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spiderhands's review against another edition
4.0
What a thoroughly enjoyable (and surprisingly educational!) romp through 18th century London's world of resurrectionists!! I can't wait to read the next one
amondexvr's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
midnightcomets's review against another edition
5.0
What stars? All the sharp scalpels/5 stars
Ezra slowly, carefully, unwrapped the body. It was a strange life, he knew that's what others thought, that they judged him. People wanted cures but didn't know how to come by them. But William McAdam was no ghoul. How did people imagine surgeons knew where to cut, how to cut and how far to cut? You couldn't have one without the other.
Something to listen to while reading this ♥
Trigger warnings for: Racism, blood, amputations, death
Those who speak to me quite often will know that ever since I picked up Sawbones, I never really stopped talking about it. In fact, I adopted the main characters and they are now forever my children, who I will protect and cherish at all costs. I got exactly what I expected from this action-packed, spooky historical fiction story, and it was tears, and laughter, and the most unexpected heart warmth, out of the most unexpected places.
For a small book, this was filled with MANY descriptions of surgeries and body studies, and I did not mind it one bit. If anything, I enjoyed it to the fullest, and learnt even more about medicine in the past. I loved the characters so deeply, and will forever carry them with me. I loved the setting, the aesthetic, the twists of the plot, the writing, the inspiration from the Hunterian museum AND the mystery.
I loved loved loved everything about it, and something that surprised me is how much coziness one could fit in a story about a string of murders, a young surgeon and grave robbers. I loved the friendships, the emotions, the light humour and the historical bits. I just fell head over heels for this story, and I dug my own grave.
Overall, I don't know what you guys expected, but if you like The Graveyard Book, Tim Burton and historical fiction, I believe you will love this as much ♥ Until the next review, keep studying the scalpel and the blade and searching for adventures and friends ♥
~Mary ♥
Ezra slowly, carefully, unwrapped the body. It was a strange life, he knew that's what others thought, that they judged him. People wanted cures but didn't know how to come by them. But William McAdam was no ghoul. How did people imagine surgeons knew where to cut, how to cut and how far to cut? You couldn't have one without the other.
Something to listen to while reading this ♥
Trigger warnings for: Racism, blood, amputations, death
Those who speak to me quite often will know that ever since I picked up Sawbones, I never really stopped talking about it. In fact, I adopted the main characters and they are now forever my children, who I will protect and cherish at all costs. I got exactly what I expected from this action-packed, spooky historical fiction story, and it was tears, and laughter, and the most unexpected heart warmth, out of the most unexpected places.
For a small book, this was filled with MANY descriptions of surgeries and body studies, and I did not mind it one bit. If anything, I enjoyed it to the fullest, and learnt even more about medicine in the past. I loved the characters so deeply, and will forever carry them with me. I loved the setting, the aesthetic, the twists of the plot, the writing, the inspiration from the Hunterian museum AND the mystery.
I loved loved loved everything about it, and something that surprised me is how much coziness one could fit in a story about a string of murders, a young surgeon and grave robbers. I loved the friendships, the emotions, the light humour and the historical bits. I just fell head over heels for this story, and I dug my own grave.
Overall, I don't know what you guys expected, but if you like The Graveyard Book, Tim Burton and historical fiction, I believe you will love this as much ♥ Until the next review, keep studying the scalpel and the blade and searching for adventures and friends ♥
~Mary ♥
micrummey's review against another edition
4.0
I loved the cover of Sawbones, a Young Adult book which is quite gruesome in its description of dissections, anatomy and surgery. Ezra is apprenticed to surgeon, William McAdam and comes into contact Loveday Finch, a young girl of similar age to him who requests his help in proving her magician father has been murdered.
This leads to a number of increasingly difficult situations for the pair and as they overcome one, the author increases the stakes and makes tougher especially for Ezra.
Set in the winter of 1792 we meet a number of resurrectionists and other ruffians who could have come out of a Dickens' novel.
The one downfall of the book is the ending is too neat and tidy, but there is scope for a second nook or a series.
Not a long book, but unlike a lot of books it is not overwritten and keeps the reader interested throughout.
This leads to a number of increasingly difficult situations for the pair and as they overcome one, the author increases the stakes and makes tougher especially for Ezra.
Set in the winter of 1792 we meet a number of resurrectionists and other ruffians who could have come out of a Dickens' novel.
The one downfall of the book is the ending is too neat and tidy, but there is scope for a second nook or a series.
