Day: May 1, 2019

Other Words for Smoke

Author: Sarah Maria Griffin
Published: March 12, 2019
352 pages

Reviewed By: Kim
Kim’s Rating: 3 stars

Book Description:

When the house at the end of the lane burned down, none of the townspeople knew what happened. A tragedy, they called it. Poor Rita Frost and her ward, Bevan, lost to the flames. Only Mae and Rossa, Rita’s niece and nephew, know what happened that fateful summer.

Only they know about the owl in the wall, the uncanny cat, the dark powers that devour love and fear. Only they know about the trials of loving someone who longs for power, for freedom, for magic. Only they know what brought the house tumbling down around them. And they’ll never, ever breathe a word.

Kim’s Review:

I don’t think I got this book. I liked elements within the story and it did hold my attention, but I didn’t get it. This is one of those symbolistic, allegorical, gotta be deep in order to understand kinda books. The plot, at face value, was interesting and unique. It kept me guessing and the twist at the end did take me by surprise. The characters were intriguing and I was puzzled by them . . . And that’s kind of an odd experience for me, because most of them were actually rather simple.

It’s definitely a thoughtful book with a beautiful cover, the problem is that I thought a lot but I still didn’t understand the overall message. And it’s so sad because I was so excited to read this book and the cover really is gorgeous! Plus, the illustrations in the book are stunning. So I can’t recommend this book to everyone, but I think a few people might like it. This is one of those books that I feel really bad for not giving a higher rating, because I think it does deserve praise . . . Just from someone who got it!

Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK