Starts out pretty strong, but then it just keeps going and going and introducing new characters and I just lost interest. I couldn't keep any of the characters straight, and it seemed like a lot of unnecessary information came in with every chapter. I'm still interested in the mystery of the orphanage and the dead woman on the beach and how they could possibly be connected, but I just could not keep reading and retaining all those similarly named characters and their extensive backstories. A Danish orphanage built by the sea holds secrets which the author painstakingly reveals bit by bit, as if peeling the layers of an onion. The book begins when a woman is found dead on the beach, displayed with random objects and through the course of the book, her life and the life of seven people who began their lives at the orphanage is explored. The story line shifts through each of their lives drawing the reader into a hidden darkness of the children's ill-fated start to life. The orphanage faces rumors of scandal, of politicians and celebrities unwanted offspring, making this story a good mystery as well as a social commentary of a generation of Danes in a world that is constantly changing.This book is well written, and just as in life, the truth is never quite what you think. A great mystery that deals with modern themes, I would recommend this book on this basis. I found it a bit long, but the twists and turns make it a worthy read.
What do You think about The Seventh Child (2011)?
Indrukwekkend boek, mysterieus van de eerste tot en met de allerlaatste bladzijde.
—Amal
The Seventh Child. I liked it but found it to be long winded.
—drWhat
the longest book a I've ever read! Very drawn out.
—nick
