Overall, what did you think of Cursed Daughters? (no spoilers, please!)
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Happy holidays!
Overall I enjoyed the book and will probably recommend it to my reading group. I like the mystery of the “curse” so it kept me guessing on its veracity. Toward the end I was a bit frustrated with the sabotaging of relationships.
This story kept me reading but unfortunately it was pretty predictable. There were some interesting ideas explored about generational trauma and family dynamics. Strangely all the women in this story have no friendships, little interests besides the “curse” and no familial love. The women characters seemed empty, completely obsessed with finding and keeping a man. This was a quick read but ultimately fell flat.
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I loved the book!! One of my top reads of the year!! I thought it was inspirational and heartbreaking.
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There was a “damned if you do and damned if you do anyway” message throughout the generations. The women had strengths; however, while they seemed to fight the curse they also accepted the curse. Cher would have slapped them silly (Moonstruck).
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Overall, enjoyed the book and would recommend it to others.
Although I’m never a fan of books where women obsess over specific males, I did like this one quite a lot. It captured my attention and my imagination, so it’s one I’d recommend to friends.
I liked the characters. The women were each interesting in their own way. I found myself staying with the book and certainly didn’t have to force myself to keep reading. I wanted to know Monife ended her life and I had to read the book to find out why. I did think the women accepted the excuse of the curse too much. They could have had better relationships if they’d fought back.
I enjoyed the book. I liked the relationships and love of all the women in this family. I told a friend it was my favorite book of 2025!
At first, I was about to abandon the book. The names were definitely confusing. I kept a list of who’s who and their genders for about the first 50 pages or so. Also, some words were not translated from the original language which was frustrating. However, the story itself and the characters dragged me in and held on strong throughout the whole book. I absolutely loved it and have been recommending it to everyone since I finished it.
I loved this book! It had all my favorite things in a book —- a family saga, set in a foreign country, with a bit of a spiritual/supernatural aspect, contains foreign language words and phrases in the text, takes place in multiple time periods, written in short chapters which make it a page turner, wonderful writing, and a great, original story.
Laura, I agree with everything you said and could not say it better. The book held my attention throughout and I will be passing it on to a friend who also likes stories that have the elements you mentioned.
I liked the writing. It definitely kept my interest. It didn’t end quite the way I thought it would and certain characters disappointed me, but overall, I would recommend it.
I really liked this book. Although it felt a little slow at the beginning, I liked the short quick chapters and was really invested by the middle of the book. I liked that there was an element of mystery throughout that kept me wanting to read more.
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I wanted to like the book because I loved the author’s first novel. I wasn’t disappointed. I enjoy that she features female characters, most of them very strong individuals. Also, the bottom line is that they all love each other and support each other as best they can.
Cursed Daughters is an interesting book that revolves around family dynamics. Most of the time families provide love and support, but sometimes families reinforce ideas and beliefs that are harmful and that perpetuate generational trauma. The female characters in this story live together, and each tries to maneuver through life the way she thinks is best. I was hoping for the best for each of them.
Beth, I thoroughly agree. I was never connected to the characters. Thought they were obsessed with the curse and little else, but men. I did not find it a quick read, often put it down for days before picking up to continue reading it. Daughter took it home, I will be curious to hear how she feels about its storyline. We often disagree on a book. Will this one be one, who knows???
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I did enjoy this book - it is fascinating to read of the ripple effects of a curse through multiple generations. I found myself wondering if the person who issued the curse initially truly believed they had the power to do so or just said it in anger, and had no idea it would linger and fester for so long. I would not recommend this to other readers in my life because they probably wouldn’t appreciate investing their time in a book that doesn’t really go anywhere.
I found it an enjoyable read but ultimately forgettable. I might recommend it to my BookClub to see if my opinion changes after discussion.