Reviews with content warning for Incest - The Lost Apothecary

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The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

23 reviews

onlyvitro's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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

3.5

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mattiedancer's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

Writing: 3⭐️/5

The writing was fine, adequate, presentable. A few times Penner had some really stunning lines, but mostly the writing did what needed to be done without too much flare or finesse. A lot of sections for backstory were lengthy, giving us a bit of information by flashback and then overexplaining the emotions of the situation. But overall the writing did enough to not get in the way.

Characters: 3.5⭐️/5

I think the characters in the historical sections were much more fascinating than our modern-day protagonist. While I appreciated that Caroline had a lot going on, I also felt like her half-telling of the story made me lose a bit of interest in what was going on. I loved her research-heavy mind, but it felt stunningly unbelievable the way in which she pursued her research so easily after so long. And, while the characters were interesting, they felt a bit surface at times, almost as though we never got a true glimpse of their whole beings.

Plot: 3⭐️/5

Okay, so the concept? Super cool. The execution? Maybe that’s where I got lost. I loved everything about the apothecary. I even loved the slow unravelling of clues from Caroline’s side, but I also felt like that was the only thing that felt super fleshed out. All the details in the novel felt muddled, as though they were unclear and unformed. I also think that the end kind of undid some of the feminist points made throughout the novel, leaving kind of a sour taste in my mouth at the end.

Who Should Read This Book?

Fans of historical books that have a split POV with modern perspective
Someone looking for a cool concept over everything else
Fans of witchy history who are looking for an easy read

Content Warnings?

Pregnancy, adultery, murder, sexism, misogyny, rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, violence, abuse, child abuse, child death, death, death of parent, self-harm, suicide, suicide attempt, suicidal thoughts, terminal illness, poison, gun violence, medical trauma, classism, injury, injury detail, fire, pedophilia, incest, infertility

Post-Reading Rating: 2.75⭐️/5

I just… wanted more? I liked the concept so much but I think everything else fell pretty flat.

Final Rating: 3⭐️/5

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jkohls's review

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dark emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I think this was a very easy read. I found the book grabbed my interest very early. I sometimes struggle with the flashback books but I got into the grove with this one quickly.

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taliatalksbooks's review

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dark emotional 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? It's complicated

3.75

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner was just as good, if not better, than I expected it to be. I tried not to let all the praise surrounding the book skew my reading experience, but I can now say it was definitely well earned (not to mention how much I LOVE the cover). Historical fiction is not a favorite genre of mine, but I loved the way this story was discovered through researching the past and filling in the pieces. I think this was a really clever framework and it made the women of this story feel as though they were interacting, even if they never could have possibly met. I love a story with a good vigilante character, and this book certainly delivered. If you haven’t had a chance to read this historical fiction gem, definitely add it to your TBR.

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lyfeistrip's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

Content Warnings

kat_rowlen's review

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adventurous emotional inspiring lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

This book starts out a little slow in the beginning but quickly picks up. I loved the way the elements of Nella and Eliza’s stories from 1791 connect with Caroline’s story in modern times. This book definitely had unexpected twists that kept you guessing until the end

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spootilious's review

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adventurous dark sad medium-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? It's complicated

2.0

Read: December 13, 2022

Title: The Lost Apothecary

Author: Sarah Penner

Genre: Historical Fiction

Rating: 2/5

Review:

I really wanted to love this book. I went into it excited about the history, adventure and the numerous female main characters. What was there not to love regarding a story about a woman who runs an apothecary that helps women murder men that have jaded them?

First thing I noticed is that present day main character is extremely melodramatic and puts far too much of her self-worth on whether or not she can have a baby. Then Nella, one of the main characters in the late 1700s is mirrored in this… along with one of her clients. It felt as if each of these women portrayed themselves as useless if they could not have a child. I suppose this makes sense in the 1700s for the wealthy but rubbed me the wrong way.

One the opposite side, every man in this story (with the exception of the bachelor that goes mud larking and the bookshop attendant (that may or may not end up murdered, so I rather not count him)) are all described in disgusting manners and are outright manipulative, feral, or aggressive. While I understand why this is the case I would have liked to see one (supporting) male character to cling to and be reminded that not all men are that terrible.

I also found the story to be extremely predictable along with the ‘happy’ ending that felt far too unrealistic. It wasn’t HOW everyone was saved but rather that they were saved. I think the story would have had more substance if there were consequences to the actions of our main characters rather than these happy endings (specifically Eliza and Nella).

Overall, the 2-star rating is taking into account that I can see why others like it. The premise is good, the message of choosing yourself, and your passion, over what society would force upon you is great. The book has a steady pace and is easy to read. Those that want to get into historical fiction or just enjoy slice of life reads would enjoy this. It is simply not for me.

Quotes:

N/A

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