The Book Wheel

Books, Politics, & More

  • Genres
    • Sortable Archive
      • Reviews by Author
      • Reviews by Genre
      • Reviews by Title
    • #30Authors
      • #30Authors Reviews
      • Lineup
    • Fiction
      • Historical Fiction
      • Mystery/Thriller
    • Non-Fiction
      • Biography
      • Economic
      • Memoir
      • Science/Tech/Psychology
      • True Crime
    • Political
    • More Options
      • 1001 List
      • Classics
      • Diverse
  • Book Club Picks
  • Politics
    • Book Reviews
    • Political Discussions
  • Lists
  • Other
    • Blogging
    • Career
    • Discussions
    • Lifestyle
    • Productivity
  • About
    • Accolades
    • Advertising
    • Policies
    • Resources
      • Authors
      • Contributors
    • What is a ‘Book Wheel’?
  • City Council

The Girl on the Cliff Disappoints

December 22, 2012 by Allison Hiltz 4 Comments

The Girl on the Cliff DisappointsThe Girl on the Cliff by Lucinda Riley
Also by this author: The Orchid House
Published by Penguin Group on October 27, 2011
Genres/Lists: Fiction
Pages: 576
Read synopsis on Goodreads
Buy the book: Amazon/Audible (this post includes affiliate links) two-stars


I recently discovered Lucinda Riley and read her debut book, The Orchid House (review here), which I absolutely adored. Despite its shortcomings in the second half, the intricate storyline placed it near the top of my list for best books of 2012. Naturally, I was ecstatic when I bought her second, The Girl on the Cliff and was looking forward to another equally-captivating story.

Unfortunately, The Girl on the Cliff failed to impress me (it disappointed me so much that I went back and checked the publication dates to see if maybe this was her debut novel, rather than Orchid). Don’t get me wrong, it had all of the ingredients for a great book: family secrets, early deaths, orphans, families tied together by a century of entanglements, and love. But unlike in Orchid, the ride from start to finish was fairly flat. I didn’t experience the highs and lows along with the characters and the main character, Grania, was both over and under developed at the same time (meanwhile, most other characters were just “there”).

Overall, the book told three great stories, one for Grania, Aurora and Matt, respectively. However, the author failed to weave their stories together in a way that made sense and the book was all over the place. It reminded me of the game 52-pickup, where all of the cards in the deck were there, but were not in the correct order. Although the story was punctuated by diary entries that were intended to move the reader forward, it confused me more than it helped.

It pains me that I didn’t enjoy this book because I loved The Orchid House so much. Sadly, I don’t recommend it. Hopefully her next book, due out next summer, is better.

Related Posts

  • Same Genre
  • 2 Star Books
  • Penguin Group
gone girl
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn Misses Nothing
sometimes the wolf
‘Sometimes the Wolf’ a Gritty, Family-Driven Mystery
machine stops
‘The Machine Stops’ Still Relevant Over 100 Years Later
AJ Fikry
‘The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry’ Is Stunning (Book Review)
gilead by marilynne robinson
‘Gilead’ – A Book to Make You Ponder Life
commonwealth by ann patchett
‘Commonwealth’ Doesn’t Live Up to the Hype
tender by belinda mckeon
I wanted to like ‘Tender’ but….
‘The Senator’s Wife’ Stumbles
marvelous misadventures of ingrid winter
‘The Marvelous Misadventures of Ingrid Winter’ Misfires
Conquering the Classics: Mrs. Dalloway
Why We Came to the City
Beautiful and Intricate, Why We Came to the City Shines
Conquering the Classics: Ethan Frome
The Long Walk
My First King: The Long Walk
Originals by Adam Grant
Exploring the Power of Ideas in ‘Originals’
confessions of an economic hitman
Unbelievably Believable

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction

Connect

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Snapchat
  • Twitter

Subscribe

Get posts straight to your inbox the day they go live!

Upcoming Reviews

Upcoming Reviews

How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life
How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life
by Massimo Pigliucci
The Order of Time
The Order of Time
by Carlo Rovelli

goodreads.com

Trending Now

#30Authors: Nicole Dennis-Benn Recommends We Need New Names

‘The Blind Assassin’ is Brilliant (Book Review)

Conquering the Classics: Ethan Frome

‘Dear Fang’ – A Story of Mental Illness and Human Nature

Women: Here’s Why You’re Not Getting the Corner Office

Content may not be reposted in full or without permission. This site includes affiliate links.

Copyright © 2019 · Magazine Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in