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dalenora's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
The initial premise really reminded me of one of my favorite episodes of the show Psych (premise: a fake psychic is hired to go to a wealthy man’s house and exorcise a fake ghost only to wonder if maybe ghosts exist after all? Meta shenanigans ensue) and that very fun and eye catching premise gave way to an emotional, thoughtful, exciting novel that surprised me at every turn.
Graphic: Suicide, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Child death, Lesbophobia, Child abuse, Rape, Outing, and Death of parent
caseythereader's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Terminal illness, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Lesbophobia, Murder, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Cancer, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Classism, and Medical content
Minor: Rape and Suicide
doomham's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Rape, Suicide, Sexual assault, and Alcoholism
lornography's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Lesbophobia, Emotional abuse, Grief, Terminal illness, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Child death, Child abuse, and Death of parent
Moderate: Violence, Dementia, Suicide, Homophobia, Sexism, Gore, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Confinement, and Kidnapping
Minor: War, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Rape, Colonisation, and Suicide attempt
camillessi's review
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.75
This was an enjoyable gothic read that was a breeze to get through. The tension stayed consistent, making me want to read more, without feeling overbearing. However, because the comparison to Sarah Waters is what caught my eye in the beginning, I found myself a little more critical than I might have been otherwise.
The prose flowed well, but sometimes felt inconsistent. Sometimes it would be drawn-out and flowery, or feeling very of-the-era. Other times, it would read quite modern and simple. Neither is bad, but the inconsistency sometimes drew me out of the story.
The characters also fell a little flat for me. I could see and understand what the story was trying to do with the two sisters, but I never felt like I could hold on to one thing about them. I wasn't always convinced by what we were being told about them—possibly because much of the time, we were being told things about them rather than seeing it.
But all in all, this book was exactly what it said on the tin: a twisty gothic historical novel with a sapphic romance. I would recommend it for readers of Penner & Waters, but perhaps more for the basics of the story, and not necessarily the writing style. I'm also happy to have another historical sapphic novel to add to the slowly-growing list.
Graphic: Physical abuse
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Confinement, Terminal illness, Child death, Death of parent, and Homophobia
Minor: Suicide
ardentlyelle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Suicide, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, and Child death
malily8312's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Arc provided by Atria books via NETGALLEY in exchange for an honest review
Moderate: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Confinement, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Alcoholism, Child death, Dementia, Child abuse, Homophobia, and Rape