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3.42 AVERAGE
3.42 AVERAGE
The Poppy and the Rose is historical fiction that weaves together the sinking of the Titanic, early 20th century spiritualism, and a modern girl's search to uncover the meaning behind a mysterious photograph of her father taken before he died.
In 1912, we follow Ava, spoiled aristocrat and aspiring photographer, onto the Titanic. She is pressed into helping a Serbian revolutionary spy on a fellow passenger in exchange for promised help with her mother's laudanum addiction and declining mental health.
These adventures unfold in Ava's memoirs, read by Taylor in the present after her elderly aristocratic scholarship benefactress, Lady Knight, winds up dead in suspicious fashion. Taylor is hoping that the memoirs will shed light on some secrets in her father's past.
My thoughts on the tale are this: the Titanic never fails to enthrall me even as it terrifies me and leaves me in tears. These emotions all came to pass right on schedule. However, the supernatural elements of the story seemed unnecessary and generic, bogging down the plot with forced urgency (I'm saying this as someone who loves a well-told paranormal angle). Additionally, the storyline in the present did not keep pace with the echoes of Ava's memories. While Taylor has a sympathetic story, most major revelations take place in the memoirs with the only action in the present serving as an interlude before Taylor picks up the next chapter to read. The plot and side characters are significantly less interesting than in the past. Ultimately, a book distilled down to Ava's story on the Titanic told in one timeline with no supernatural aspects would have been more powerful if less catchy in the synopsis.
Thanks to NetGalley & Owl Hollow Press for the opportunity to read and review this book!
In 1912, we follow Ava, spoiled aristocrat and aspiring photographer, onto the Titanic. She is pressed into helping a Serbian revolutionary spy on a fellow passenger in exchange for promised help with her mother's laudanum addiction and declining mental health.
These adventures unfold in Ava's memoirs, read by Taylor in the present after her elderly aristocratic scholarship benefactress, Lady Knight, winds up dead in suspicious fashion. Taylor is hoping that the memoirs will shed light on some secrets in her father's past.
My thoughts on the tale are this: the Titanic never fails to enthrall me even as it terrifies me and leaves me in tears. These emotions all came to pass right on schedule. However, the supernatural elements of the story seemed unnecessary and generic, bogging down the plot with forced urgency (I'm saying this as someone who loves a well-told paranormal angle). Additionally, the storyline in the present did not keep pace with the echoes of Ava's memories. While Taylor has a sympathetic story, most major revelations take place in the memoirs with the only action in the present serving as an interlude before Taylor picks up the next chapter to read. The plot and side characters are significantly less interesting than in the past. Ultimately, a book distilled down to Ava's story on the Titanic told in one timeline with no supernatural aspects would have been more powerful if less catchy in the synopsis.
Thanks to NetGalley & Owl Hollow Press for the opportunity to read and review this book!
What drew me to this book was the Titanic elements. It was a mix of family saga, mystery, sleuthing and intrigue with a splash of romance too it certainly delivered. A combined contemporary and historical fiction combined. A brilliant YA title.
The story ebbs and flows through two separate past and present timelines of two young ladies; Ava (in 1912) who sails on the Titanic with her father and her beloved camera to study with a renowned photographer in America and Taylor’s (in 2010) who sets off to Oxford, England to learn about her fathers seemingly secret life. Overall the plot was brilliant it is largely centred around the two characters' relationships with their fathers.
Deception v’s a parents protective love?
I smiled to myself once I finished and I could connect the book’s title to the book's themes of grief, traumatic memory loss and parental love. I thought this was a very clever way to tie the whole plot together and part of the mystery revealed.
I enjoyed a good twist in the plot and I liked discovering the connections between the characters of past and present. The threads of romance that were woven into the story for both the girls. It was not at the centre of the plot but nicely tied in. The quality of the writing was very good. I would be happy to read more of Ashlee’s books.
There was not much to dislike at all, if anything I would say the book really picked up its pace from about 70% of the way through to the end when the mystery and plot twists came to its climax.
Reasons to read this book:
☆ If you like Historical Fiction
☆ Enjoy YA titles / books full of mystery and intrigue
☆ Are interested in the Titanic & WW1 history
I'm glad I've been able to read it thank you Netgalley & Owl Hollow Press in return for my honest review.
The story ebbs and flows through two separate past and present timelines of two young ladies; Ava (in 1912) who sails on the Titanic with her father and her beloved camera to study with a renowned photographer in America and Taylor’s (in 2010) who sets off to Oxford, England to learn about her fathers seemingly secret life. Overall the plot was brilliant it is largely centred around the two characters' relationships with their fathers.
Deception v’s a parents protective love?
I smiled to myself once I finished and I could connect the book’s title to the book's themes of grief, traumatic memory loss and parental love. I thought this was a very clever way to tie the whole plot together and part of the mystery revealed.
I enjoyed a good twist in the plot and I liked discovering the connections between the characters of past and present. The threads of romance that were woven into the story for both the girls. It was not at the centre of the plot but nicely tied in. The quality of the writing was very good. I would be happy to read more of Ashlee’s books.
There was not much to dislike at all, if anything I would say the book really picked up its pace from about 70% of the way through to the end when the mystery and plot twists came to its climax.
Reasons to read this book:
☆ If you like Historical Fiction
☆ Enjoy YA titles / books full of mystery and intrigue
☆ Are interested in the Titanic & WW1 history
I'm glad I've been able to read it thank you Netgalley & Owl Hollow Press in return for my honest review.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
DISCLAIMER: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
2 STARS
Told through two timelines, The Poppy and the Rose explores questions of past, present, future, and fate.
On the one hand, we follow Taylor Romano in her journey to Oxford for a summer journalism program, where she meets an eccentric old woman who knows more about Taylor’s family history than she’s letting on. On the other hand, we spend the bulk of our time with Ava Knight, a passenger on the Titanic and a young woman on the brink of earth-shattering change. Darting between the two timelines unravels a mystery that spans generations, and with it come many questions about free will versus fate, and the price of knowledge.
Personally, this wasn’t the book for me, not by any means.
I’ll be absolutely up front about that. The Poppy and the Rose may appeal to more avid readers of historical fiction, but it left me feeling that I wasted my time. I initially requested it via NetGalley because the mystery element jumped out at me, something it didn’t do in the book. Sure, Taylor wraps herself up in discovering her father’s history without her mother’s shadow to hold her back, and Ava is up to her eyeballs in a life-threatening mystery surrounding her father, an apparently psychic woman, and the fate of Europe and beyond. But the elements to keep me guessing?
Well, I still haven’t found them, since the connections that our characters can’t make are apparent to the reader from the start.
Within the first fifth of the book or so, I had most of it worked out. It wasn’t lucky guesses so much as it was a heavy reliance on cliches that so readily prop up split timelines like the one The Poppy and the Rose utilizes. Nothing about it particularly surprised me, and I truthfully only kept reading it because I’m outrageously stubborn and have yet to DNF a book on purpose in my life.
A mystery should have solutions, too, not just questions.
Possibly my biggest gripe next to the perfectly average plot and characters is the roundabout nature of the ending. As ever, I try to avoid spoilers here, but I can say that it brings me little to no satisfaction. Key items and revelations never reach fruition, and a major plot point remains intentionally unresolved. On the one hand, the book is trying to interrogate fate versus free will, and whether knowledge can change one or the other. It also asks if that greater knowledge is even worth possessing.
On the other hand, it produces an effect that says to me that I wasted my time reading 260 pages for very few answers. It’s not a pleasant feeling, as a reader. And I certainly can’t give it a recommendation while I feel this way. Poetic justice only works when it’s satisfying, rather than vague.
“Well, I guess it’s lost forever” really doesn’t cut it when I’ve spent a whole book waiting to see how things pull together on all fronts.
I’ll admit I sound critical in this review, so let me be clear: this is not a good book, but neither is it bad.
Frankly, I think The Poppy and the Rose occupies a space of perfectly average. It attempts to ask lofty questions about life, love, and the intertwined nature of fate and time, but it forgets to create characters worth investing in, and presents a mediocre plot. As a light read for historical fiction fans who go in with the bar set low, maybe this will be worth the time. Going in with high expectations of any sort, however, will likely ruin the experience.
Maybe if this had been a different genre, I would have enjoyed it more despite its flaws. As things stand, however, The Poppy and the Rose did little to stand out in my eyes, and I’m not terribly concerned if it quickly falls into the realm of forgettable.
CW: loss of a loved one, racism, miscarriage, suicide, drug use, addiction, violence
2 STARS
Told through two timelines, The Poppy and the Rose explores questions of past, present, future, and fate.
On the one hand, we follow Taylor Romano in her journey to Oxford for a summer journalism program, where she meets an eccentric old woman who knows more about Taylor’s family history than she’s letting on. On the other hand, we spend the bulk of our time with Ava Knight, a passenger on the Titanic and a young woman on the brink of earth-shattering change. Darting between the two timelines unravels a mystery that spans generations, and with it come many questions about free will versus fate, and the price of knowledge.
Personally, this wasn’t the book for me, not by any means.
I’ll be absolutely up front about that. The Poppy and the Rose may appeal to more avid readers of historical fiction, but it left me feeling that I wasted my time. I initially requested it via NetGalley because the mystery element jumped out at me, something it didn’t do in the book. Sure, Taylor wraps herself up in discovering her father’s history without her mother’s shadow to hold her back, and Ava is up to her eyeballs in a life-threatening mystery surrounding her father, an apparently psychic woman, and the fate of Europe and beyond. But the elements to keep me guessing?
Well, I still haven’t found them, since the connections that our characters can’t make are apparent to the reader from the start.
Within the first fifth of the book or so, I had most of it worked out. It wasn’t lucky guesses so much as it was a heavy reliance on cliches that so readily prop up split timelines like the one The Poppy and the Rose utilizes. Nothing about it particularly surprised me, and I truthfully only kept reading it because I’m outrageously stubborn and have yet to DNF a book on purpose in my life.
A mystery should have solutions, too, not just questions.
Possibly my biggest gripe next to the perfectly average plot and characters is the roundabout nature of the ending. As ever, I try to avoid spoilers here, but I can say that it brings me little to no satisfaction. Key items and revelations never reach fruition, and a major plot point remains intentionally unresolved. On the one hand, the book is trying to interrogate fate versus free will, and whether knowledge can change one or the other. It also asks if that greater knowledge is even worth possessing.
On the other hand, it produces an effect that says to me that I wasted my time reading 260 pages for very few answers. It’s not a pleasant feeling, as a reader. And I certainly can’t give it a recommendation while I feel this way. Poetic justice only works when it’s satisfying, rather than vague.
“Well, I guess it’s lost forever” really doesn’t cut it when I’ve spent a whole book waiting to see how things pull together on all fronts.
I’ll admit I sound critical in this review, so let me be clear: this is not a good book, but neither is it bad.
Frankly, I think The Poppy and the Rose occupies a space of perfectly average. It attempts to ask lofty questions about life, love, and the intertwined nature of fate and time, but it forgets to create characters worth investing in, and presents a mediocre plot. As a light read for historical fiction fans who go in with the bar set low, maybe this will be worth the time. Going in with high expectations of any sort, however, will likely ruin the experience.
Maybe if this had been a different genre, I would have enjoyed it more despite its flaws. As things stand, however, The Poppy and the Rose did little to stand out in my eyes, and I’m not terribly concerned if it quickly falls into the realm of forgettable.
CW: loss of a loved one, racism, miscarriage, suicide, drug use, addiction, violence
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Poppy & the Rose was a huge letdown, in comparison to what I hoped it would be. And that is largely due to it being dual perspective without the text having the strength to carry both with equal weight.
The historical Titanic bits are great, although not particularly enlightening as someone who knows a decent amount about the real tragedy. I was reasonably drawn to Ava’s story, and I like that there was a lot going on. However, there is a lot of name-dropping and hand-holding, so I definitely feel like this part wasn’t really for me as a major history buff, and even with the inaccuracies, you can probably glean as much about the event from watching the James Cameron film or picking up some other YA books (both fiction and nonfiction) on the topic that convey the information much better.
I found the “Taylor” sections increasingly annoying, as I felt like there was no real reason for her to be there. She’s looking for answers, yes, but I never got a real sense of her beyond that. There are kernels of a promising mystery connected to Ava’s journal and the historical events, but I found them unmemorable, as I couldn’t stand Taylor’s POV and increasingly began skipping them.
This is mostly a case of reader-book mismatch. I think a younger reader who knows less about the history would connect to the historical bits more, and maybe even the contemporary bits.
The Poppy & the Rose was a huge letdown, in comparison to what I hoped it would be. And that is largely due to it being dual perspective without the text having the strength to carry both with equal weight.
The historical Titanic bits are great, although not particularly enlightening as someone who knows a decent amount about the real tragedy. I was reasonably drawn to Ava’s story, and I like that there was a lot going on. However, there is a lot of name-dropping and hand-holding, so I definitely feel like this part wasn’t really for me as a major history buff, and even with the inaccuracies, you can probably glean as much about the event from watching the James Cameron film or picking up some other YA books (both fiction and nonfiction) on the topic that convey the information much better.
I found the “Taylor” sections increasingly annoying, as I felt like there was no real reason for her to be there. She’s looking for answers, yes, but I never got a real sense of her beyond that. There are kernels of a promising mystery connected to Ava’s journal and the historical events, but I found them unmemorable, as I couldn’t stand Taylor’s POV and increasingly began skipping them.
This is mostly a case of reader-book mismatch. I think a younger reader who knows less about the history would connect to the historical bits more, and maybe even the contemporary bits.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! This was a phenomenal book and one that I wasn’t too sure about. The story follows Ava, who we meet boarding the Titanic with her father and Taylor, who is in England studying at Oxford for the summer. These two women’s lives are intertwined but you’re not quite sure how. Taylor meets Mae, her “benefactor” for the summer in England, but the night she meets her, Mae ends up dead - starting a game of “who done it” while Taylor tries to figure out who Mae is to her story. This story has so many twists and turns and thoroughly kept me enthralled and on the edge of my seat!! Highly recommend this one!!
The Poppy and the Rose is the time-bending tale of two young women seeking answers about their fathers. One woman, Ava, boards the Titanic and is immediately swept up into a mysterious plot that brings her to cross paths with several alluring characters. The other, Taylor, has traveled to present-day England to track down the location of a photo that surfaced of her late father, when on her arrival she is approached by a peculiar old woman. In the end, the women’s stories will cross paths - the question is how?
Ava and Taylor’s stories, for me, were of two different calibers. Ava’s story aboard the Titanic was the most compelling, and it’s difficult for it not to be with our modern-day obsession with the ill-fated voyage. Truthfully, I wish that this had just been Ava’s story, as it would have made for a stronger read overall. I do still recommend this book, if only for Ava’s story of adventure and mystery aboard the Titanic!
If you loved the animated film Anastasia, Netflix’s Locke & Key, anything having to do with the Titanic, When We Left Cuba or any other Dual-Time stories - you’ll enjoy this read!
Ava and Taylor’s stories, for me, were of two different calibers. Ava’s story aboard the Titanic was the most compelling, and it’s difficult for it not to be with our modern-day obsession with the ill-fated voyage. Truthfully, I wish that this had just been Ava’s story, as it would have made for a stronger read overall. I do still recommend this book, if only for Ava’s story of adventure and mystery aboard the Titanic!
If you loved the animated film Anastasia, Netflix’s Locke & Key, anything having to do with the Titanic, When We Left Cuba or any other Dual-Time stories - you’ll enjoy this read!
3.5
The writing is a little hard to get into as it swings between wordy historical prose and usual contemporary writing. But this also gives both the characters distinct voices. The beginning is a little slow with Ava's diary exploring the Titanic and not much happening but it doesn't take away from the story for me. It was surreal to read of Titanic as a voyage with people traveling from one place to another and not as a tragedy we know it is.
I also think Taylor's part dragged on a little and we could have a better story with only Ava and her journey in Titanic. Her parts are fast-paced and intriguing while Taylor’s parts tend to bring a halt to the story. But still, it was interesting to see both the timelines and stories come together at the end. It doesn’t lean too much into the mystery aspect; more so towards history and Ava.
Overall I did enjoy this book, especially with everything leading up to the end. And I think it will appeal more to historical fiction readers than mystery lovers.
*Thank you to NetGalley and Owl Hollow Press for providing me with an e-arc for an honest review.*
The writing is a little hard to get into as it swings between wordy historical prose and usual contemporary writing. But this also gives both the characters distinct voices. The beginning is a little slow with Ava's diary exploring the Titanic and not much happening but it doesn't take away from the story for me. It was surreal to read of Titanic as a voyage with people traveling from one place to another and not as a tragedy we know it is.
I also think Taylor's part dragged on a little and we could have a better story with only Ava and her journey in Titanic. Her parts are fast-paced and intriguing while Taylor’s parts tend to bring a halt to the story. But still, it was interesting to see both the timelines and stories come together at the end. It doesn’t lean too much into the mystery aspect; more so towards history and Ava.
Overall I did enjoy this book, especially with everything leading up to the end. And I think it will appeal more to historical fiction readers than mystery lovers.
*Thank you to NetGalley and Owl Hollow Press for providing me with an e-arc for an honest review.*
When I started reading this on my kindle I had forgotten the plot blurb from NetGalley and had to go back for it - because I was so lost. The book is trying to accomplish a lot at once, and it only worked sometimes.
I like multigenerational stories, but they're hard to do. Often one plot line ends up being interesting and important, and the other feels like filler. That's definitely the case here - the best parts of the book are the Titanic scenes and the spiritualism aspects. The modern-day story is dull filler by comparison.
Readers who crave Titanic stories will find a lot of familiar scenes here - a wealthy girl intrigued by a poor sailor, exploration of class differences, the panic of passengers, the musicians who play as the ship goes down, etc. Ashlee Cowles is particularly good at the sentence level, and as the ship (quickly) sinks on the page, the writing is evocative and emotional.
But the plots (in both timelines) fall pretty flat. The pieces of the mystery don't come together in a satisfying way, with too many convenient devices and a ludicrous series of events that center the protagonists in a way that doesn't make any sense.
Younger readers hungry for Titanic content might enjoy this book, but it's one of the weaker releases I've read this year.
Thanks to NetGalley and Owl Hollow Press for the advanced review copy!
I like multigenerational stories, but they're hard to do. Often one plot line ends up being interesting and important, and the other feels like filler. That's definitely the case here - the best parts of the book are the Titanic scenes and the spiritualism aspects. The modern-day story is dull filler by comparison.
Readers who crave Titanic stories will find a lot of familiar scenes here - a wealthy girl intrigued by a poor sailor, exploration of class differences, the panic of passengers, the musicians who play as the ship goes down, etc. Ashlee Cowles is particularly good at the sentence level, and as the ship (quickly) sinks on the page, the writing is evocative and emotional.
But the plots (in both timelines) fall pretty flat. The pieces of the mystery don't come together in a satisfying way, with too many convenient devices and a ludicrous series of events that center the protagonists in a way that doesn't make any sense.
Younger readers hungry for Titanic content might enjoy this book, but it's one of the weaker releases I've read this year.
Thanks to NetGalley and Owl Hollow Press for the advanced review copy!
Disclaimer: This is an arc I received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own! Taylor is the protagonist and she is in London for an exchange program. It is split between modern-day Ava and Taylor to how their stories are parallel to each other. Except Ava ends up being a spy. It's an interesting dynamic and fans of Titanic or Downtown Abbey will love this!