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chelseatm's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book but found the suggestion of a supernatural aspect annoying. It was never delivered on but because there has been allusions to its presence, I found myself not paying attention to the actual story.
That's not to say the story wasn't well-written or the characters well-developed - they were. I just don't like promises that aren't delivered upon.
However, the story was compelling and addictive. I was dying to know what would happen to protagonist Georgina Ferrars/Lucy Ashton and was excited by the awesome ending. It seemed to answer a lot of the loose ends or at least I wasn't aware of any left remaining.
One thing I will remark on is that at times John Harwood's writing could become a bit complicated since it seems he struggles with quick action. It was hard to follow what he was writing about and at times, i had to go back a paragraph or two to see if i could follow.
But I highly recommend this book. It's wonderfully written and built. Go check it out.
That's not to say the story wasn't well-written or the characters well-developed - they were. I just don't like promises that aren't delivered upon.
However, the story was compelling and addictive. I was dying to know what would happen to protagonist Georgina Ferrars/Lucy Ashton and was excited by the awesome ending. It seemed to answer a lot of the loose ends or at least I wasn't aware of any left remaining.
One thing I will remark on is that at times John Harwood's writing could become a bit complicated since it seems he struggles with quick action. It was hard to follow what he was writing about and at times, i had to go back a paragraph or two to see if i could follow.
But I highly recommend this book. It's wonderfully written and built. Go check it out.
badseedgirl's review against another edition
2.0
I wish, how I wish I liked this novel more. There was nothing against this author, because the book was most assuredly a well written gothic novel, and that was the problem, this was a gothic novel, just like every other gothic novel I have ever read. John Harwood did not bring anything new to the table, and so I felt like I had read this novel before.
All the great and true aspects of the gothic novel were here,
1. It was written in diary and letter form.
2. The heroine was locked in an asylum against her will.
3. She is an orphan.
4. There is a dark and mysterious young man as a love interest who may or may not be in a plot against the heroine.
It's like Mr. Harwood took "How to write a Gothic Novel 101" and checked off each item on the list. And that is really unfortunate because it was well written. It's just that I kept waiting for the suprise twist and it never developed. Because of this I can only give this novel
2.5 of 5 stars.
All the great and true aspects of the gothic novel were here,
1. It was written in diary and letter form.
2. The heroine was locked in an asylum against her will.
3. She is an orphan.
4. There is a dark and mysterious young man as a love interest who may or may not be in a plot against the heroine.
It's like Mr. Harwood took "How to write a Gothic Novel 101" and checked off each item on the list. And that is really unfortunate because it was well written. It's just that I kept waiting for the suprise twist and it never developed. Because of this I can only give this novel
2.5 of 5 stars.
_cheshirecxt's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
hectaizani's review
3.0
This book reminded me of Sarah Waters light. Victorian setting, gothic mystery, mild LGBTQ content, check! There just wasn't nearly as much character development.
I did enjoy where it went and how the story played out although the ending felt a little rushed so it ended up being an average read.
It was included as part of my Audible membership - I've found a few goodies that way.
I did enjoy where it went and how the story played out although the ending felt a little rushed so it ended up being an average read.
It was included as part of my Audible membership - I've found a few goodies that way.
yearofthesnk's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
Very quick read that did keep my interest, but wrapped up every thread entirely too conveniently.
xabbeylongx's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Spoilers Ahead:
So this book was actually not what I was expecting at all. That’s not necessarily a good or a bad thing, I was just a little confused by it all.
We follow Georgina Ferrers as she wakes up in an Asylum, wondering how she got there. Turns out she suffered a seizure, and was actually brought in as a voluntary patient. However, she was in clothes that she would never wear, and without her mother’s brooch and her writing case, which she would never leave without. She is suspicious, and wants to leave, but Mr Straker won’t let her because he thinks she is not of sound mind.
Mr Straker tells her that her name isn’t actually Georgina Ferrers. He said that when she came in, she was Lucy Ashton. She has no memories, no recollection of any events, and when a certain Frederick Moordent comes in, they are both infatuated with each other. But, when Georgina acts out, she is no longer seen as a voluntary patient, and is kept under lock and key, with them claiming her officially insane.
She has moments where her memories come back to her, and she tries to remember what actually happened to her. One time she tries to escape, but they bring her back in, and she finds out it is just a ploy. When she turns up at her house, she is shocked to see someone living there, posing as Georgina Ferrers (whom she is supposed to be). Unfortunately, everyone believes the imposter, and it looks like the real Georgina Ferrers is going to be imprisoned for a very long time.
When Georgina discovers her writing case, and her journal, she reads over her memories. It turns out, she put an AD in the newspaper for if anyone knew about Rosina Wentworth, and someone called Lucia came forward. Turns out, after much digging, they were cousins, but they had a little soft spot for each other - or so we thought. Because Georgina’s father was actually one of the Moordent men, she would actually inherit the Asylum, because Frederick owned it, and it should have already been passed down to her. Lucia knew of this, and was just trying to take that and the inheritance that Georgina was owed, so she posed as her. Unfortunately, they looked and sounded alike, so not many people could tell them apart. Double unfortunately, Georgina went to the Asylum to figure out the truth by finding one of the Moordent men, and actually got put in there herself by Dr Straker. When she tries to escape, after Frederick convinces Dr Straker to bring Lucia in (the real Lucia, performing as Georgina Ferrers) Dr Straker finds Lucia and he kills her in his contraption. It was him all along! He kills himself, and then the Asylum is set on fire, and although Lucia survives, Georgina doesn’t forgive her. She doesn’t love either one of them, and she moves on with her life, trying to figure out how she can get her money from her inheritance back.
I can’t lie, I was looking for a book with more of a horror aspect to it, but it was more psychological thriller, I’d say. I was looking forward to being scared. If I thought about it too much, I would probably say that the horror is actually the thought of being trapped in an Asylum with no one to believe that you are the real you, which is quite cool. However, I think the idea of using an inheritance as a way of deceiving someone is so overused, and I recently read a book like it recently, so that put me off a little bit.
I thought the plot and the concept was very cool, and I like the way it was written, although it was sometimes very confusing, and the stories didn’t match up at some points. I can’t lie (again) but there were a lot of things that didn’t make sense to me. The ghostly apparitions and noises that Frederick was seeing, what were they? Because with that, it made me think that I was going to be reading a horror, but, unless there’s some deeper meaning, it really adds nothing to the plot, and it’s just a distraction. If it had contributed to the story, that would have been an excellent addition to the plot, but it was useless if it didn’t connect to the rest of the story.
The sapphic part of the story was quite sweet, except when you think about the fact that it’s fake, and they’re cousins; that sort of ruins the mood a bit.
The characters themselves were just merely meh, I had no sort of attachment to them. I think the realest thing about this book was actually the incestual relationship between Georgina and Lucia, and that wasn’t even real. It’s a shame. Anyway, I would recommend listening to this, especially if you’re into psychological thrillers and the idea of being trapped.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Death, Torture, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Incest
read4coots's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
paperbacksandpines's review against another edition
4.0
This is my second Harwood novel. I recently finished The Seance, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The Asylum was yet another recently published book with an unreliable female narrator (only with a gothic twist). But I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, searching for clues as to the parentage and mystery of both Georgina Ferrars and Lucia Ardent.
The only con I can think of is that Georgina's actions really did lead to all of the misery that was heaped upon her. This made me have a tad less sympathy for her, even though I was rooting for her escape.
The only con I can think of is that Georgina's actions really did lead to all of the misery that was heaped upon her. This made me have a tad less sympathy for her, even though I was rooting for her escape.
coolcatbookreader's review against another edition
5.0
This was an incredible read. I found myself holding my breath several times. I simply couldn’t get enough of it. Although I borrowed it from my library digitally, I want to buy the paperback so I can read it again anytime! I loved how the story twisted around and kept me wondering where it would go next. I wished it wouldn’t have ended. To be completely honest, I thought the end of the book could’ve been better. From all I have learned of Dr Straker, it seemed very out of character for him to do what he did. Other than that, I enjoyed learning of Georgina Ferrars and especially loved the details of her childhood. I really, truly wish for more.