Book Review SISTERS UNDER THE RISING SUN Heather Morris

Thank you to the author Heather Morris and publishers St. Martin's Press for a complimentary hardback copy, and also to NetGalley for a complimentary digital copy of SISTERS UNDER THE RISING SUN. All views are mine.


I didn't enjoy my listen to this audiobook, but it could be mode more than method in this case. I loved the beginning, but the audiobook narrator had some glaring issues, which made me lean toward a reread from the start. I may come back for it in a different format. I have a paperback of this author's most famous work, THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ, and I'll probably read that before I try this one again. 

Three (or more) things I loved:

1. This story is harrowing almost from the outset. I can't imagine being trapped on a ship when war breaks out in the international waters around me!

Three (or less) things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. I listened to the audiobook for this one, and I didn't enjoy the production or narrator. I've never listened to a book before that included music, at least not more than a simple sung tune. But this book has choir music, which is beautiful, but took me right out of the story.

2. I just really can't get a sense for this narrative. I'm halfway through the book and couldn't tell you what it's about except countless characters say so much and drum up a great deal of activity. To be fair, I think a lot of the problem with the audiobook might be the narrator, whose expressive range is limited. Neither does she attempt to shift her voice to read for different characters, which is helpful in audiobooks with a very large cast.

3. This book is composed almost entirely of dialog. I really struggle to connect to stories without enough description. It's like trying to imagine a play without a stage, or a movie without a set!

Rating: ⛴️⛴️⛴️.5 ducks in the water
Recommend? Maybe
Finished: Dec 3 23
Format: Digital arc, Kindle, Advance hardback, SMPI
Read this book if you like:
⚔️ war stories
💇‍♀️ women's coming of age 
👭🏽 female friendships 
🫂 found family
💅 strong female characters

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