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toffishay's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
What an awesome discovery of a classic Gothic fiction written by a Black women! I had not heard about Pauline Hopkins before getting this edition of the Haunted Library of Horror Classics and I am so glad that I was able to pick up this copy. As someone who loves classic Gothic fiction, this book hit all the right tropes. <SPOILER> There's murder, betrayal, secret/hidden identities, power imbalances, revenge, and justice. I think that Dianthe's story was a little weaker in part because she has the role of the classic Gothic heroine, being the victim of injustice and waiting for rescue. In a more modern story, she would have been more active, but she tries to make her own path and receives retribution in the end. <END SPOILER> The pacing was a bit weird too, where the story felt interrupted by Reuel's story line and then we had to jump back to the original line. I also liked Reuel by the end and was eager to follow him as our main hero.
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Blood, Toxic relationship, Murder, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Death, Sexism, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Incest, Medical content, Violence, Animal death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Child death, Confinement, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Colonisation, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, and Classism
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