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amandadelbrocco's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
3.5
This was just a fun story that intertwined the stories of Dracula and Jane Eyre. I really liked the 60s setting and all the nods to the original books
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Blood and Confinement
katesant's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Toxic relationship
thegayestghost's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Blood, Death, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Abandonment, Confinement, Physical abuse, Violence, Domestic abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
natashaleighton_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- 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
4.5
Ferociously feminist and utterly unputdownable — I literally ATE THIS UP!
Exploring the brutal (and emotionally manipulative) nature of toxic relationships, Kiste’s beautifully complex reimagining of the lives of two misunderstood (and often overlooked) characters from Jane Eyre and Dracula was phenomenal —and really had me looking at Rochester and Dracula in a newer (harsher and far more judgemental) light.
Bertha “Bee” Mason (Rochester’s attic bound first wife often dubbed “the madwoman in the attic”) and Lucy Westenra (the first of Dracula’s English victims and best friend to the much more well known Mina Harker) are always a bit of an afterthought when it comes to retellings and adaptations. So I was really intrigued to see a book told from their perspectives, and I can tell you now it definitely didn’t disappoint!
Set in 1960 California, we delve into the friendship of two morally grey (and emotionally complex) women and the lives they have ultimately made for themselves—after escaping the abusive men made famous by Bram Stoker and Charlotte Brontë.
I loved the descriptive setting and modern gothic tone with its sunny, California backdrop and Hippie aesthetics, along with the cloying and pervading spread of decay that perfectly capture an unsettling feeling of dread that doesn’t really let up until that phenomenally explosive ending.
It did give off American Horror Story vibes, especially in the Manson-esque, cult-like adoration we see for Rochester and Dracula. But it was Lucy and Bee’s reaction to their abuser’s newest victims that I enjoyed the most. Seeing them spurred into action, regaining their own agency and taking back power from the men ruined their lives was soo satisfying.
If you love feminist stories of revenge and overcoming adversity, misogyny or oppression then I highly recommend checking out this fast paced, thoroughly addictive horror.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Confinement, Blood, and Sexual violence
Minor: Sexual content, Animal cruelty, and Racism
florecita_lectora's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death, and Misogyny
Moderate: Stalking, Confinement, Sexual violence, and Body horror
vixenreader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
A mixed bag of a novel, with great suspense and worth-building while suffering from trying to rely on the original texts in order to fill in characterizations and relationship dynamics.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Misogyny, Death, Domestic abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Cursing, Stalking, Confinement, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Sexual violence, and Infidelity
Minor: Animal cruelty, Medical content, and Sexual content
Beware of violence against women, mentions of mold and decay, vicious wild wolves, and deterioration of property.mfrisk's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
5.0
I absolutely adored this book. I’ll be honest I haven’t read Jane Eyre or Dracula (though I’m aware of the stories enough to get the gist) but despite that I really enjoyed getting to know Jane, Bee, Lucy, Mina, and Daisy through this new lens.
This book highlights what these stories left out through a reimagining of the stories of the women who fight monsters both in life and in death. And I mean monsters in a literal sense but also a figurative sense in terms of entitlement and manipulation by dangerous men which is a line this book leans into well. We see both these monstrous elements fully realized and in constraint we see the power of women able to fight back and reclaim who they are.
The descriptions in this book of characters, settings, and the journey itself I thought were very vivid and if you haven’t been to San Francisco or LA this is a great read to transport you there. I could picture this book easily being made into a tv series or movie and am excited to read other books by this author in the near future.
This book highlights what these stories left out through a reimagining of the stories of the women who fight monsters both in life and in death. And I mean monsters in a literal sense but also a figurative sense in terms of entitlement and manipulation by dangerous men which is a line this book leans into well. We see both these monstrous elements fully realized and in constraint we see the power of women able to fight back and reclaim who they are.
The descriptions in this book of characters, settings, and the journey itself I thought were very vivid and if you haven’t been to San Francisco or LA this is a great read to transport you there. I could picture this book easily being made into a tv series or movie and am excited to read other books by this author in the near future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Gore and Blood
Minor: Abandonment
antimony's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Death
angreadseverything's review
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I liked it, but wish it went into more detail about Lucy and Bee's past. Especially since Lucy keeps saying how the books and movies don't accurately portray how their life was. The beginning was also a little slow, but it definitely picked up towards the end. I liked how Kiste drew parallels to the victims in horror and how they (especially women) are often a footnote in the main story of the killer/antagonist. The ending where Lucy, Bee, and Mina set all of Dracula and Rochester's victims free in the afterlife was really interesting as well. I would definitely want to see a sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Violence, and Confinement
hazelgirl21's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury