i received a copy of the secret history from penguin nz in exchange for an honest review.
star rating
the secret history review
the secret history is one of those books where you either love it, or you hate it. there is no in between. while i haven’t made this book my “new personality,” i still really enjoyed how different this book was compared to many others. i can see why people hated it, but also why it’s critically acclaimed.
my biggest struggle was the writing style. i have previously struggled with older books as i find the writing style too stiff and formal to really enjoy it. that being said, i’ve read outlander and absolutely loved it, and it’s written around the same time. while this isn’t something i can fault the author for (as it’s just personal preference), it did make it a little difficult to get into.
along with that previous point, i fount the writing to be very dense. some of it was hard to get through and some i had to reread. this book definitely isn’t a quick read.
my favourite things about this book was how unpredictable everything was. i didn’t guess any of the plot points, i was constantly on my toes, and i was surprised at almost every turn. honestly, this book isn’t what i thought it was going to be. (i mean that in a good way).
i also really enjoyed how questionable the characters were. they’re definitely not good people. i wanted to love them but i was conflicted as they were doing bad things. i love the feeling when you want something but you know it’s bad.
the secret history is just really immersive. once i started to get into it, i didn’t want to put it down. it was a very good book, and i’m surprised it took me so long to read it.
2 Comments
Wonderful review. I like an immersive book.
Look I’ve been meaning to read the secret history for the LONGEST time and your review kind of just got me even more excited?? SO THANK YOU. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!!!!!