A review by heidirgorecki
The Phoenix Crown by Janie Chang, Kate Quinn

adventurous hopeful slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The first half of the book I struggled to get into. There’s a lot on the characters and their stories, which is fine, but it felt a little drawn out and very detailed without having a feel like we were going somewhere. 

I’ve read about the 1906 earthquake before so I enjoyed another perspective though it was a surprisingly short part of the book. 

What I liked most was the women’s friendships and how they were invested in each other after dealing with their character flaws. Always love a good story about women having each others’ backs. 

The second half I felt more invested in, though it felt like it wrapped up really quick. I expected a little more of a back and forth to the plot and there really wasn’t. It just resolved. So good in writing and overall content, but it just felt kind of weird mix of slow and fast. 

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.