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bigotterbooks's review against another edition
5.0
This was SO good! The story of Lizzie and how she discovered she is a 'bridge' to the dead. Some shivery parts and an historically accurate look at mediums, spiritualism and the way Victorian people, especially the poor lived. Gallagher always does his homework and you can feel how much he loves this era and these characters. Speaking of characters, there is a genuinely terrifying character in this book that blew me away! One of the scariest I have read in a long time-I won't give it away but when you meet her/him/it, you will leave your light on! My only criticism and I had to really search to find ANYTHING!! The cover creeps me out which I guess is the point! Also, this is a YA novel set in 1885 but in a few places the 21st century shows through-mostly minor dialog that doesn't interrupt the flow. Ignore those parts and a few formatting errors. This book is worth your time and the second book in this series (The Scarab Heart)is also very good. I can't wait for more!! 5 stars
I received a copy of the book to review-my opinion is my own.
I received a copy of the book to review-my opinion is my own.
misses_london's review against another edition
4.0
"The Bridge of Dead Things" is the beginning of a series of Lizzie Blaylock books about a teenage girl with supernatural powers. We're introduced to Lizzie as she is experiencing for the first time her gift of "bridging" the world of the living with that of the dead.
The setting is Victorian London, and throughout the book the author contrasts what that period looked and felt like from the perspective of the destitute with that of the privileged. Lizzie is growing up in extreme poverty with a disappointing father figure and an entirely absent mother. She is mostly left to look after herself and her younger sister who suffers from tuberculosis. Her father eventually abandons her, leaving her homeless.
When Lizzie unintentionally transforms into a bridge during a public seance, an opportunist named Simeon spots her and offers her a home with luxuries that are foreign to the world of poverty from which she comes. Although Lizzie slowly begins to comprehend that her body is a bridge between the living and the dead, she doesn't know how to control it. Simeon's motives are financially driven as he begins exploiting her at seances staged at his home, which has been kitted with fantastic props and illusions that are just convincing enough to provide a good income for him and his household.
As Lizzie discovers Simeon's secrets, she realizes that she is a threat to his livelihood and that some of her predecessors had mysteriously disappeared. She fears for her own fate, but along the way she makes allies with some colourful characters who offer to help her.
The setting in Victorian London provides good atmosphere. The characters are well developed, and the plot itself was interesting. Once I was about a quarter of the way through the book, I felt so engaged that I finished it within a couple of days.
Lizzie is an interesting heroin worthy of her own series. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of young adult fiction.
I received this book as an Early Reviewer, but that did not influence my review.
The setting is Victorian London, and throughout the book the author contrasts what that period looked and felt like from the perspective of the destitute with that of the privileged. Lizzie is growing up in extreme poverty with a disappointing father figure and an entirely absent mother. She is mostly left to look after herself and her younger sister who suffers from tuberculosis. Her father eventually abandons her, leaving her homeless.
When Lizzie unintentionally transforms into a bridge during a public seance, an opportunist named Simeon spots her and offers her a home with luxuries that are foreign to the world of poverty from which she comes. Although Lizzie slowly begins to comprehend that her body is a bridge between the living and the dead, she doesn't know how to control it. Simeon's motives are financially driven as he begins exploiting her at seances staged at his home, which has been kitted with fantastic props and illusions that are just convincing enough to provide a good income for him and his household.
As Lizzie discovers Simeon's secrets, she realizes that she is a threat to his livelihood and that some of her predecessors had mysteriously disappeared. She fears for her own fate, but along the way she makes allies with some colourful characters who offer to help her.
The setting in Victorian London provides good atmosphere. The characters are well developed, and the plot itself was interesting. Once I was about a quarter of the way through the book, I felt so engaged that I finished it within a couple of days.
Lizzie is an interesting heroin worthy of her own series. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of young adult fiction.
I received this book as an Early Reviewer, but that did not influence my review.
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