Monday 3 September 2012

Book Review: Debutantes by Cora Harrison.


Product details:
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books.
Release date: August 2nd 2012.
Paperback, 320 pages.
Rating: 2½ out of 5.
Ages: 11+
Source: Received from publisher for review.

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.



A light, fluffy read in a pretty package, Cora Harrison’s Debutantes is a sweetly innocent tale of sisterly bonds and family mysteries.

Violet, Daisy, Poppy and Rose Derrington are bored.  They want all the glitz and glamour of London life, but instead all they have is a crumbling old manor in the countryside.  They want to have fun, and for that, they need fine dresses.  One day as the girls search through a chest of clothes in search of this finery, they find a mysterious letter, which leads to long held family secrets being exposed, secrets that will change their lives forever.

Jazz-age books are all the rage in YA lately, but this one is something a little bit different. For one this book is not set in US, but the UK, so this is not the jazz-age of speakeasies and flappers. It’s a more innocent take on the era focusing on debutante balls and girls who want husbands to take them away from all the hardships in life.

The mystery at the heart of this story is predictable and didn’t hold any surprise for me.  However, younger readers who like sugary sweet tales with happy endings will savor Debutantes.

14 comments :

  1. Agree that it's predictable, but I really enjoyed this one - great to see the UK in the Twenties!

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  2. I've seen this book around a bit, but haven't really read many reviews on it. I'm sorry you didn't like it that much. I'm still debating on adding this to my list or not, ha! Great review, thanks for being honest! =)

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  3. Interesting. I got this book from RedHouse last month as I love Downton & Pride & P but haven't got around to reading it yet. I love the cover though.

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  4. Sorry you didn't enjoy this one that much, I keep seeing mixed reviews on this one. Great review, thanks for sharing your thoughts! :)
    New follower, love your blog x
    Zoe @ www.bookhi.blogspot.com

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  5. Alex Sarah Louise Sharrock3 September 2012 at 21:40

    I would like to read some more books that are set in the UK :) This book is apparently good for fans of Downton Abbey :) 

    Great review :) xx

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  6. I'm bummed this one wasn't more exciting...I had high hopes.  Thanks for the honest review, Leanna!  (I still adore the cover though!)

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  7.  Glad you enjoyed it. I had really hoped to, but I just couldn't get into it. :(

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  8.  I was expecting something a bit different from this one. It's very sweet and innocent and the storyline was just too predictable for my liking. I can see younger readers loving it though.

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  9.  Yes -- the cover is very pretty!

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  10.  Thanks Zoe - Glad you like the blog! :)

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  11.  I have never seen Downton Abbey (Can you believe it!) Wentworth Hall is another book I've seen recommended for fans of the show!

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  12.  Me too -- the cover is so pretty! The story was just a bit too predictable for my liking. The book is more suited to younger readers (11+)

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  13. Lovely, sweet and to the point review Leanna. I've only just started my first flapper book and must say I'm really enjoying it. The book is called Vixen and it's by Jillian Larkin and from what it sounds like, I think the book I'm reading pays more homeage to the US settings. I actually think you'd really enjoy it - I must say it's a book that has definitely surprised me so far. Kind of follows a similar set up but for a more mature YA audience I think. Still, I've got Debutantes sitting on my shelf so will hopefully get around to reading this one soon as well. It sounds like I should at least give this one a try - even though it's predictable.

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  14.  I have a copy of Vixen. Really need to read that one soon! I hope you enjoy Debutantes when you get around to reading it. :)

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