Gwendolyn and Estella have always been as close as sisters can be. Growing up in a wealthy, eminent, and sometimes deceitful family, they’ve relied on each other for support and confidence. But now Gwendolyn is lying in a coma, the sole survivor of Estella’s poisoning of their whole clan.
As Gwendolyn struggles to regain consciousness, she desperately retraces her memories, trying to uncover the moment that led to this shocking and brutal act. Was it their aunt’s mysterious death at sea? Estella’s unhappy marriage to a dangerously brutish man? Or were the shifting loyalties and unspoken resentments at the heart of their opulent world too much to bear? Can Gwendolyn, at last, confront the carefully buried mysteries in their family’s past and the truth about who she and her sister really are?
Traveling from the luxurious world of the rich and powerful in Indonesia to the most spectacular shows at Paris Fashion Week, from the sunny coasts of California to the melting pot of Melbourne’s university scene, The Majesties is a haunting and deeply evocative novel about the dark secrets that can build a family empire—and also bring it crashing down. ~taken from Amazon
As Gwendolyn struggles to regain consciousness, she desperately retraces her memories, trying to uncover the moment that led to this shocking and brutal act. Was it their aunt’s mysterious death at sea? Estella’s unhappy marriage to a dangerously brutish man? Or were the shifting loyalties and unspoken resentments at the heart of their opulent world too much to bear? Can Gwendolyn, at last, confront the carefully buried mysteries in their family’s past and the truth about who she and her sister really are?
Traveling from the luxurious world of the rich and powerful in Indonesia to the most spectacular shows at Paris Fashion Week, from the sunny coasts of California to the melting pot of Melbourne’s university scene, The Majesties is a haunting and deeply evocative novel about the dark secrets that can build a family empire—and also bring it crashing down. ~taken from Amazon
The above description sounds like an amazing read, right? If you visit the Amazon link or even this Goodreads link, you can even read what other "important" people are saying about this novel. Quotes such as:
Named one of the most anticipated books of the year by The Millions, CrimeReads, HelloGiggles, and The EveryGirl
“A dark, delicious tale that will creep its way into your brain and leave you examining your own soul for signs of moral rot. I downed it in one greedy shot.” —Jade Chang, author of The Wangs vs. the World
“Tiffany Tsao’s visceral debut…reads a bit like Crazy Rich Asians if the book began with familicide instead of romance. . . Why not start off the new year with the perfect tear-it-all-down read?” —CrimeReads
“Tiffany Tsao’s visceral debut…reads a bit like Crazy Rich Asians if the book began with familicide instead of romance. . . Why not start off the new year with the perfect tear-it-all-down read?” —CrimeReads
The description along with the praise sucked me in. I couldn't wait to read it and was ecstatic when I was approved for the Netgalley ARC.
Then I started reading it. Reading and waiting. Waiting some more. Just waiting for the thrilling, dark, physiological mystery that was promised to actually start happening. It did not. It didn't even come close.
I had to force my way through this (non-existent) plot. I was bored, uninterested, and angry that what I was told would happen was not happening. At 38% I skipped to the end. That was disappointing also. Very predictable and unimaginative ending.
Rarely, and I mean 4 times, in my life have I not finished a novel. This is one of those times. I just couldn't fathom wasting my time reading this. It is a family drama at best and not even a good, exciting, dark-secret family drama.
On top of that, the writing seemed disjointed and forced. It didn't flow, it was hard to immerse myself into the story, and I couldn't connect with a single character.
On the positive side, the cover is STUNNING!
"The Majesties" was released yesterday. Yes, my review was supposed to be an ARC review to get the buzz going, but I had only one single positive thing to say (the cover) so I thought it best to keep my mouth shut until its release.
Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for allowing me an eARC to read and give my honest review.
Happy Reading!
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