Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - The Sanatorium

Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse

7 reviews

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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? Yes

4.0

Really interesting murder mystery. I didn’t know the bad guy until it was revealed and honestly hadn’t even considered the culprit for that role. I couldn’t put this one down — stayed up til the wee hours reading.

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magical_mads's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

The characters were very unlikable and frustrating. There were at least four or five plot twists within the last 100 pages. The motivations behind the murders made no sense. And then there was a feminist twist thrown in at the very end so that the author could make some social commentary or some thing, which was handled very poorly (in my opinion). I’m so disappointed because this kind of premise/commentary is 100% sent the thing that I normally go for. But this book is a no for me.

Also, I hated how in the topic of rape was treated in this book. It felt like it was shoved in as a last minute plot twist. It should never be treated like that.

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ekmook's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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scburhans's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.0

Overall, a really good mystery/thriller! There was just a few things that bugged me enough to drop it from 5 stars to 4.
My biggest worry when starting this book was how Pearse was going to use the setting of the Sanatorium. Sanatoriums/Asylums are big staples in suspense and horror, so there are a lot of different ways for the setting to become tropey/unoriginal/uninteresting. I though that turning the sanatorium into a hotel added an interesting twist while adding a nice element of social horror as well - trying to (sometimes literally) whitewash the past. Similarly, I thought that most of the characters were really complex and compelling. There were a few things that confused me, but I'm assuming that's due to the cultural barrier going on here. The plot was paced well and engaging, and I think that Pearse added a lot of rich detail to her characters and world building. A also appreciated the little nods to actual sanatorium design as well as the rather colorful and often brutal histories of asylums around the world. For a debut book, I think it's really good!
I did have a few issues pertaining to the psychology of the suspects and perpetraitors. Some of their actions and ways they acted and reacted didn't make sense from a psychological perspective. They were common mistakes, but they still bugged me. Similarly, I had a few issues with details of the crime. I simply cannot find what type of respirator/mask the perpetraitor used anywhere on the internet. The closest thing I can find is a WWII era gas mask/respirator, but the tubing still connects to an outiside box, not the mask itself. I'm really curious as to if Pearse made that device up or if it's actually based on a real respirator that I can't seem to find. There were a lot of horrifying looking devices used back then that would have worked for a signature, so I find it a bit odd that she (seemlingly) chose to make something up instead. It's a small detail, but it still pulled me out of the story a bit.
Overall, a pretty good book! I'd defintely reccommend it to my friends and I'll probably read it's upcoming sequel.

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