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3.41 AVERAGE
3.41 AVERAGE
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
3.5 Stars - This historical fiction follows Hetty and Lucy who are living at Lockwood Manor during WWII. Hetty is the director of the mammal exhibit that has been moved from the Natural History Museum in London to protect the animals during the war.
It was a different type of WWII book which was refreshing. The war was included in the story through the financial challenges, staffing shortages and air raids but it was not the main focus of the book. The main plot was the story of Hetty and Lucy's relationship and how Lockwood Manor impacted this. The plot was slow at times but kept me reading as I wanted to know what was causing the disturbances at the manor and see what happened to Lucy and Hetty. A great debut from this author and I will watch to see what she comes out with next.
It was a different type of WWII book which was refreshing. The war was included in the story through the financial challenges, staffing shortages and air raids but it was not the main focus of the book. The main plot was the story of Hetty and Lucy's relationship and how Lockwood Manor impacted this. The plot was slow at times but kept me reading as I wanted to know what was causing the disturbances at the manor and see what happened to Lucy and Hetty. A great debut from this author and I will watch to see what she comes out with next.
This 2020 novel is an exquisite piece of mid-century historical fiction, rich in gothic atmosphere and consideration of women's oppression within the family unit and the larger society. Our two heroines are the daughter of a wealthy household and the museum curator sent there to accompany a taxidermy collection being sheltered away from the London Blitz. Each young woman is haunted by the manor's past, in the respective forms of one's sharp childhood memories and the other's treatment by a cruel host and his cold, resentful staff. Adding to the mysteries within Lockwood, personal items are going missing and the animals seem to subtly move whenever no one is looking.
For all the creepiness, however, the main appeal of this narrative is probably in the tender bond between its two protagonists, which eventually blossoms into full romance. I won't give away whether the ghosts are real or not, but the complex psychological horror makes this book like a sapphic version of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, and marks debut author Jane Healey as a clear talent to watch.
(I do wish the audiobook had employed two different readers or even just two different accents to help distinguish between the main characters, but since their chapters alternate back-and-forth, it's generally not too difficult to keep track of which is which. And that's obviously a critique of the audio production, not necessarily of the source text itself.)
[Content warning for gaslighting, child abuse, implied homophobia, and institutionalization.]
--Subscribe at https://patreon.com/lesserjoke to support these reviews and weigh in on what I read next!--
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter
For all the creepiness, however, the main appeal of this narrative is probably in the tender bond between its two protagonists, which eventually blossoms into full romance. I won't give away whether the ghosts are real or not, but the complex psychological horror makes this book like a sapphic version of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, and marks debut author Jane Healey as a clear talent to watch.
(I do wish the audiobook had employed two different readers or even just two different accents to help distinguish between the main characters, but since their chapters alternate back-and-forth, it's generally not too difficult to keep track of which is which. And that's obviously a critique of the audio production, not necessarily of the source text itself.)
[Content warning for gaslighting, child abuse, implied homophobia, and institutionalization.]
--Subscribe at https://patreon.com/lesserjoke to support these reviews and weigh in on what I read next!--
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-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
The level of description in this books evokes eerie imagery. But with my limited imagination I thought about Night at the Museum.
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I’ve never known a book talk so much about cleaning before
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated