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niksasali's review
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
hal2499's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
organchordsandlightning's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A really interesting premise bogged down by details. I think there's really something to the concept of Cora, a woman inflicted with many diseases that cannot leave the island, and I was far more interested in her section of the book - at first, before it simply became chapter after chapter of the same kinds of medical torture. I also found the modern sections not particularly compelling at all - and a little troubling, in some aspects. For all the talk about what was done to Cora, the book really does seem to believe at points that the male bloodline of the Gettler family is 'cursed' into being evil scientists.
emms_across_formats's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 ⭐️
You can tell that this is a well researched book that the author poured their heart and soul into.
I seriously struggled to stay engaged with the story. For a fairly short book, it felt like it went on forever only to then end on a cliffhanger. Had I known this wasn’t a stand alone, I would’ve dnf’ed before the halfway mark. I won’t continue the series as I barely made it through the book.
You can tell that this is a well researched book that the author poured their heart and soul into.
I seriously struggled to stay engaged with the story. For a fairly short book, it felt like it went on forever only to then end on a cliffhanger. Had I known this wasn’t a stand alone, I would’ve dnf’ed before the halfway mark. I won’t continue the series as I barely made it through the book.
sharesb's review
3.0
The synopsis of this book sounded promising and I had really hoped to like it but it was just “okay”
The storyline flipped back and forth from all sorts of time eras which I found hard to keep up with. I understood the book was going to be one you needed to activate your imagination around but I just couldn’t be sold on it.
Basically Cora lives on an island by herself and is visited one day by Finn who has more or less discovered family secrets. But in order for anyone to visit Cora you have to have a hazmat suit and pray you don’t breathe the same air. It’s a family affair full of horrific body experiments going back over a hundred years. It’s a tragic story reading everything Cora has gone through but very hard ( for ME) to wrap my head around the whole storyline to make sense.
The ending was annoying. Total cliffhanger but I have no desire to read the follow up to it. Not my fave read.
Ending with a fast fact: This was the first book I’ve read which incorporates the coronavirus.
The storyline flipped back and forth from all sorts of time eras which I found hard to keep up with. I understood the book was going to be one you needed to activate your imagination around but I just couldn’t be sold on it.
Basically Cora lives on an island by herself and is visited one day by Finn who has more or less discovered family secrets. But in order for anyone to visit Cora you have to have a hazmat suit and pray you don’t breathe the same air. It’s a family affair full of horrific body experiments going back over a hundred years. It’s a tragic story reading everything Cora has gone through but very hard ( for ME) to wrap my head around the whole storyline to make sense.
The ending was annoying. Total cliffhanger but I have no desire to read the follow up to it. Not my fave read.
Ending with a fast fact: This was the first book I’ve read which incorporates the coronavirus.
im211's review
2.0
DNF-ED.
An interesting concept has the haunted hospital and unethical medical treatment elements, which at first I'd found very intriguing since I'd always loved looking up histories of abandoned hospitals. However, the writing style and the way the story progressed felt very clipped and it read like a monologue from different points of view. It's probably just not a book or topic that's up my alley,
An interesting concept has the haunted hospital and unethical medical treatment elements, which at first I'd found very intriguing since I'd always loved looking up histories of abandoned hospitals. However, the writing style and the way the story progressed felt very clipped and it read like a monologue from different points of view. It's probably just not a book or topic that's up my alley,
kefink's review
2.0
I really wanted to like this book. It had such a cool premise and I kept reading despite issues with writing and plot because I was hoping there would be a payoff in the end. But there isn’t. This book just ENDS… can’t even call it a cliffhanger. It’s like the author just ran out of time. There’s NO resolution to ANY OF THE MAJOR PLOT POINTS. Wtf.
bonniereads777's review
4.0
I reviewed this book for Historical Novels Review, the magazine of the Historical Novel Society. Per their policy, I cannot post a review online until after it is posted in the magazine in May 2021 . I will update this review after that date.
bergamotandbooks's review
4.0
4 STARS
In the shadows of New York City lies forbidden North Brother Island, where the remains of a shuttered hospital hide the haunting memories of century-old quarantines and human experiments. The ruins conceal the scarred and beautiful Cora, imprisoned by contagions and the doctors who torment her.
.
.
.
THE VINES was not at all what I expected it to be (in the best way!) A combination of mystery, scientific thriller and a whole lot of body horror, THE VINES discusses so many important questions regarding early scientific discoveries - and the horrific ways in which these were (and sometimes are still) made.
I was fully entranced by Cora's story and the history of the very real North Brother's Island medical facility that inspired it. Nolden did an absolutely fantastic job researching and writing about the disturbing history of the island, while masterly interweaving a story of sorrow, loss and the human condition. I eagerly await the sequel!
Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC. THE VINES is available March 23rd!
In the shadows of New York City lies forbidden North Brother Island, where the remains of a shuttered hospital hide the haunting memories of century-old quarantines and human experiments. The ruins conceal the scarred and beautiful Cora, imprisoned by contagions and the doctors who torment her.
.
.
.
THE VINES was not at all what I expected it to be (in the best way!) A combination of mystery, scientific thriller and a whole lot of body horror, THE VINES discusses so many important questions regarding early scientific discoveries - and the horrific ways in which these were (and sometimes are still) made.
I was fully entranced by Cora's story and the history of the very real North Brother's Island medical facility that inspired it. Nolden did an absolutely fantastic job researching and writing about the disturbing history of the island, while masterly interweaving a story of sorrow, loss and the human condition. I eagerly await the sequel!
Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC. THE VINES is available March 23rd!
kgnade's review
3.0
I received an advanced reader copy of The Vines from Freiling Publishing via NetGalley, in return for my honest opinion.
The Vines by Shelley Nolden is a story about family and the misuse of power. North Brother Island, just off the coast of Manhattan, NY, once famous for its health care facilities in the early 1900s, now sits abandoned and is mainly a natural habitat for herons.
Finn Gettler sets out to explore North Brother Island and its shuttered buildings. Finn is taken by surprise when he meets Cora- a beautiful woman that lives on the island with no modern day conveniences. Cora is a living medical experiment, Finn vows to help her but isn’t prepared to go up against his family.
This book is hard to review – I’m still unsettled with a few of the characters which I think is skewing my feelings for the book. This was a great story filled with terrible characters doing heinous acts and wonderful characters trying to right the world. The end was a bit abrupt and leaves questions unanswered but overall the book kept my interest. I did really enjoy the historical figures and setting that the author brought to life, especially Mary Mallon aka Typhoid Mary. The Vines is available today, March 23, 2021.
Goodreads Rating: 3/5 stars
#shelleynolden #thevines #thevinesbook #netgalley #arcs #advancedreadercopy #sciencefiction #sciencefictionbooks #scifi #suspense #suspensebooks #hisorical #historicalbooks #readin2021 #freilingpublishing #whatthebook #bookreviews #readersofinstagram #bookaholic
For more of my reviews visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/WhattheBook/ or http://whatthebook-reviews.tumblr.com/ or follow me on Instagram @whatthebook__.
The Vines by Shelley Nolden is a story about family and the misuse of power. North Brother Island, just off the coast of Manhattan, NY, once famous for its health care facilities in the early 1900s, now sits abandoned and is mainly a natural habitat for herons.
Finn Gettler sets out to explore North Brother Island and its shuttered buildings. Finn is taken by surprise when he meets Cora- a beautiful woman that lives on the island with no modern day conveniences. Cora is a living medical experiment, Finn vows to help her but isn’t prepared to go up against his family.
This book is hard to review – I’m still unsettled with a few of the characters which I think is skewing my feelings for the book. This was a great story filled with terrible characters doing heinous acts and wonderful characters trying to right the world. The end was a bit abrupt and leaves questions unanswered but overall the book kept my interest. I did really enjoy the historical figures and setting that the author brought to life, especially Mary Mallon aka Typhoid Mary. The Vines is available today, March 23, 2021.
Goodreads Rating: 3/5 stars
#shelleynolden #thevines #thevinesbook #netgalley #arcs #advancedreadercopy #sciencefiction #sciencefictionbooks #scifi #suspense #suspensebooks #hisorical #historicalbooks #readin2021 #freilingpublishing #whatthebook #bookreviews #readersofinstagram #bookaholic
For more of my reviews visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/WhattheBook/ or http://whatthebook-reviews.tumblr.com/ or follow me on Instagram @whatthebook__.