The Game of Hope by Sandra Gulland

The Game of Hope Publishes June 26, 2018

The Game of Hope by Sandra Gulland

DNF @ page 133 - 2 stars

The Game of Hope is a YA historical fiction novel that follows Hortense de Beauharnais, Napoleon's step-daughter. Honestly, I have no clue what the plot of this novel is because the 133 pages I read were a hodgepodge of girl drama, sordid family dealings, and music. It was all very boring and I'm quite sad because I thought this was going to be a novel I would love. I do enjoy historical fiction re-imaginings and I had high expectations for this one, not absurdly high, but I thought it would be a nice YA historical fiction that would at least garner four stars. What I read only garners 2 stars. It's not bad, but it is bland and drab. This book lacks substance, life, and vitality. It feels like it wants to be dramatic and over the top, but is bogged down by Gulland's disconnected writing style. The style has no passion and it left me feeling so disconnected from the story and the characters. Historical fiction has to be fierce and passionate because it is recreating the past and presenting a multitude of characters. I cared about no one and was interested in no plot. I am so sad that this wasn't a new favorite.


Whimsical Writing Scale: 2

The main female character is Hortense. She is bland, but she does have a drive for composing music, which is an interesting passion. However, her actions in the last chapter towards her friend, Mouse, in revealing the truth behind her mother's death was very cruel and it left a sour taste in my mouth. I was over this novel by that point, but her cruelty and it being swept under the rug so easily was just the nail on the coffin for this novel.


Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 1.5

There are a multitude of characters and I can't be bothered with any of them. The drama is petty and manages to be uninteresting. There is also some weird romantic subplot with Jaydin, her music teacher, and I just wasn't feeling it or interested in it. Basically, I couldn't be bothered and found there to be too many characters and not enough development to hold my interest.


Character Scale: 2

Overall, I do think The Game of Hope will be a favorite for many fans of the Napoleonic period. I was sadly disappointed by this book and did not finish it. I don't regret my decision to DNF this novel because I feel like I would've probably ended up disliking it even more by the end of the novel.

Plotastic Scale: 2

Cover Thoughts: I love this cover so much. The art is stunning.

Thank you, First to Read and Viking Books (Penguin), for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

 

 Are you planning on checking out The Game of Hope? What are some of your favorite Napoleonic novels? Let me know down below in the comments!