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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
overall rating: 3.8/5 stars ☆☆☆
slow burn pace: could have been slower as always, but it didn’t feel super rushed which i enjoyed
yearning level: i have more yearning in my left pinky than this whole book
page of first kiss: 302 out of 410
okay so first of all this was almost a one sitting read. i’m talking 10pm to 4am type shit. i’m not gonna lie i was enthralled by some of the lush descriptions and general dark gothic victorian imagery but alas, there was still something missing. a perfect autumn read for having all the candles lit and windows open. the pacing of the story was pretty good for my brain, this felt kind of like bridgerton set in the 1890’s with the looming gaze of death over it. made me feel like i was running through the halls of a victorian mansion with ghosts seeping black blood out of their mouths following close behind. my dream! signa annoyed me at times but i understand what the author was trying to do with the character slowly discovering her power and what it is she really wanted out of life. signa and death could have had a much more profound effect on me if idk. he wasn’t made of shadows for most of their meetings. don’t get me wrong the shadow f*cking was fun. but i needed more of a corporeal form out of him bc i was imagining a faceless entity. which if you’re into that’s great! it’s not for me though. spice was def YA and not super spicey which is what i like in general so i wasn’t mad at some of the fade to black, vague descriptions etc. overall a fun spooky read for fall but i don’t know that i’ll read the sequel
I really enjoyed the writing in this and the story. It was a compelling mystery and the body horror (ie Lillian's bleeding ghost) was really cool.
And it's not often that you can yell "Stop trying to fuck Death! There's a murderer on the loose!" as a book while driving lol
I guessed that Marjorie wasn't writing about Elijah and was probably Percy's mother and that Sylas was Death but I didn't guess Percy was our killer.
I had a really fun time and can't wait to get the next one out of the library (I own the pretty physical copies but like to multitask).
And it's not often that you can yell "Stop trying to fuck Death! There's a murderer on the loose!" as a book while driving lol
I guessed that Marjorie wasn't writing about Elijah and was probably Percy's mother and that Sylas was Death but I didn't guess Percy was our killer.
I had a really fun time and can't wait to get the next one out of the library (I own the pretty physical copies but like to multitask).
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
idk if i want to say 3.5 or 4. it was fun, very secret garden x clue which i adore. i enjoyed the plot and everything, but i’m not sure how attached i am to the characters or if i believe in how much signa loved death …. a lot of the book was her thinking and saying “im so curious. so many puzzle pieces” and there weren’t many scenes that solidified signa’s attachment to death. she hated him then she loved him..? idk dawg
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Belladonna was an interesting and fun read. It had been recommended to me as a gothic novel, and while I can see the similarities in setting, I don’t think time period alone makes something “gothic.” The writing style felt almost minimalistic — not a lot of description — and I think that actually hurt the mystery. Since there wasn’t much descriptive “sauce” to hide in, every piece of information stood out, making the foreshadowing a little too obvious. Because of that, I saw where things were going too easily.
The story is very plot-driven, but without the richness of the prose or deeper character work, it felt a bit flat at times. I would’ve loved more character development — and not just Signa deciding something major in the span of a single paragraph. More moments of growth and depth would have made the twists land harder for me.
As for the ending, it struck me as a bit convoluted. The motivations made sense on the surface, but I needed more from the characters to believe them fully. Still, despite those issues, it was a fast and enjoyable read, with a premise that surprised me by being unexpectedly funny.
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated