Bittersweet
by Miranda Beverly –Whittemore
Published:
May 13, 2014
Publisher:
Crown
Format: via publisher in exchange for an honest review
Rating: 4/5
Synopsis
On scholarship at a prestigious East Coast college,
ordinary Mabel Dagmar is surprised to befriend her roommate, the beautiful,
blue-blooded Genevra Winslow. Ev invites Mabel to spend the summer at
Bittersweet, her cottage on the Vermont estate where her family has been
holding court for more than a century; it's the kind of place where swimming
boldly is required and the children twirl sparklers across the lawn during
cocktail hour. Mabel falls in love with the midnight skinny-dips, the wet dog
smell lingering in the air, the moneyed laughter carrying across the still
lake, and before she knows it, she has everything she's ever wanted: wealth,
friendship, a boyfriend, and, most of all, the sense, for the first time in her
life, that she belongs.
But as Mabel becomes an insider, she makes a terrible
discovery, which leads to shocking violence and the revelation of the true
source of the Winslows' fortune. Mabel must choose: either expose the ugliness
surrounding her and face expulsion from paradise, or keep the family’s dark
secrets and redefine what is good and what is evil, in the interest of what can
be hers.
My Thoughts
This is one
of those stories that is so epic it’s beyond any and everything. Bittersweet
has everything that you want in a story. This is the story of Mabel and her
relationship with her roommate Ev. After never really talking much during their year at school Ev invites Mabel to spend the summer with her and her rich
family. Mabel having no other viable options decides to go despite something
telling her not to. Once she’s there she realizes she wasn’t brought there as a
friend but more as a cover-up. Ev is having a secret relationship with one of
caretakers and uses Mabel to cover-up her secret romance.
Mabel
realizes that she is in over her head when she sees the entire Winslow’s in all
their glory. They are a family who believes in tradition, old money, and that
they feel they are utterly untouchable. They also have secrets so scandalous that it will
knock you off your feet. What I find most shocking is that just about everyone knows these secrets and continue to do nothing about them. They just continue to go with the status quo. It's mind boggling! Not to be undone Mabel has one of her own that doesn’t
make her any better than them. Mabel soon gets caught up in their lifestyle and
wants what they have; even more she wants to be one of them. In the process she
soon finds herself in the middle of their drama and secrets but does she had
what it takes to stand up for what’s right or does she crumble when they flex
their power? At first I saw Mabel as a victim, taken advantage of, maybe even mutilated
by these powerful people but then but the end I thought of her as the one doing
all of this. She isn’t so innocent in her plans either. She wants what she
wants and has no qualms about it.
Bittersweet
is one of those summer reads that draws you in with its beautiful landscapes
and equally intense writing. Its layers of story lines keeps you locked in
and doesn’t let you go. Just when you think you have figured out something, you
are thrown a curve ball you never saw coming. Its twists and turns are a thing
of beauty. This is one of those books that will leave you shocked, sadden and
beyond emotions when you are done. This is one book you have to read to
believe.
"I
received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review."
I loved this book too - am posting my review tomorrow! There was such a nice balance between plot/twists and beautiful writing (with astute social observations!).
ReplyDeleteCant wait to read what you thought about it. It's almost haunting in a way.
ReplyDelete