Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk

16 reviews

shector1's review

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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booksthatburn's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective sad fast-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? Yes

5.0

I loved this whole thing. It's paced excellently, tells a great story, and is in a world conveyed succinctly. If you like queer fantasy/mystery  novellas with life and death stakes, try this. 
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clarabooksit's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

For such a short book, this packs in a lot. There are angels, demons, murder, magic and a swoon-worthy love story.

The stakes are high, and the way the story developed and unravelled made it very hard to put down. While I would’ve loved more information about the magic and how it works, this story is well contained and moves the reader right along. The murders are gruesome, religion is a fascinating element, and the motivations are compelling. I was invested.

My favorite parts were the relationship between Helen and Edith and the way Polk wove in history, especially the high price of being a queer at the time. The hidden lesbian club and the brief visit to the asylum were great touches.

For all you historical fantasy fans out there, definitely check this one out. It’s a tense, quick read that builds very nicely and has a swoony romance at its heart. Also, how gorgeous is that cover?
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valodniece's review

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dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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purplepenning's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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chippyreads's review

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adventurous dark mysterious

5.0

 
C. L. Polk book? Yes please!

Sapphic, murder, magic, noir, with secret queer bar? F*ck yes

Every time I pick up a C. L. Polk book I have a great time. The magic is always perfectly sprinkled on top of a gripping story with lovable characters. 

The only negative thing about this book was that it’s a novella, so I didn’t want to leave this world!! That being said, this book told a complete story within 4 hours and the characters were surprisingly well developed. 

January LaVoy did an amazing job narrating this book. I’ve read the Libba Bray Diviners series as an audiobook, and January is amazing in those, smashing the early 1900’s American accents, so when I heard her voice introduce the book I knew I was in good hands. 


Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for an audio eARC in exchange for an honest review. 

How I rate books
1- I disliked this book very much. Highly unlikely to read this author again
2- Eh. I didn't hate it. Might give the author another go
3- It was fun
4- Amazing and would read again
5- I'm in love. Give me more right now!



 
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