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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
Whoa, that ending! LOVED it!
Review coming soon.
Review coming soon.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved the elements of this book that called back to other Gothic works - elements of Rebecca and Jane Eyre were evident, and things I've not read like The Turn of the Screw - however, beyond that, it felt like James lacked a defined style and wasn't exactly sure what she was doing.
It felt like some plot elements were just kind of thrown in without meaning or at least without having the impact James wanted them to. I liked the premise of the book well enough, and the two plots and how they intersected were interesting, but it felt like it just wasn't super engaging beyond that. It was a fun read for the moment, but won't be something that stays with me long term.
It felt like some plot elements were just kind of thrown in without meaning or at least without having the impact James wanted them to. I liked the premise of the book well enough, and the two plots and how they intersected were interesting, but it felt like it just wasn't super engaging beyond that. It was a fun read for the moment, but won't be something that stays with me long term.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really wanted to enjoy this one. I've been on a bit of a Gothic kick lately and this book does have all the hallmarks of that genre. The problem is it reads like a mashup of familiar plots from the genre without really adding anything that felt new, and one of the main characters is VERY inconsistent and not well developed. I did finish it because I wanted to see how the author would wrap up the threads... Now that I know, I could have just skipped it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Grief
Moderate: Miscarriage, Suicide, Forced institutionalization
Minor: War
A haunted manor, star crossed lovers, a good guy to save the day – what more could you ask for in a wonderfully creepy gothic thriller set in the 1940s and in modern day? How about a really great surprise ending?
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Really pleasant and solid gothic that reminded me of Turn of the Screw crossed with Jane Eyre with a sprinkle of the movie The Holiday. Ghosts, murder, small town romance, scary twin, foggy cliffs looking over a misty sea, and a creepy-ass ending. The romantic drama in the modern chapters got unbalanced, but that's fine. Good atmosphere.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent
Minor: Bullying, Car accident, Pregnancy, War
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage