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justinkhchen's review against another edition
4.0
4.25 stars
A moody and engaging tale of supernatural and murder set during the Victorian era, The Shape of Darkness hits the spot for me as a cozy wintry read—soaked in atmosphere, evenly paced (while I still wouldn't call it fast, it is much more brisk comparing to some of the other historical horror novels I've read), and slightly unpredictable with all the red herrings on the table.
Narratively speaking, the ending is meant to be an unexpected twist, yet for me it is a slight letdown, as I feel like I've read this conclusion in a handful of historical horrors before; perhaps it is part of the formula, and I can see the contextual relevance, but I would've preferred The Shape of Darkness closing on a slightly different note. Still, as a whole I'm glad I've picked up this novel, which I consider to be an improvement over The Silent Companions (fascinating subject matter, underwhelming story), with its near-perfect mix of historical factoids (cut-paper silhouette, seance for starter) and layered plotting.
A moody and engaging tale of supernatural and murder set during the Victorian era, The Shape of Darkness hits the spot for me as a cozy wintry read—soaked in atmosphere, evenly paced (while I still wouldn't call it fast, it is much more brisk comparing to some of the other historical horror novels I've read), and slightly unpredictable with all the red herrings on the table.
Narratively speaking, the ending is meant to be an unexpected twist, yet for me it is a slight letdown, as I feel like I've read this conclusion in a handful of historical horrors before; perhaps it is part of the formula, and I can see the contextual relevance, but I would've preferred The Shape of Darkness closing on a slightly different note. Still, as a whole I'm glad I've picked up this novel, which I consider to be an improvement over The Silent Companions (fascinating subject matter, underwhelming story), with its near-perfect mix of historical factoids (cut-paper silhouette, seance for starter) and layered plotting.
anouk90's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
lauranisbet's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
peanutsk's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
carlabear's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoy Laura Purcells stories. This one wasn’t quite as scary as I was hoping it to be, but the story itself was strong and kept me hooked.
gigi_bookish's review
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
While Laura Purcell’s writing is beautiful as always, this was a bit weak compared to her other works.
saniya18's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
nonesensed's review against another edition
5.0
Agnes has kept her family fed and housed since the Accident through her silhouette art. She cuts people's silhouettes as portraits, a previously popular memento that's sadly fallen out of fashion. Recovering from pneumonia the last thing Agnes needs is for her rare few customers to end up murdered.
Once more, Laura Purcell weaves a tale with enjoyable prose that flows well, characters that are deeply flawed in a way that draws you in and with a mystery that keeps you guessing on if anything supernatural is going on or not. I'm usually very annoyed but such ambiguity, but Purcell pulls it off again and again, leaving you with a dark and interesting ending to the mystery once you reach it. Highly recommended for all fans of horror and mystery!
Once more, Laura Purcell weaves a tale with enjoyable prose that flows well, characters that are deeply flawed in a way that draws you in and with a mystery that keeps you guessing on if anything supernatural is going on or not. I'm usually very annoyed but such ambiguity, but Purcell pulls it off again and again, leaving you with a dark and interesting ending to the mystery once you reach it. Highly recommended for all fans of horror and mystery!