Release date: 320
Pages: March 2nd 2010
Summary (from Goodreads): For Anastasia Romanov, life as the privileged daughter of Russia's last tsar is about to be torn apart by the bloodshed of revolution. Ousted from the imperial palace when the Bolsheviks seize control of the government, Anastasia and her family are exiled to Siberia. But even while the rebels debate the family's future with agonizing slowness and the threat to their lives grows more menacing, romance quietly blooms between Anastasia and Sasha, a sympathetic young guard she has known since childhood. But will the strength of their love be enough to save Anastasia from a violent death?
Inspired by the mysteries that have long surrounded the last days of the Romanov family, Susanne Dunlap's new novel is a haunting vision of the life-and love story-of Russia's last princess.
My review:
I don't have too much to compare Anastasia's Secret to, as I don't know much about the Russian Revolution, and I'm sorry to say that I still don't.
I loved the idea of the book. Reading the epilogue, I saw that the author wanted to believe that Anastasia, the youngest of the Grand Duchesses, found love before she died. I want to believe that, as well, but I did have a few problems with the book. The first thing were the characters. I liked Anastasia well enough, but I never really got to know the other characters. They were just. . . There. I wish I could have gotten to know them better, but they were never just in the same scene for very long.
Speaking of which, there was no plot. I was never sure what was happening, and there was no pacing. The story was here. . . And suddenly it was over there. At the end, it seemed as though the author just decided that she didn't want to write anymore and would just tell us what historically happened. I found this rather abrupt.
This isn't a very long review, but I've said all that there is to say. In all, it wasn't really a bad book, but it just wasn't one that was particularly great.
My rating:
Characters: 2.5/5
Plot: 1.5/5
Writing: 4/5
Originality: 4.5/5
That's a little disappointing to hear. It does sound like a great idea, and something I think I'd still be willing on checking out.
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