Age: 17
Title: Cross My Heart
Author: Sasha Gould
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pub Date: 3/13/2012
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: Cross My Heart is a fast paced novel about Laura della Scala: a teenage venetian who is removed from a convent to replace her murdered sister in a marriage to an old merchant. Disgusted, Laura finds friendship in the house staff and a painter commissioned by the Doge. Willing to do anything to avoid matrimony to the old man, Laura joins a secret society of women who deal in secrets. After the mysterious death of the old merchant, Laura finds out she must soon marry to save the prestige of her father, who has wasted away their money. Complete with secrets, powerful women, and disguised handsome men, Cross My Heart is a thrilling novel.
Memorable or Forgettable: Laura is not blinded by the friendship of the women in the secret society. Although fresh from a convent, she is no innocent young woman. Independent and aware of her goals, she navigates the perilous sixteenth-century Ventetian society with wit and wisdom.
Cover: Good cover, attracts readers and conveys the setting well.
Age Range: 14 and up
Quality: 5Q Hard to imagine a better book
Popularity: 5P Everyone wants to read it
Additional Comments: The end of the novel felt as though the author was preparing to write a sequel. I think that it would be wiser to flesh out this novel more or write another independent novel. Laura's story feels finished at the end.
No comments:
Post a Comment