Reviews tagging 'Blood'

The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling

112 reviews

lionfish_22's review

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dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5


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maresuju's review against another edition

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

4.75


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wild_avalon_lass's review

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

4.0

“I can think of little else,” he said, finally taking the ring from her and gently, so gently, slipping it onto her finger. “After just a few days, I find I’ve completely lost my mind over you.”

And so is The Death of Jane Lawrence: A mind-losing, world-tilting, reality-altering read that left my head spinning...but in a good way.

Caitlin Starling is a genius, and that mad touch of brilliance is obvious in her leading lady, Jane Shoringfield Lawrence.
It was incredibly refreshing to read a book with a leading lady who fully felt IN CHARGE of each moment, even the moments where reality was slipping from her grasp, where she was teetering on the edge of insanity, Jane felt completely whole, herself, and in control of the moment.

All Dr. Augustine Lawrence had to do was sit there and be pretty (he succeeded in that...most of the time) and let his wife save him from his own self-inflicted tragedy (....did he succeed in that? Who knows).

I saw this book advertised for "fans of Crimson Peak" (hello! That's me!) and boy, did it deliver: ghosts, curses, tragic gothic men, women walking the razor edge of brilliance or madness, lots of rain, lots of mud, and a crumbling, destructive house in the center of it all.

Absolutely worth the read...although you WILL feel (in the final few pages) as though you are not at all smart enough to keep up with how quickly revelations are coming to life and how whiplash-smart Jane's brain is. Kudos to Starling for that.

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peregrinwho'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? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

It's been a few weeks since I finished this, and I haven't stopped thinking about this book since picking it up. Immediate new favorite. The romance is instantly believable and blush-inducing, the characters are perfect manifestations/carriers of the themes, and the layers of mystery kept getting unfolded like pulling back sheets on the bed knowing you'll end up feeling cold and helpless but you have to in order to release the uncomfortable heat.
Fantastic pacing, harrowing imagery, enchanting insights, and one of the most horrifically perfect endings I've ever read.
I really saw a lot of myself in Jane, and like to think she's autistic. To see a protagonist so complex and full as her who thinks and sees the world as I do is so precious to me since it's rarely represented in a positive light (or at all). Every time she stood up for herself I was so happy. I also saw parts of myself in Augustine, and have since started a paradigm shift after reading how him blaming himself for everything was arrongance. Time to re-evaluate some things boys😅. And the way the time loop was closed??? My friend and I discussed it for hours. I'm so in love with the tragedy of the ending even though I cried and had nightmares afterwards, because I understood all the themes and elements had come together so perfectly. I now also understand body horror is the type of horror that will actually freak me out, so that's knowledge!🙃
There's more I could say but this is long enough. Suffice it to say, overall this book devestated me, and I will be recommending it to anyone who will listen to me.

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seasidefaye13's review

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-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? Yes

4.75


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asuna1930's review

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The synopsis of this book definitely did not lead me in the direction the actual book would go. 100% felt like I just read a Doctor Who episode. The writing was definitely compelling and I had to finish it to know what was going on but I felt as lost as Jane for about 90% of the book.

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gladiolus17's review against another edition

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

2.5

I was COMPELLED. I was entertained. This book was a vibe.

I also felt some parts needed a little work.

I had this book on hold at the library and when it came in I completely forgot the synopsis and genre. When I started the book, I did not understand the genre. Partly this is my fault for forgetting, but I also believe this is in part that the book did not set up genre expectations correctly, and I mistakenly assumed this was a quirky historical romance. 

The beginning set up weak stakes for the romance. Since Jane’s backstory was not revealed until later in the book, I did not understand why Jane was intent on the marriage being a business transaction.
In hindsight I believe it was because Jane was old and that’s why no one wanted her? Or because her parents died? I don’t know for sure, so I wish that was established.
 

If I understood what was holding her back from the romance, I would have felt stronger for her and Augustine’s relationship.
 

I also felt first quarter Jane and the rest of the story Jane was inconsistent in characterization.
In the beginning she is set up to be unemotional, but she is quickly thawed by Augustine’s kindness. She also shows high fear and emotionality for the rest of the book. With her encounter with the magician, she is accused of being monstrous, yet that theme is not explored, leaving me feel Jane’s character arc is incomplete.
 

The ending also left me confused. <
spoiler> Was Jane Eledy? (Sorry I listened on audiobook, so I don’t know how to spell Augustine’s late wife’s name.) I also felt Augustine’s cowardice and shame were quickly fixed without much effort on his end.  

Even with the parts I was not keen on, I did enjoy a good portion of the book. The pace was quick, and the mystery kept me on my toes. It was the ending and how it was tied up left me with many questions, and not any emotional pondering I would hope for.

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bethboo's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense 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 went into this book blind, and ended up scolding myself for not doing it sooner. I worked at a bookstore when this novel released and I remember the hype around it and dismissed it and now I feel like a FOOL. 

We follow a practical and clever woman, Jane, in her quest to obtain a husband, so not to burden her adoptive parents. Once she brokers a deal with an accomplished and genuine docter, she realizes that this marriage might not be simply business like she thought. He offers much more than financial security, but seems to have more skeletons in the closets than she anticipated. As clever as she is, Jane might not make it through with reason and will alone. A gothic tale that felt real and confusing and startling, almost as if the reader was the main character. Normal life gets shattered by secrets and madness and magic and death and darkness and emotion. 

The characters were perfectly flawed. They all felt like real people doing the best they could with what they had been given. I was eager to get any information I could on the confusing secrets Jane was given, making the book hard to put down. Because while they were weird, it wasn't outright suspicious, so it gave me pause and sympathy. This author did a wonderful job with the main voice and presenting us with just enough details without making it blatantly obvious or mind-bendingly confusing. I've already added her other works to my TBR pile and will definitely enjoy them. 

You HAVE to read this book. It was spooky and creepy and real and made me feel like I was losing my mind.

Jane was a brilliant main character. Yes there were times where I wanted to shove her face into her husband's and scream at them to kiss and make up, but the plot must proceed. I was rooting for her the entire time, even though it got hard to once she kinda started losing it. But I just wanted her and Augustine to be happy so badly! I didn't really see the ending coming and I'm not sure how you could, with how unique the author's magic system is. And while its definitely weird, it's not too weird. I did kind of like how confusing the magic was, because it felt like it was that way for the users too. It definitely gave the vibes of the ending of The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix Series, not the book). How Elenore was her own haunting in the end. Like Ellie was the Broken-Neck Lady and Jane was Ellidy, Augustine's dead wife's ghost.
 

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woshuaa's review

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dark 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

i feel like this book was about three different things at one time and none of them managed to blend with each other. i was excited for the black magic angle but then they spent pages upon pages debating the practical logic behind even believing in magic and things never got more interesting from there honestly. i think there were a lot of good ideas at play here but none of them were implemented in a way i found interesting or unique unfortunately 

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ermw0's review

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

2.5

I was so exhausted by this book. It seems like Jane goes through a personality change every other page. The magical world was muddled and uninteresting, it felt like nonsense at some points. I was heavily skimming the end because of this. I was on board for the first half, but this quickly became an obligatory finish. I enjoyed “the Luminous Dead” so I thought I enjoy this. So much is crammed into this story and so much of it feels half baked, so I didn’t end up enjoying any of it. I was frustrated by this because if certain elements were the focus (the surgical scenes and more real dynamic between Jane and Augustine were good)  it could’ve been great. But the magic world  felt confusing and honestly like nonsense and ruined the book for me. I’ve read better gothic horror /magic inspired so I wouldn’t recommend this. 

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