Review of The Porcelain Doll

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Samantha Barnes 3
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Review of The Porcelain Doll

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[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Porcelain Doll" by Desislava Kaludova.]
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4 out of 5 stars
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The Porcelain Doll, written by Desislava Kaludova, is a short but delightful story following the life of a Bulgarian girl named Gabriella. The story begins by introducing Gabriella’s parents while her mother is still pregnant with the young girl. After Gabriella was born in Germany, her parents decided to move back to their hometown in Bulgaria to be with the rest of their family. This is where Gabriella will spend the years of her childhood.

Throughout her journey, Gabriella, nicknamed Gabby, meets many new people, such as her best friend, Emma, and her first love, Aaron. During her time in Bulgaria, Gabby experiences love and heartbreak. And she kindles her passion for journalism. However, her journey does not end in Bulgaria. Gabby’s desire to further her career in journalism will take her all the way to the USA, where her adventure starts completely anew.

I really liked that this story was very easy to follow along and digest. The main character, Gabriella, was very lovable, as were all of her family and friends. Even though there were a few scenes that were a bit sad, most of the story was very heartwarming and sweet. The author did a wonderful job of writing this well-paced story, so I never got lost or bored.

I also enjoyed learning a bit about Bulgaria as well. I knew nothing before reading this book, but the author did a wonderful job of describing the scenery of the small towns and the capital, Sofia. I thought that the different culture of Bulgaria was quite fascinating, and I loved reading about all the different foods that the characters were making.

I also enjoyed reading all the cute and wise quotes included at the beginning of the chapters. I found that the short sayings did a terrific job of setting the mood for the rest of the chapter. Many of them were very touching, but some were also just good pieces of life advice.

I would have liked to read more about Gabriella’s life before the book ended. It felt like a new adventure was starting for Gabby right as the book finished. Even though the ending scene was very charming, I was disappointed that I was not able to read how the relationship between Gabby and her new friend panned out. I also noticed a few errors in the book that only slightly hindered my reading experience.

Due to the reasons listed above, I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. This would be an excellent novel for mature audiences looking for a sweet romance or just a cute story. I also believe this would be a perfect book for anyone looking for a short novel to read on a rainy day.

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The Porcelain Doll
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