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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A great little read. Interesting way of looking at otherness and hiding your otherness in plain sight. I thought the characters were lovely and flawed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Medical trauma, Murder, Classism
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Slavery
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, War, Injury/Injury detail
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Orphan of Cemetery Hill is a Gothic historical mystery that was a bit of a disappointment. While I enjoyed the setting and loved the atmosphere of the cemetery, I was not a fan of the romance as I didn't like one of the main characters, and I thought one of the plot points was really pushing it. I get that this book has a paranormal element to it, but it still has to be believable.
Tabby was a lot of fun as a main character. I liked her spunk and resourcefulness even as she was trying to lie low and hide from an aunt and uncle from whom she had to flee when she was little. Although she didn't have much, she lived a quiet life with her adopted father who took care of the local cemetery, who took her in when she was little. It was the perfect place for Tabby to develop her abilities as she could communicate with the dead, a secret she learned to keep to herself at a young age. However, I was not a fan of Caleb, her love interest. Yes, he was selfish and self-absorbed, but characters like that can be developed and show growth throughout a novel; Caleb didn't really impress me with his growth and I felt like he was still selfish, even at the end. I couldn't, for the life of me, understand what Tabby saw in him, and I just didn't buy into their romance, which was a huge fail for me in this book. Oh, don't get me wrong, I like a good rogue, but Caleb just seemed silly.
The plot was interesting in the beginning, and I did enjoy it, but it definitely slowed down towards the middle as it got bogged down in the so-called 'mystery'. I loosely called this a mystery as there was no mystery simply because the reader knows who the culprit was quite early on which took away a lot of the suspense and intrigue, at least for me. I think knowing who it was was supposed to add this fear element for the characters as they tried to figure out what to do, but it didn't really work. The author spent too much time telling the reader what was going on as opposed to letting the reader figure things out themselves, a writing style of which I am not a fan. Unfortunately, what ended up happening is that I had to dig in and force myself to finish the book, which was disappointing.
Verdict
The Orphan of Cemetery Hill was a bit of a disappointment, but the potential was definitely there. I wasn't a fan of the romance as I didn't like Caleb as a main character, and I thought the plot slowed down too much in the middle as the author spent too much time telling the reader how things were going rather than letting the reader figure things out. It's a shame as I really enjoyed the atmosphere and I always love settings that have to do with cemeteries and ghosts. Unfortunately, the atmosphere, ghosts, and an interesting concept are not always enough.
This was exactly what I wanted right now. Hester Fox is an autobuy for me. Gothic and delightful every time.
dark
The Orphan Of Cemetery Hill by Hester Fox promised vibes that would be spooky and gothic. I just knew I had to give this book a try. Read my full review here Link goes live 2/8/2021
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Having read Fox's first two books, this was not quite what I was expecting. The plot here is less gothic in that there's no manor house to run from and instead there's a group of evil scientists stealing bodies for a dark purpose. The heroine is a medium and fled her aunt and uncle as as child because they were abusing and exploiting her. The hero (I didn't care for him) is a philandering rich boy who doesn't want the shipping business his recently deceased abusive father left him. (There are mentions of slavery and being complicit by transporting goods.) This is a more diverse historical Boston than we often see, which I appreciated.
The plot is sort of all over the place, however, and the MCs have this insta-love relationship. They're not often on page together and though this isn't a romance, I needed more in order to understand why this love motivated so many of their decisions. (There is an HEA.) Sadly, I can't gleefully recommend it like I did the last two.
Content Warnings: grave-robbing, abduction, evil scientists, parental and familial abuse (referenced, not on page), children in peril, bad guys threaten to use Fugitive Slave Act to send heroine's adoptive father back into slavery, imprisonment, probably alcoholism, cheating (kissing while engaged), probably more
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review but ended up listening to it on audio via Hoopla.
The plot is sort of all over the place, however, and the MCs have this insta-love relationship. They're not often on page together and though this isn't a romance, I needed more in order to understand why this love motivated so many of their decisions. (There is an HEA.) Sadly, I can't gleefully recommend it like I did the last two.
Content Warnings: grave-robbing, abduction, evil scientists, parental and familial abuse (referenced, not on page), children in peril, bad guys threaten to use Fugitive Slave Act to send heroine's adoptive father back into slavery, imprisonment, probably alcoholism, cheating (kissing while engaged), probably more
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review but ended up listening to it on audio via Hoopla.
2 Stars
*A great story idea, but an off-putting love interest and nonsensical plot dampened my enthusiasm*
ARC provided by Graydon House/Harlequin Trade Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was excited to get an advanced copy of this one since I’ve been on a big Gothic kick lately. I enjoyed Fox’s debut novel [b:The Witch of Willow Hall|37007910|The Witch of Willow Hall|Hester Fox|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1521682980l/37007910._SX50_.jpg|58859334]. Her second novel, [b:The Widow of Pale Harbor|42867787|The Widow of Pale Harbor|Hester Fox|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1550213665l/42867787._SY75_.jpg|66652981], had excellent atmosphere and an intriguing plot, but was a miss in terms of characters. I hoped that Fox’s latest book would swing things back in the other direction. Unfortunately, The Orphan of Cemetery Hill was also a flop for me.
Tabby’s character didn’t live up to my expectations. I wanted deeper character development and something more special done with her psychic powers. And I never liked Eli at all. I hate cheaters. And he was just too easy with a lie or a smile. So the romance part of the story was a total bust.
The setup of the plot started off promising. A medium and resurrection men sounded like a great base for a Gothic tale. But then there was an odd part where the story forked in two directions. Without going into spoilers, one storyline was put on hold for months just to allow the other storyline time to crawl along. It made absolutely no sense. And it also removed any sense of urgency from the story. I can’t get behind a sense of urgency when most of the characters sat at a stalemate for months just to allow for an unbelievable twist in the other storyline. It completely deflated my enjoyment of the end of the story.
On top of that, this one did not feel as atmospheric either. Maybe that was because all the little annoyances prevented me from becoming absorbed in the story.
Unfortunately, after two books in a row not fitting my tastes, it is time for Fox and I to part ways. I still think she has talent as a writer, but these books aren’t what I’m looking for.
RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 3 Stars
Writing Style: 2 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 2 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 2 Stars
Level of Captivation: 3 Stars
Originality: 3 Stars
*A great story idea, but an off-putting love interest and nonsensical plot dampened my enthusiasm*
ARC provided by Graydon House/Harlequin Trade Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was excited to get an advanced copy of this one since I’ve been on a big Gothic kick lately. I enjoyed Fox’s debut novel [b:The Witch of Willow Hall|37007910|The Witch of Willow Hall|Hester Fox|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1521682980l/37007910._SX50_.jpg|58859334]. Her second novel, [b:The Widow of Pale Harbor|42867787|The Widow of Pale Harbor|Hester Fox|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1550213665l/42867787._SY75_.jpg|66652981], had excellent atmosphere and an intriguing plot, but was a miss in terms of characters. I hoped that Fox’s latest book would swing things back in the other direction. Unfortunately, The Orphan of Cemetery Hill was also a flop for me.
Tabby’s character didn’t live up to my expectations. I wanted deeper character development and something more special done with her psychic powers. And I never liked Eli at all. I hate cheaters. And he was just too easy with a lie or a smile. So the romance part of the story was a total bust.
The setup of the plot started off promising. A medium and resurrection men sounded like a great base for a Gothic tale. But then there was an odd part where the story forked in two directions. Without going into spoilers, one storyline was put on hold for months just to allow the other storyline time to crawl along. It made absolutely no sense. And it also removed any sense of urgency from the story. I can’t get behind a sense of urgency when most of the characters sat at a stalemate for months just to allow for an unbelievable twist in the other storyline. It completely deflated my enjoyment of the end of the story.
On top of that, this one did not feel as atmospheric either. Maybe that was because all the little annoyances prevented me from becoming absorbed in the story.
Unfortunately, after two books in a row not fitting my tastes, it is time for Fox and I to part ways. I still think she has talent as a writer, but these books aren’t what I’m looking for.
RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 3 Stars
Writing Style: 2 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 2 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 2 Stars
Level of Captivation: 3 Stars
Originality: 3 Stars
This author loves the settings I love which is so wonderful. Victorian New England, old Boston aesthetics, gothic and autumnal, and romance with happy endings. All a lovely light read