampsea were so realistic that you felt that you were there. She is an expert at setting a mood in a novel, and making the people there feel authentic. Overall this novel is a brilliant piece of literature. Now you are probably wondering, if it was so brilliant, why did you give it a 4 star review. Well, to be honest, I just liked it. I can recognize superb storytelling in a novel and this has it, but it just wasn't the story for me. This is one of those books where I would split the rating 5 stars for quality and 3 stars for my personal opinions. I had trouble connecting to the character of Briony in the book. I am a reader who loves to connect with the characters and I just couldn't connect with Briony. Part of this may be because I had the whole mystery figured out by chapter three and I wasn't at all surprised by the ending. I saw Briony more clearly than she saw herself and was frustrated by her resistance to the truth. So connecting with her was difficult. If you like a novel whose setting pulls you in and you like the mystery, this novel will be fine for you. I just couldn't get into it no matter how hard I tried. Still it is brilliantly written with stunning dialogue and an original story. Cautions for sensitive readers: Some violence and death.

2022-10-29 03:36