Reviews

This was an underwhelming read for me. I was intrigued by the premise but unfortunately was uninterested in the plot and did not care for the characters.

Audrey Rose is the epitome of “not like other girls.” Like she is only ever interacting with men, and when she does hang out with women (including her cousin), it’s all talk about men!!! Bechdel test who???? It’s honestly depressing how hard Audrey Rose tries to differentiate herself from other women. The different between you and them?? You are unhealthily obsessed with analyzing dead bodies! Don’t tell me the way she thinks is normal. Hobbies and passions for careers exist, but obsession with human mutilation is pretty disturbing and does not make her quirky and different. It makes her…creepy?

The romance was atrocious, so much instalove. I didn’t care for Thomas, he was so boring and acted so much like Sherlock Holmes, “deducing” crap all over the place. Also, the whole “dissociating your thoughts and emotions” is so unhealthy it’s ridiculous.

Now, let’s talk about the PLOT. Boring!!!! I knew the killer would be Nathaniel just for plot purposes but I actually don’t really know how the book connected the evidence and came to that conclusion. Not to worry that we had no understanding of Nathaniel’s character and his motivations whatsoever. Let’s just have him do an evil mastermind monologue. The whole motive was clunky too. It still doesn’t really make much sense to me, but whatever. Like how did he get their mother’s body? Okay whatever I’m not going to waste more brain power on this.

Something that bothered me so much that really is not super important but it’s important to ME!!! The talk about Audrey Rose “ruining her reputation” by Thomas being around all the time, or him holding her hand in public and it’s sooooo scandalous. So why is it that the two of them are constantly alone in public AND in private?? At her house, when she and Thomas are ALONE together with the chaperones downstairs?? I call BS. Audrey Rose’s reputation would be absolutely destroyed if anyone found out any of this, yet they are so nonchalant even to leave her alone with him in her own house. Any little slip up like holding hands could ruin a reputation in those days. I think, more realistically, Audrey Rose would have immense trouble being around Thomas due to strenuous circumstances. Of course, this needed to be pushed aside so that Audrey Rose had easy access to working with Thomas, but it still annoyed me terribly. Especially with how contradictory it all was.

I don’t think I’m going to be continuing this series.