What I Loved:
I love a retelling! I especially like one that comes from a story I love so much. I’ve seen Phantom of the Opera on multiple occasions, I’ve read the book multiple times, and now…my first retelling! Nocturne was a wonderful retelling that really pulled me into the story.
How I Felt:
Nocturne tells the Phantom of the Opera tale, but from the perspective of Meg Giry, a dancer and friend of Christine Daaé. I really enjoyed that this new character was added to the story. I liked her perspective and her investigative mind.
The story’s beginning had me completely pulled in. I love it when a book grabs you from the start, and this one did! Meg is lost in the depths of the Opera trying to get to dance class. I loved the way the author made me feel Meg’s emotions through this. I felt her fear and concern over being late to class, and then of being lost. Cheryl Mahoney’s writing grabbed me emotionally again and again throughout the story. She has a great way of making the reader feel what is happening!
The pace of the book was really good. There area few slow points, but overall, it was a story that flowed from one event to the next making me fly through the 357 pages.
The characters were true to the original story, yet had their own differences that made the book unique. Erik, the Phantom of the Opera, has such a love of his music. His character is mysterious and secretive, and yet there’s something that drew me to him. I really enjoyed Meg’s character. She is friends with Christine, but she really wants to be able to stand out on her own, not on the coattails of Christine’s success.
Overall, I really enjoyed this retelling! I liked the twists and turns that the story had, and the characters were wonderful!
To Read or Not To Read:
I would recommend