Review of The Golden Manuscripts: A Novel

[Emily Astillberry]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Golden Manuscripts: A Novel" by Evy Journey.]

---

4 out of 5 stars

---

Share This Review

---

The Golden Manuscripts by Evy Journey had me hooked from the start. Her writing style is absorbing and flows effortlessly across the page. I found the characters engaging and each time that I picked up the book, it felt like snuggling back into a comfy pair of slippers and I wanted to curl up in a cosy chair and be by myself, taking time to read, time just for me.

The novel follows Clarissa Martinez, an Art grad student of mixed heritage who has travelled the world and lived in many different cities and countries but who is currently estranged from both of her parents and having trouble finding a place that she can call her home. Ultimately, she must learn to find herself and with that, the truth in the age old adage that home is where the heart is.

Clarissa is searching for a subject on which to write her thesis when she stumbles upon the mystery of two ancient illuminated manuscripts from the 9th and 15th centuries that were stolen from East Germany by an allied soldier at the end of WWII and have recently reappeared, offered for sale by an art dealer. With the help of a friend of her university professor, Clarissa determines to solve the mystery and discovers the subject for her thesis on the way.

The characters in The Golden Manuscripts are very relatable. They are not perfect, polished or unbelievably sexy. They are real people with flaws, hangups and family issues aplenty, living in the real world. I felt a genuine fondness for Clarissa, and her brother Arthur; a sadness that they had been let down by both of their parents in different ways and it impressed me no end that despite this, neither harboured overt or exaggerated animosity towards them.

The downside of real characters living in the real world is that real life action doesn't tend to be quite as exciting as one might come to expect in the world of fiction and so I'm afraid I couldn't help feeling just a little bit disappointed that the mystery wasn't quite enough of a mystery and the romance wasn't quite spicy or intense enough for me but if realism is what you want from your literature, I would highly recommend this book. I have given it a score of 4 stars out of 5. I enjoyed it very much.

******
The Golden Manuscripts: A Novel
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Tomy Chandrafrost]

It sounds like an intriguing combination. Between mystery, fiction, and stories about self-discovery, it's fascinating to weave a tale around a character who lacks parental affection and finds themselves through their journey of self-discovery. It's a great review, making me even more eager to read this book.

[Julie Basil]

This sounds like a very interesting story and your review paints a good picture for potential readers of what they can expect. Keep up the good work!