Review: Debutantes by Cora Harrison

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Childrens

Pages: 320

Received: Borrowed a copy 

Release Date: August 28, 2012 (CAN)
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Goodreads Synopsis:

It’s 1923 and London is a whirl of jazz, dancing and parties. Violet, Daisy, Poppy and Rose Derrington are desperate to be part of it, but stuck in an enormous crumbling house in the country, with no money and no fashionable dresses, the excitement seems a lifetime away.

Luckily the girls each have a plan for escaping their humdrum country life: Rose wants to be a novelist, Poppy a jazz musician and Daisy a famous film director. Violet, however, has only one ambition: to become the perfect Debutante, so that she can go to London and catch the eye of Prince George, the most eligible bachelor in the country.

But a house as big and old as Beech Grove Manor hides many secrets, and Daisy is about to uncover one so huge it could ruin all their plans—ruin everything—forever.

My Review:

The cover of this book is what originally drew me in. I love the colour scheme and how you are just drawn in by the flowers that the girl is holding. The writing of the title is beautiful and really goes well with the picture on the front.

I'm a fan of the 1920's and am interested in stories about that era, I really enjoyed how this was a book about sisters in this time all trying to be something different than the normal, except one. There is the character who wants to do everything to have her coming out ball and marry rich. What I really enjoyed was the strong family presence in this book. The sisters are there for each other and are always trying to help where they can. Though there is not a strong parental presence there is still one there that keeps the children from going over board at times.

Harrison's descriptions throughout the story are detailed and I felt like I was transported back to 1923. She made everything seem real and life like for her readers. She also does an amazing job giving each of the sisters their own voice in the story. Though this is told in third person point of view it is easy to tell each sister apart throughout, each person has such a unique personality.

There was also a bit of a mystery added in to the story which I found added more to the story. The secret that is found in the house I did not see coming, but when as the story went on, I could see what would happen with the secret. I would have hoped for a little more information on the secret and to spend a bit more time on what comes out of it.

I also found the ending to be a little disappointing compared to the rest of the novel. Seeing that this is not part of a series (that I know of) I was hoping for a little more resolution to the characters' stories. It just seemed like after everything that happened the ending came quick and there needed to be more to each of the girls' stories.