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scarlettereads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨✨ 3.75 stars
Thank you to Jamie Pacton, Peachtree Teen, and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Jamie Pacton, Peachtree Teen, and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
"A willow, a word, a slip into the night. Your blood is a map to find your way home, little spite . . ."
The Absinthe Underground follows the story of Sybil Clarion—an adventurous seventeen year old who left her life of luxury to find the freedom she'd never had under her father's care—and Esme Rimbaud—a part-time waitress and mother of many cats, who's content to spend her free time tinkering with the cogs and gears of clocks—as they struggle to make ends meet in the busy city of Severon.
Roommates who share a tiny attic apartment in a clock tower, Sybil and Esme could not be more different. Sybil longs to sample every decadence the Belle Époque has to offer, where as all Esme wants is to have a quiet, cozy life. The one thing the girls do have in common is that they're both secretly, hopelessly in love with one another. And neither girl wants to risk telling the other their feelings in case they don't reciprocate, thus ruining their friendship. Talk about sapphic drama!
Sybil can't commit to job for long without getting bored, so when rent is due she plans to do what she does best to make a quick buck: steal rare posters from around Severon and sell them off to collectors who are willing to pay a hefty price. But Esme, who wants nothing more than to protect the girl she's in love with from herself, insists on tagging along on this particular night. Poster stealing isn't safe for anyone, and Esme is not about to let her best friend get into more trouble.
After a successful night of poster stealing, the girls take their haul to one of Severon's biggest collectors, and just as they're about to make a deal on a new poster for The Absinthe Underground, one of Severon's most exclusive clubs, the club's enchanting owner Maeve waltzes in. Rather than reprimand them, Maeve offers the girls a job thieving for her—the reward enough money for the girls to live comfortably for the rest of their lives without having to work or steal ever again. All they have to do is meet Maeve at the club later than night to hash out the details.
The Absinthe Underground is a club beyond Sybil and Esme's wildest dreams. Glamour all but drips from the marbled walls, floor, and opera boxes. People of all genders and orientations waltz and kiss, women in fabulous dresses perform on stage for all to enjoy (think Moulin Rouge), and everybody drinks to their hearts content.
Syb and Ez, being too poor to afford suitable garments for such a venue, are whisked away to Maeve's private dressing room to choose outfits from her personal collection, and once they're appropriately attired the woman of the hour appears to ply them with the famed Green Fairy drink that the establishment is named for before divesting her plans for the girls. Before getting into the details Maeve tells the girls some truths about their world that they might not be ready to hear or believe: not only is the world of Fae real, but Maeve herself is a faerie—a green faerie—who is stuck in the human world, and can only return home to Fae if Sybil and Esme steal Queen Mab's crown jewels and bring them to Maeve, and they have to do it on the equinox, which is in two days. All they need to complete the task are a few special items—one of which is the key Sybil wears around her neck, which she's never told Esme the origins of. Curious.
Though something about Maeve seems a little off, especially after she revealed her true appearance to the girls, Sybil and Esme are short on rent and short on time to come up with the money. This job for Maeve is their best chance not only making rent but a better life in full. They're not really in any position to turn it down. And so their adventure begins.
While The Absinthe Underground is well written, imaginative, cozy, and dazzling, and while the Pacton's writing is atmospheric,—whether the girls are in the clock tower, hiding in the collector's wardrobe, at Chloe's cottage, trying to survive Lucien's trap ridden house, in Queen Mab's palace or at The Absinthe Underground itself—the highlight of the book for me was definitely the relationship between Esme and Sybil. Despite Sybil knowing everything there is to know about Esme, Esme knows little of Sybil's life before they met each other, yet she still trusts and loves Sybil completely. The girls' love for each other is so sincere and pure that it's truly lovely to read.
Pacton perfectly encapsulates the very special relationship between two sapphic teens that toes the line between between best friends and something more. She writes yearning so wonderfully that it almost felt like Sybil and Esme invented yearning themselves. If yearning were a paid job the girls wouldn't have had to take Maeve's job. They would have been out of that shabby apartment within a week of meeting.
The Absinthe Underground is incredibly romantic and made my heart flutter just reading about Sybil and Esme's feeling for each other. It's a testament to the love between women throughout history.
I hope that in any further books Ez and Syb get to live the life they planned together, full of painting, reading, drinking tea, sharing pastries, snuggly kitties and have adventures when the time is right. And I hope that they go back to Fae to bring Chloe back to the human world.
"What do you want to do tonight?" Esme asked, looking at Sybil. "Perhaps find an adventure somewhere in the city?"
Sybil took a long sip of her tea and gripped the key around her neck. "You know," she said, looking around their apartment. A smile flitter across her lips. "I think I've had enough adventure at least for a little while. Can we stay in tonight?"
Esme raised her teacup and clicked it against Sybil's. "I'd like nothing better."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Moderate: Abandonment and Alcoholism
Minor: Child abuse and Death of parent
_teoeo's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.5
The gorgeous cover grabbed my attention instantly and the sapphic slow burn premise made it a book I was really looking forward to read next year. I'm so glad for the opportunity to read it as an ARC!
The first thing I realised while reading is that I wouldn't exactly consider it as slow burn. From the beginning of the book it is crystal clear that the two main characters are in love with each other. This is not a bad thing, but my taste is a bit slower romance. In general I have to say that the romance and relationship feels a bit flat, for we as readers can't understand why they are in love, only that they are. This could maybe be a "told but not shown"-problem. To be honest, the plot as a whole has this kind of problem, the author explains the things as they are without making them plausible to the reader.
Regardless, it's a lighthearted read and the plot is easy to follow what makes it quick and enjoyable. I liked the neurodivergent representation (even though it was subtle) and enjoyed the cozy setting. All in all I would recommend this book, especially to a younger audience.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of that book!
The first thing I realised while reading is that I wouldn't exactly consider it as slow burn. From the beginning of the book it is crystal clear that the two main characters are in love with each other. This is not a bad thing, but my taste is a bit slower romance. In general I have to say that the romance and relationship feels a bit flat, for we as readers can't understand why they are in love, only that they are. This could maybe be a "told but not shown"-problem. To be honest, the plot as a whole has this kind of problem, the author explains the things as they are without making them plausible to the reader.
Regardless, it's a lighthearted read and the plot is easy to follow what makes it quick and enjoyable. I liked the neurodivergent representation (even though it was subtle) and enjoyed the cozy setting. All in all I would recommend this book, especially to a younger audience.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of that book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Moderate: Death of parent and Alcoholism
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