Statuesque - Ada Rossi

Author: Ada Rossi

Genre: Literary Fiction, Retelling

Rating: 3.25 stars.

In a Nutshell: Blown away in many ways, both good and bad. A great retelling of a classic, but I can’t get myself to forget (and forgive) one scene.

Story Synopsis:

Hannah, who performed on streets as a ‘living statue’, gives up her home and her friends when she joins Emily’s performance troupe. Emily convinces her that Hannah will not only be able to climb up the social status but also find the match of her dreams through Emily’s excellent network. Buoyed by Emily’s encouragement, Hannah gives her all to her performances and continues to dream big. But is anything in life ever free? Soon Hannah finds herself bowing to anything Emily says, without even realising it. Where will Hannah’s dreams take her?

The story comes to us in the third person perspective of Hannah.

Where the book worked for me:

😍 I’ve NEVER even heard of a book with a character working as a ‘living statue’, forget about reading one, and that too the central character! Loved Hannah’s unusual work, and all the insights into it.

😍 The basic theme is quite unusual – a troupe who performs at wealthy parties in exchange for finding true love courtesy their eccentric owner who spoils them to bits.

😍 For a long while, I wondered where the plot was going, because I couldn’t see any! There were just seemingly random scenes. At the 68% mark, the bulb over my head lit up! Only then did I realise that this is the retelling of a very famous classic by a beloved author. (Won’t tell you which one, but there are enough clues scattered in the synopsis for you to take a guess! Hint: It has had several movie adaptations, the most famous of which starred Gwyneth Paltrow as the lead character.) Once I figured that out, I was awed by how the author had reworked the content to suit the contemporary era. It isn’t flawless, but it is still a magnificent attempt. I can’t believe it took me so long to crack the code!

😍 Once I figured out the connection, I thought that the rest of the plot was easy to figure out. I was only partly right. The author still managed to shake me out of my comfort zone and throw a couple of surprises along my way.

😍 The ending is just right for the story.

😍 Though a character-driven book, the writing is quick-paced.

😍 Hannah’s third person perspective is well-written, with just enough of observations and not much of rambling.

😍 The title is perfect for the story in many ways.

😍 Having an adorable dog in the story surely counts a plus, right? I loved Freddie!

Where the book could have worked better for me:

☹ There is too much of foreshadowing in the initial chapters and also midway. None of these advanced notifications of forthcoming events worked for me in this book.

☹ I don’t think I understood Emily’s motivations even after reading the whole book. Why was she so obsessed with matchmaking her troupe members, and that too with rich/socially connected prospects? Didn’t she worry that they would leave her troupe after that? The idea wasn’t very convincing.

☹ The cover doesn’t suit the book, and doesn’t appeal as well. If I were in a bookstore, I wouldn’t have given this a second glance. I picked it up only for the author.

☹ The timeline is weird at times. Events skip a few days and then go back to reveal what happened in the interim. I don’t mind non-linear storytelling but it didn’t work fluidly in this book.

😭 TRIGGER WARNING, AND ALSO HUGE SPOILER: 

<spoiler>

.

.

.

.

.What happens to Freddie. That was too cruel and totally unnecessary! 💔😭 This spoiled most of my enjoyment.

.

.

.

.

.

</spoiler>

All in all, despite the few points I wasn’t happy with, the book still kept me hooked enough to find out what would happen next. I had read Ada Rossi’s debut work (The Condemned Oak Tree) and was mesmerised by her writing and plot control. As such, I had overly high expectations from this one and that did affect my experience to a certain extent. But I still loved what she did with the classic, giving it a completely original Rossi twist. If you want to read an unusual indie voice in literary fiction, please do give this a go. (Animal lovers: Proceed only after reading the trigger warning. It is absolutely NOT a good scene.)

My thanks to Butterdragons Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC of “Statuesque”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.