Bittersweet: A Novel

This "gothic goes northeast" tome is engagingly readable. There was enough foreshadowing to keep the reader intrigued, but not to the extent that the story was ruined. However, I did feel a certain "Harvest Home" vibe....

Otherwise a compelling, modern take on the classic Gothic novel. Great "beach read" material. You will likely see the twists and turns coming, but the start is skillfully woven and enjoyable, so you won't care.

This was such a fun and entertaining book. It took me back to my Junior High passion for Victoria Holt and Gothic novels. This story is modern day in the sense that cell phones and cars came into play, but the nuts and bolts of the story could have taken place just as easily in1890. Loved this book!

I enjoyed the setting and characters in Bittersweet. However, as it got further into the book, the plot seemed to veer crazily. It felt a bit preposterous. But, overall, it was an enjoyable, fast read.

I enjoyed the book for its descriptive setting and mysterious plot lines. While I liked the main character, her actions and choices seemed to contradict the mature qualities other characters attributed to her. Deeper development of her background and that of other characters would have provided greater insight and empathy. I enjoyed the story line but found it difficult to relate to Mabel.

I liked this book because the characters were unpredictable and complex... Even though I couldn't relate personally to their lives and the situation, I could not put this one aside till I finished it.

Trust me, it's exceeding difficult to put down this book. I suggest avoiding reviews because the plot needs to unfold without spoilers for maximum enjoyment. The setting is an essential element of the plot and is intertwined with characterization in spellbinding package. I was totally unprepared for the plot clmax. Some have critiqued the ending, but keep in mind the narrator is telling the story from a later time. Note details in the early chapters to get some vague idea of when the story tasks place, details such as the Internet. The fact that we can't precisely place the story in time ads to the magic and the plot structure.

Strong start with compelling story of working class college student invited into the ultra-rich world of a Vermont family and their sprawling summer estate, but devolves into overwrought predictability as family secrets – murder! incest! – are piled on top of each other.

I notice there are several other books ok'd titled "bittersweet." Pe yaps it wa one of those that friends m ant to recommend to me. Surely it could not have been this piece of trash. I wouldn't waste my time on this book if I had a 6 hour flight and nothing else to read. The writing is execrable; there is no plot and no character development; the liveliest scene in the whole book is one in which the main character practices a little self-pleasuring. It's like something Judy Blume might have written when she was 10. In short it is awful. Save your money

This book was interesting but not very realistic. It is written in the present day, but the story seems to take place decades ago. The friendship between the heroine and her roommate seems unlikely to have ever developed.

Just when I got engrossed the book veered off course and I would have to go back and reread that part because it was so unrelated to the direction the narrative was going. It was really far fetched in spots. And the wisdom this girl has for a freshman in college is a little hard to believe. Would I recommend it......only if you have a pen and paper handy to keep track of all the family members' names.

The premise of the story- that a college student would get a house on an old family estate if she digs up a deep family secret- was a silly start and weak spine for the book. However, the characters were constructed carefully and underlying themes of family and belonging were enough that I finished the book. The mystery that flows through the story is not so compelling or surprising when finally revealed and the main character's story line is far more interesting than any of the others. I wanted to know where she would end up and how it would unravel for her. An overhyped beach read.

The characters needed more work (and the ending....oh my, I think the author was sick of writing and threw in the towel), but overall, it held my attention. New Englandy and nostalgic, there was something about the feel that appealed to me...