gwensbookishblog-blog - Tumblr blog

[gwensbookishblog-blog]

Gwen’s Book Review Masterlist

Here is where you can find all of my book reviews in one post! This blog is relatively new, so there is not a lot at the moment, but it will eventually grow. If you have any book recs for me, or would like to request a review, please don’t hesitate to do so in my inbox. 

Historical Fiction

Burial Rites // Hannah Kent

[gwensbookishblog-blog]

Book Review: Burial Rites // Hannah Kent

“They will see the whore, the madwoman, the murderess, the female dripping blood into the grass and laughing with her mouth choked with dirt. They will say “Agnes” and see the spider, the witch caught in the webbing of her own fateful weaving. They might see the lamb circled by ravens, bleating for a lost mother. But they will not see me. I will not be there.”

This book. What can I say about this book? The whole thing was one great journey from start to finish. From the first page, you are gripped with the story of Agnes Magnúsdóttir, a woman who has been sentenced to death for her part in the murder of two men.

Hannah Kent’s novel Burial Rites is set in 1829 Iceland and follows the story of a convicted murderess, Agnes Magnúsdóttir. In the months before her set execution, she is sent to a farm owned by a small family who is at first horrified at their new lodger. Agnes is then forced to seek the help of a priest named Tóti, her spiritual guardian who will do his best to save her soul before her execution. 

One thing that this book has for it (and trust me, this book is full of great things) is Hannah Kent’s beautifully descriptive writing. She captures Northern Iceland’s landscape so poetically that I can vividly see what she is describing in my head. Her characters are so deep and interesting and she is constantly adding new layers to them with every page that you read.  I myself, do not need a book to have a constantly action-pumped plot to be interested. This book didn’t constantly have an adrenaline-pumping event on every page but I was still so captivated. But please, don’t get me wrong. The plot of this book is fabulous. You are left on edge as you get little bits of Agnes’ story here and there until finally, you are able to piece it all together. 

A good thing to remember when reading is that this novel is based off a true story. Agnes Magnúsdóttir was a real person, who really was a convicted murderess in Iceland. I believe this story is a pretty famous one in Iceland, where the author, Hannah Kent, spent some time during her younger years. It was there she heard of the captivating story and then brought it to the rest of the world through this novel.

I do have some warnings if you are planning on picking up this book. You should have a strong stomach if you choose to read it. There are graphic descriptions of violence and it is a whole emotional whirlwind from start to finish. Keep a box of tissues near as this is not a funny book. I don’t think I laughed once while reading, but I really didn’t need to. This book was still a masterpiece. 

Burial Rites is a book that will stay with me forever, and I’m sure I will continue to come back to it for years to come. It deals so eloquently and emotionally with the topic of capital punishment, and shows the cruel truth of it. I urge anyone, whether you are already a fan of historical fiction or not, to pick up this book. You really won’t regret it. 

Check out the link in my bio for a masterlist to all my reviews. 

[gwensbookishblog-blog]

Welcome!

Hello! My name is Gwen and I’m new to the book community on Tumblr. I am a 16-year-old avid reader from Australia and I’ve decided to share my passion for books on this website! 

Here, you will able to find book reviews, book recs and adorable pics of books. I have a love for YA novels, particularly anything fantasy or historical (and both at the same time too!)

I’m going to start out with reviews of my favourite books and then as I read, I will post a review for every book I finish. If you have any recommendations for me at all, please send them my way! Please feel free to send me a hello message too!

I’m up for making bookaholic friends, so don’t be afraid to get in touch. I’ve also been playing with the idea of a tumblr-based YA book club, so if you think this is a good idea and would perhaps like to start it with me, let me know!

Thanks for taking the time to read this introductory post!