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3.29 AVERAGE
3.29 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The vibes of this remind me a bit of Crimson Peak, a bit of Mike Flanagan's The Haunting of Hill House. I think I could have used it a smidge shorter--by the time we got to seeing her mother , I was ready for the story to wrap up.
I also feel that the ending could have used more balance. We spent so much time with Janefiguring out the rules of magic and how to use it , yet when it came to her death, realizing she needed to be her own ghost, and creating a new, living version of Augustine , it felt like we sped through that.
Overall I enjoyed how atmospheric this was, and Mandy Weston did a phenomenal job with the variety of voices, as well as conveying the range of Jane's emotions.
I also feel that the ending could have used more balance. We spent so much time with Jane
Overall I enjoyed how atmospheric this was, and Mandy Weston did a phenomenal job with the variety of voices, as well as conveying the range of Jane's emotions.
3.75 ⭐
Deep, dwelling introspection of what is purportedly a woman's descent into madness. A book that I would have loved to see some illustrations with-- though the cover does rock, this is true. I don't know if I would compare this to House of Leaves, as I've seen many do. I think there is a desperation here that is displacing that which would be the cosmic horror of House of Leaves.
Despite the ever-present running thoughts of the protagonist, it all begins to become muddled and lost in the last act (around Chapter 0). This is fractionally Interstellar meets Mother!, if I were to need a quick comparison that I think rings more true to the story beats.
I also spent, at minimum, the first half of this book reading it like a Dr. Harvey Stardew Valley fanfic, which overrode what might have been my feelings for Augustine.
If you, like me, had a personal crisis after playing the game Alter Ego, you'll probably appreciate this book enough for a read.
Deep, dwelling introspection of what is purportedly a woman's descent into madness. A book that I would have loved to see some illustrations with-- though the cover does rock, this is true. I don't know if I would compare this to House of Leaves, as I've seen many do. I think there is a desperation here that is displacing that which would be the cosmic horror of House of Leaves.
Despite the ever-present running thoughts of the protagonist, it all begins to become muddled and lost in the last act (around Chapter 0). This is fractionally Interstellar meets Mother!, if I were to need a quick comparison that I think rings more true to the story beats.
I also spent, at minimum, the first half of this book reading it like a Dr. Harvey Stardew Valley fanfic, which overrode what might have been my feelings for Augustine.
If you, like me, had a personal crisis after playing the game Alter Ego, you'll probably appreciate this book enough for a read.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved the tone but ultimately I think there was too much going on.
Jane, a wartime orphan past her prime is living as a ward of some family friends. When they decide to move Jane needs to find another way to provide for herself. Her solution? The town’s unmarried doctor, Augustine. He’s good on paper, he’s good on the eyes, and there’s only one catch: she can never enter his ancestral home, which he must return to every night.
THE GOOD: the prose, the gore, the gothic vibes, the seriousness with which the author regards magic - it’s intense and terrifying and never twee.
THE LESS THAN GOOD: I think it’s overwritten. There are a lot of problems bandying about in the last third of the novel that are solved in a plot twist reminiscent of a Mike Flannigan film, but less satisfying.
Also, Starling likes to put her main characters through the absolute ringer and I read two of her books back to back, which emotionally was a lot
Jane, a wartime orphan past her prime is living as a ward of some family friends. When they decide to move Jane needs to find another way to provide for herself. Her solution? The town’s unmarried doctor, Augustine. He’s good on paper, he’s good on the eyes, and there’s only one catch: she can never enter his ancestral home, which he must return to every night.
THE GOOD: the prose, the gore, the gothic vibes, the seriousness with which the author regards magic - it’s intense and terrifying and never twee.
THE LESS THAN GOOD: I think it’s overwritten. There are a lot of problems bandying about in the last third of the novel that are solved in a plot twist reminiscent of a Mike Flannigan film, but less satisfying.
Also, Starling likes to put her main characters through the absolute ringer and I read two of her books back to back, which emotionally was a lot
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
Gothic horror with emphasis on the horror. There was so much for me to enjoy here. I love the way the setting is deliberately in an alternate out-of-time era. I love the aura of unreality that permeates the story and the way it bends in on itself. I love the main character Jane; I found her compelling and I quickly got invested in her desires, her drive. Ooh I could go on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Medical content, Medical trauma
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Gore, Blood
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It was fast then it was slow then it got slower. What actually happened? Disorganized. I just wanted something to happen then when it did I was thoroughly confused and didn’t care enough to try to understand.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes