Reviews

I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon

joannainwonderland's review against another edition

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2.0

I like Ariel Lawhon and how she memorializes brilliant women throughout history, however, this book was difficult to follow as it moved back and forth through time.

pyxiegirl's review against another edition

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2.0

The story of Anastasia Romanov is fascinating but this book is a hot mess.

eveeq's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

shawneerose's review against another edition

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3.0

I love the style of writing and the way the story is written, backwards in time as the lives come to a single point. However, I did not like the character Anna, her dialogue and mannerisms just made it hard to get through.

j_afanasiff's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5 stars

I'm a huge fan of historical fiction and also have a soft spot for Russian history. I Was Anastasia was interestingly written from the two perspectives moving the opposite way through time but I couldn't make myself sympathetic to the Anna Anderson character, despite not knowing much about her in real life. Instead I found myself almost skimming through those sections to get back to the chapters on the Romanov family. Still a good read for anyone who likes Russian history or historical fiction novels.

rachelks23's review against another edition

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informative mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.25

mrsbooksey's review against another edition

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  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.75

kpud's review against another edition

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3.0

This starts off slow - it took me about 100 pages to get used to Anna’s annoying jumping timeline - but then picks up. It is tragic and horrifying.

ahhleeishere's review against another edition

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3.0

I have a lot of really mixed emotions on this. I'm fascinated by the Romanov family and the horror that they had to go through. I'm intrigued by the idea that Anastasia could've survived, although recent records prove not. I think this book was okay. I found myself confused by the timeline of Anna's story, which is what the author wanted. I found myself not really rooting for her as a character and wishing to hear more about Anastasia. I think if I had read this with no prior knowledge of the Romanov's, I may have enjoyed it a bit more. Writing was beautiful though.

ullanc's review against another edition

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dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.0