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lillygabriella's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Once again my historical knowledge is a curse for reading fiction. It's oil paint, it can take weeks to dry properly, it's not acrylic to be dry in an hour.
The premise was interesting, warped family curse mash up. Suffers from the "all adults are stupid and/or evil" trope. The plot was interesting, even if the incorrect information was personally infuriating for me. If you don't know anything about oil painting, like mysteries and horror, you may enjoy it more than I did.
The premise was interesting, warped family curse mash up. Suffers from the "all adults are stupid and/or evil" trope. The plot was interesting, even if the incorrect information was personally infuriating for me. If you don't know anything about oil painting, like mysteries and horror, you may enjoy it more than I did.
msvenner's review against another edition
2.0
It was fun to read about the imagined daughter of Dorian Grey. That said, this seemed lacking both in story and delivery.
sunnyshiiine's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
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
4.75
maridkbro's review against another edition
3.0
Another book I received as a gift. It took me entirely too long to figure out that this was basically "the picture of dorian gray" fanfic. That being said, I still thought it was very cute. It was surprisingly spooky for a middle grade, but I liked that. Bryony was a nice mc, and it was easy to route for her. I also really enjoyed Mira and Thompson, and even Constantine. It was an easy and quick read, and the only reason it's not a 4 star is that nothing really happened for 3/4s of the book. The last act was great and entertaining, and I enjoyed the small character moments stitched throughout it. I really enjoyed the message it pushes about family being whoever you chose. I think Lottie made an interesting villain since she was mainly just trying to get into Bryony's head. I loved the ending with all of them at Constantine's house, and the small plot twists were really fun. Also Bryony and Mira were kinda.....anyways. Tbh I didn't think I'd like it at all so I will take this as a win.
bonzoobel's review against another edition
5.0
My professions include, a) crying over the IMMACULATE vibes of books set in 20th century London and b) wishing there were a beautiful and eccentric girl who lived next door to me that I could go on a thrilling adventure with. These are both things I did whilst reading this book.
Allow me to elaborate. A gifted painter locked in an attic, enamored with the girl next door, and planning her escape to live with her mysterious patron whom she believes to be her father. I won't lie, I wasn't expecting much from this book, just a silly little adventure with aesthetics I adore. Much to my delight, I had thoroughly underestimated this book. It's a rollicking story filled with haunted portraits, funeral hearses, and (my favorite) a subtle wlw romance that lived and thrived on its own outside of the main plot.
Allow me to elaborate. A gifted painter locked in an attic, enamored with the girl next door, and planning her escape to live with her mysterious patron whom she believes to be her father. I won't lie, I wasn't expecting much from this book, just a silly little adventure with aesthetics I adore. Much to my delight, I had thoroughly underestimated this book. It's a rollicking story filled with haunted portraits, funeral hearses, and (my favorite) a subtle wlw romance that lived and thrived on its own outside of the main plot.
alyson7's review against another edition
3.0
The Strange and Deadly Portraits of Bryony Gray is a fresh take on Oscar Wilde’s The Portrait of Dorian Gray aimed at a middle grade audience. When I first heard of this novel, I was ecstatic and eager to read it. In London, in the late eighteen hundreds, there have been strange disappearances of prominent noblemen and ladies who have had their portraits painted by the mysterious prodigy, Bryony Gray. Bryony’s art takes London by storm, meanwhile, Bryony is held captive by her aunt and uncle and dreams of a day when she can escape. One day, one of Bryony’s newest portrait comes to life and claws its way out of the canvas. Then suddenly, all of Bryony’s portraits begin to come to life, terrorizing London. Little did she know… Bryony has triggered her family’s curse. With the help of a few unlikely friends, Bryony tries to find a way to stop the portraits before they destroy London. The question is… could she be too late?
This novel is an imaginative take on The Portrait of Dorian Gray along the lines of a Neil Gaiman novel or Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. I really enjoyed the adventure and all of the artist facts scattered throughout the novel. Unfortunately, I found the characters to be a little bland and underdeveloped. While each of the main characters have their distinctive quirks, I found them to be too contrived and cartoonish to enjoy this novel to the fullest. However, overall, the plotline is very imaginative and original, full of quirky and creepy surprises. The descriptions leap off the page and the language has a distinctive Victorian quality without being overly dense for its intended audience. I would recommend this book to those who are a fan of A Series of Unfortunate Events and Coraline .
* I received an advanced copy of this book via the Goodreads giveaway *
This novel is an imaginative take on The Portrait of Dorian Gray along the lines of a Neil Gaiman novel or Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. I really enjoyed the adventure and all of the artist facts scattered throughout the novel. Unfortunately, I found the characters to be a little bland and underdeveloped. While each of the main characters have their distinctive quirks, I found them to be too contrived and cartoonish to enjoy this novel to the fullest. However, overall, the plotline is very imaginative and original, full of quirky and creepy surprises. The descriptions leap off the page and the language has a distinctive Victorian quality without being overly dense for its intended audience. I would recommend this book to those who are a fan of A Series of Unfortunate Events and Coraline .
* I received an advanced copy of this book via the Goodreads giveaway *
tashalou's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this! Creepy and a bit macabre, deliciously unsettling. I would have loved this as a middle-grade reader. As an adult, I can appreciate the tie-in with The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.
amysousa's review against another edition
5.0
I'm pasting my review from Amazon on here since I don't believe it shows up on here: I'm 22 years old and even I loved this! This is so original and beautifully executed. Bryony is a wonderful protagonist that experiences crazy things in a completely different time period, yet is so relatable. This is a perfect middle grade novel that can be enjoyed by any age. I couldn't put this down!
jeanettesonya's review against another edition
3.0
This was very meh. Interesting premise but the execution felt a little choppy. Also, I was kind of turned off by this whole “we’re you’re family now!” from Mira and Thompson after, what? Three days of knowing Bryony? Felt very cliched.