Not a long book, but unlike a lot of books it is not overwritten and keeps the reader interested throughout.
voidtheblackcat's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-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? No
5.0
deb_reads_books's review
5.0
What a gem of a book. It have five stars because it lived up to everything it promised, from the blurb on the back and the illustrations on the cover to the promise of a great story right from the first page. The book is set in the 1790s. It's begins with a man on an operating table, having rubies sewn into his body so he can smuggle them away undetected. The story is led by Ezra McAdam, a half African, half white boy of around 17, a former slave bought by Dr McAdam in the West Indies, given his freedom and informally adopted. Dr McAdam is a surgeon and the story twists and turns around surgery on the living and the dead, throws in a spot of romance and murder in varying degrees. It's a fast-paced story, historically enlightening and ends wonderfully. It's a stand alone but there is a sequel which I need to get! Super middle-grade fiction.
katrina26's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-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? No
4.0
carkxy's review
4.0
for starters, this is a marvellous book. it’s not that packed of a story with occasional gaps here and there, but it attaches you into the macabre atmosphere right away with its grisly imagery and lovely characters. i was extremely fascinated with ezra and the master right from the beginning, and i just loved it till the end. i couldn’t stop reading, and i read the last half of the book all in one go.
is it the best classic mystery? no, definitely not. but considering how the book isn’t that thick and yet somehow manages to evoke a bunch of emotions in me calls for praise and recognition. well done!
is it the best classic mystery? no, definitely not. but considering how the book isn’t that thick and yet somehow manages to evoke a bunch of emotions in me calls for praise and recognition. well done!
mawaridi's review
Nothing wrong with this one, I just couldn't get into it. It's still on my bookshelf and I'm sure I'll give it another go when I'm in a better mood for historical YA.
preciouslittlebook's review
5.0
What stars? All the sharp scalpels/5 stars
Ezra slowly, carefully, unwrapped the body. It was a strange life, he knew that's what others thought, that they judged him. People wanted cures but didn't know how to come by them. But William McAdam was no ghoul. How did people imagine surgeons knew where to cut, how to cut and how far to cut? You couldn't have one without the other.
Something to listen to while reading this ♥
Trigger warnings for: Racism, blood, amputations, death
Those who speak to me quite often will know that ever since I picked up Sawbones, I never really stopped talking about it. In fact, I adopted the main characters and they are now forever my children, who I will protect and cherish at all costs. I got exactly what I expected from this action-packed, spooky historical fiction story, and it was tears, and laughter, and the most unexpected heart warmth, out of the most unexpected places.
For a small book, this was filled with MANY descriptions of surgeries and body studies, and I did not mind it one bit. If anything, I enjoyed it to the fullest, and learnt even more about medicine in the past. I loved the characters so deeply, and will forever carry them with me. I loved the setting, the aesthetic, the twists of the plot, the writing, the inspiration from the Hunterian museum AND the mystery.
I loved loved loved everything about it, and something that surprised me is how much coziness one could fit in a story about a string of murders, a young surgeon and grave robbers. I loved the friendships, the emotions, the light humour and the historical bits. I just fell head over heels for this story, and I dug my own grave.
Overall, I don't know what you guys expected, but if you like The Graveyard Book, Tim Burton and historical fiction, I believe you will love this as much ♥ Until the next review, keep studying the scalpel and the blade and searching for adventures and friends ♥
~Mary ♥
Ezra slowly, carefully, unwrapped the body. It was a strange life, he knew that's what others thought, that they judged him. People wanted cures but didn't know how to come by them. But William McAdam was no ghoul. How did people imagine surgeons knew where to cut, how to cut and how far to cut? You couldn't have one without the other.
Something to listen to while reading this ♥
Trigger warnings for: Racism, blood, amputations, death
Those who speak to me quite often will know that ever since I picked up Sawbones, I never really stopped talking about it. In fact, I adopted the main characters and they are now forever my children, who I will protect and cherish at all costs. I got exactly what I expected from this action-packed, spooky historical fiction story, and it was tears, and laughter, and the most unexpected heart warmth, out of the most unexpected places.
For a small book, this was filled with MANY descriptions of surgeries and body studies, and I did not mind it one bit. If anything, I enjoyed it to the fullest, and learnt even more about medicine in the past. I loved the characters so deeply, and will forever carry them with me. I loved the setting, the aesthetic, the twists of the plot, the writing, the inspiration from the Hunterian museum AND the mystery.
I loved loved loved everything about it, and something that surprised me is how much coziness one could fit in a story about a string of murders, a young surgeon and grave robbers. I loved the friendships, the emotions, the light humour and the historical bits. I just fell head over heels for this story, and I dug my own grave.
Overall, I don't know what you guys expected, but if you like The Graveyard Book, Tim Burton and historical fiction, I believe you will love this as much ♥ Until the next review, keep studying the scalpel and the blade and searching for adventures and friends ♥
~Mary ♥