Reviews

All the Flowers in Paris by Sarah Jio

kitkat175's review against another edition

2.0

For this book I mainly listened to the audiobook.
The way people were back then was just... terrible to be honest. There are barley any words to describe it.
I liked the ending better than the rest of the book.
I barley picked up the physical book. Most just listened to the audiobook.
I usually love historical fiction but I just could not get into this one.

theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition

4.0

All the Flowers in Paris is Sarah Jio’s tenth novel. I have read all nine of her works, and I was eager to devour All the Flowers in Paris. Ms. Jio said she has been wanting to write a novel set in Paris and this was her love letter to that city. It is a dual timeline novel that goes between 2009 and 1943. I was more attracted to the historical story than the modern day tale. I thought Caroline’s narrative played out in an expected manner, though, it is a sweet, romantic story. Celine’s tale is heartbreaking and spoke to the violence of some of the Nazi soldiers. We also see how neighbor’s and friends would turn on other people especially if it would curry them favor with the German’s. I wish the author had taken the time to capture the era. The story lacked historical details. I did enjoy the descriptions of Paris in 2009, the apartment on rue Cler and Madame Jeanty’s café. I liked the flower motifs woven throughout the story. The last 20% of All the Flowers in Paris was the most intriguing as the action increased and we see how the various threads tied together. I thought All the Flowers in Paris lacked that special magical touch that I found in Sara Jio’s earlier works. Unfortunately, All the Flowers in Paris was reminiscent other World War II novels that I have read. I did find a couple of inaccuracies in the story (an example is that at one point it is mentioned Caroline dislikes espresso and then it states she had one every day). I believe I was let down by my expectations. All the Flowers in Paris has hidden letters, nasty Nazis, blooming flowers, lost memories, the city of lights, and a woman searching for answers.

pam2375's review against another edition

5.0

This was a beautifully written story in dual timelines. Present day, kind of (2009) and WWII Paris. I found both timelines to be interesting, heartbreaking and captivating. I did not want this book to come to an end.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Sarah Jio for this wonderfully disturbing book! This book is due to release in August 2019.

mycriminalmind's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.25

mbkarapcik's review against another edition

4.0

This novel flips back and forth between a Frenchwoman who is a mother and helps out her father in a Parisian flower shop during World War II, and a contemporary American woman living in Paris. The Frenchwoman who happens to be part Jewish gets caught by a German officer who previously set his sights on her and terrorizes her and her family. The story takes some tragic turns and, at times, may be slow, but I think the author wants to establish a mood by weaving the elements together to the point where more action takes place.

On the other side, the expatriate from America who seems depressed about her life for reasons the reader does not yet learn gets into a bicycling accident and wakes up with amnesia. She works hard to find out who she was while establishing a new life for herself. She meets an intriguing restaurateur who may not be what he seems, and the story proceeds from there.

To give more away would ruin the twists, turns, and coincidences, some of which seem trite or too perfectly rendered. One major twist I detected pretty quickly, but I didn't know the antecedent, so I was interested to discover what it was. I enjoyed the book, but it's very similar to Sarah's Key (which other reviewers noted, and I recently read), and I believe that is the better book.

shantti's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

2.5

cwhiteley's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring fast-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

5.0

fabyalexaa's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

theshaggyshepherd's review against another edition

4.0

When I started reading this book, I thought it really wasn’t what I needed right at that moment but I’m so glad I pushed through. All the Flowers in Paris by Sarah Jio is an emotional, heart-breaking, and hopeful novel that I recommend to anyone that enjoys historical fiction and novels set during the WW2 times. The two storylines really sucked me in and I could not put this book down. I also really enjoyed the writing style. It has just enough details to make it beautiful without being frilly and taking away from the story.

cariefairy's review against another edition

4.0

Heart wrenching, but I couldn't stop reading!