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leonoor's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
The pacing was off. The midsection of the story was quite slow and uneventful, whereas the whole ending of the book was wrapped up in 30 pages. The author used two cliches in this last part: having the evil villain explain in detail why they did what they did, and the protagonist fainting at the end of the story so others can fill in what happened after they wake up . It feels like many details in the slower part of the book are unnecessary and don't make much sense. Some characters feel like caricatures of themselves.
Overall, this book feels rushed and not quite put together. Still, I appreciate the details about opium use and I think the setting of 1899's New York was quite nice.
Overall, this book feels rushed and not quite put together. Still, I appreciate the details about opium use and I think the setting of 1899's New York was quite nice.
itputsthebookupontheshelf's review against another edition
3.0
I struggle to give this a rating. While I found the story generally enjoyable, there were times I just didn't want to read it. I'm sitting between a 3 and a 3.5.
They story wasn't bad, it was well written, however I felt it focused so much on Tillie's drug addiction that it took away from other areas of the book that could have been more detailed or fleshed out. I honestly got really tired of hearing about all these drugs she kept getting addicted to.
I know the book is called Opium and Absinthe, but come on...
The characters were ok, besides being annoyed by Tillie's addiction most of the time. She did have her good points, she was strong and determined, she cared very much about finding her sisters killer, and she loved learning things a woman of that time had no business knowing.
Tom was perhaps one of my favorites, the way he cared for the children, Tillie, and his interest in always helping Tillie. I wanted a bit more from some of the other characters, though I suppose it fit together well with the storyline.
The world building wasn't too bad either. It set the mood for that time period and how certain things would have been taboo or what was expected of certain characters.
Fort the most part, I did like the ending once things started to unreavel. It was interesting to hear the killers motive and technique. I'd be interested to see what comes next from this author.
They story wasn't bad, it was well written, however I felt it focused so much on Tillie's drug addiction that it took away from other areas of the book that could have been more detailed or fleshed out. I honestly got really tired of hearing about all these drugs she kept getting addicted to.
I know the book is called Opium and Absinthe, but come on...
The characters were ok, besides being annoyed by Tillie's addiction most of the time. She did have her good points, she was strong and determined, she cared very much about finding her sisters killer, and she loved learning things a woman of that time had no business knowing.
Tom was perhaps one of my favorites, the way he cared for the children, Tillie, and his interest in always helping Tillie. I wanted a bit more from some of the other characters, though I suppose it fit together well with the storyline.
The world building wasn't too bad either. It set the mood for that time period and how certain things would have been taboo or what was expected of certain characters.
Fort the most part, I did like the ending once things started to unreavel. It was interesting to hear the killers motive and technique. I'd be interested to see what comes next from this author.
ewil6681's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
roguemedvsa's review against another edition
mysterious
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? Yes
2.75
whatchareadingheather's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I enjoyed every twist and turn and was fully invested in the lives of our characters. There were definitely times when I thought I knew where the story was going, and I'm genuinely happy that I was surprised by the overall turn of events. I also fangirled a bit with some of the easter eggs from 'A Beautiful Poison' that were included in this book.
luciearan's review
4.0
Neotřelý a lehce detektivní příběh inspirovaný Draculou od B. Stockera, se v době jeho vydání zároveň odehrává. A jelikož mám Draculu hodně ráda, nemohla mě tato kniha jen tak minout. Četla se mi, až na pár zádrhelů, poměrně dobře. Bohužel hlavní hrdinka Tillie, která je hodně zvědavá a zároveň velice naivní mladá žena, se zde, alespoň pro mě, stává poměrně kontroverzní postavou. Věci, které mi výrazněji vadily, se totiž týkaly hlavně jí a její povahy. Ale i tak jsem velice ráda, že se této knize dostalo překladu a měla jsem možnost si ji přečíst.
kazikkluz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25