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anoelle896's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Chronic illness, Blood, Gore, Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Death
Minor: Physical abuse, Classism, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Self harm, Violence, Vomit, Body shaming, and Alcohol
nutmegandpumpkin's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.25
My favorite characters were Thaddeus the Library ghost who was only in two brief scenes and Blythe who didn’t get nearly enough scenes or dialogue if that tells you anything
•
I’ll give credit where credit is due: the murder mystery was done really well and was the only reason I kept reading & wanted to finish the book (Blythe being at the center of it and being a favorite character of mine also helped me finish the book). I genuinely had fun trying to solve the mystery occurring at the Hawthorne Estate but sadly I was too often overcome with a rage at the cons the book had that the fun never lasted long.
First off, I did not care AT ALL about Signa. I found her to be an annoying, boring halfwit of a protagonist. Which is confusing because surely a character who cannot die, can speak to death & spirits, AND has powers wouldn’t be boring. But alas. There were also so many instances where I found myself rolling my eyes at Signa’s decisions; I didn’t understand her complete idiocy when things felt so obvious they were staring her right in the face. Because I didn’t care about Signa, anything that didn’t have to do with the murder mystery such as her debut into high society or her interaction with her love interest(s) made me want to rip my hair out. Okay that’s dramatic, I just was uninterested and wanted the plot to get back to the murder mystery portion. Other than Blythe, I enjoyed the characters of Lillian, Thaddeus, and the Apothecary woman (mostly side characters).
Second, Death and Signa’s relationship gave me the ick. Like I can often overlook immortal beings that are thousands of years old with a 19 yr old but the way Adalyn Grace writes their relationship feels so gross and weird. Death first meets Signa when she’s just been freshly birthed and then watches her grow up and then gets into a sexual/intimate relationship with her. Normally I would mark this as a spoiler but it is SO obvious from the start that they will eventually be hot for each other. Not only does Death first lay eyes on Signa was she is a wee little baby but Adalyn Grace MULTIPLE TIMES MIND YOU describes Death as speaking to Signa as “if she were a child.” It just made me so uncomfortable and I’m sure I cringed through all their scenes together.
Third, one of the supposedly biggest reveals (other than the murder mystery) was extremely obvious. So obvious that I predicted it by Chapter 3, page 24. The actual reveal wasn’t until Chapter 43, page 372.The reveal I’m talking about is Sylas being Death
I was majorly disappointed with this book. I was hoping for more ghosts and a more likable protagonist but didn’t get either.
I’ll give credit where credit is due: the murder mystery was done really well and was the only reason I kept reading & wanted to finish the book (Blythe being at the center of it and being a favorite character of mine also helped me finish the book). I genuinely had fun trying to solve the mystery occurring at the Hawthorne Estate but sadly I was too often overcome with a rage at the cons the book had that the fun never lasted long.
First off, I did not care AT ALL about Signa. I found her to be an annoying, boring halfwit of a protagonist. Which is confusing because surely a character who cannot die, can speak to death & spirits, AND has powers wouldn’t be boring. But alas. There were also so many instances where I found myself rolling my eyes at Signa’s decisions; I didn’t understand her complete idiocy when things felt so obvious they were staring her right in the face. Because I didn’t care about Signa, anything that didn’t have to do with the murder mystery such as her debut into high society or her interaction with her love interest(s) made me want to rip my hair out. Okay that’s dramatic, I just was uninterested and wanted the plot to get back to the murder mystery portion. Other than Blythe, I enjoyed the characters of Lillian, Thaddeus, and the Apothecary woman (mostly side characters).
Second, Death and Signa’s relationship gave me the ick. Like I can often overlook immortal beings that are thousands of years old with a 19 yr old but the way Adalyn Grace writes their relationship feels so gross and weird. Death first meets Signa when she’s just been freshly birthed and then watches her grow up and then gets into a sexual/intimate relationship with her. Normally I would mark this as a spoiler but it is SO obvious from the start that they will eventually be hot for each other. Not only does Death first lay eyes on Signa was she is a wee little baby but Adalyn Grace MULTIPLE TIMES MIND YOU describes Death as speaking to Signa as “if she were a child.” It just made me so uncomfortable and I’m sure I cringed through all their scenes together.
Third, one of the supposedly biggest reveals (other than the murder mystery) was extremely obvious. So obvious that I predicted it by Chapter 3, page 24. The actual reveal wasn’t until Chapter 43, page 372.
I was majorly disappointed with this book. I was hoping for more ghosts and a more likable protagonist but didn’t get either.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Animal death
Minor: Suicide attempt, Child abuse, and Medical content
foldingthepage_kayleigh's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-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
4.5
I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to get to this one! A dark romantasy with an intriguing mystery that I absolutely devoured. That cliffhanger ending, along with some unresolved plot points, makes me wish that the second book in this series could come sooner! the only thing I didn’t really like was the resolution of the mystery. I thought it happened so quickly and I didn’t buy into the culprit.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Death, Murder, Body horror, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, and Grief
kbairbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
5.0
This was so much fun! A murder mystery that wasn’t scary?? I love it! Dark, and at times creepy, but filled with love and family and so much fun. And that ending?! Oh my gosh. I loved the ending so freaking much. I can’t wait for Foxglove!! Although I thought for a bit maybe book two would focus on the mystery of her origin? But oof I seriously loved how it ended and all the final ‘battle scenes’ if you will. Mysterious, deadly, and oh so good.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Blood, Vomit, Death, Murder, Death of parent, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcohol and Sexual content
asipofcozy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.5
What an absolute page-turner full of horror, murder, dark mystery, Victorian-era setting, and intrigue.
I have read quite a few YA fantasy murder mysteries, especially from Kerri Mansiscalco; However, if I would have to compare Adalyn Grace's ability to keep me enraptured and guessing over authors, I would choose Grace hands down.
I picked this book up for three reasons:
1. the main character can see spirits and commune with death
2. the gothic vibes
3. a murder mystery
And it hit all so perfectly.
Signa is by far a perfect character. In fact, her flaws are what make her so intriguing. You can see how she struggles with wanting to be this perfect Victorian lady. Yet when she gets that opportunity, she struggles with how confining and suffocating it actually is. It's that struggle of following society - especially a society where etiquette is everything - and being her own person.
More important to me was the murder mystery. The actual murder was on my "list of suspects" but Adalyn Grace does a marvelous job at throwing off the tracks of the murder. You feel like you are constantly second-guessing your choices. That's what a murder mystery should be!
I cannot wait for Foxglove in August because oh man that ending!
I have read quite a few YA fantasy murder mysteries, especially from Kerri Mansiscalco; However, if I would have to compare Adalyn Grace's ability to keep me enraptured and guessing over authors, I would choose Grace hands down.
I picked this book up for three reasons:
1. the main character can see spirits and commune with death
2. the gothic vibes
3. a murder mystery
And it hit all so perfectly.
Signa is by far a perfect character. In fact, her flaws are what make her so intriguing. You can see how she struggles with wanting to be this perfect Victorian lady. Yet when she gets that opportunity, she struggles with how confining and suffocating it actually is. It's that struggle of following society - especially a society where etiquette is everything - and being her own person.
More important to me was the murder mystery. The actual murder was on my "list of suspects" but Adalyn Grace does a marvelous job at throwing off the tracks of the murder. You feel like you are constantly second-guessing your choices. That's what a murder mystery should be!
I cannot wait for Foxglove in August because oh man that ending!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Gore, Death of parent, Classism, Violence, Emotional abuse, Death, Grief, Murder, Body horror, and Blood
Minor: Sexual content
headinthepages's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I usually struggle with the pacing that often comes with a historical/gothic fiction but this was absolutely brilliant.
I was engaged in the story as soon as I started reading and found the style of writing, characters & dialogue particularly good.
I loved the plot and was very much along for the ride. I loved Death as a character and can’t wait to find out what happens in Foxglove!
I was engaged in the story as soon as I started reading and found the style of writing, characters & dialogue particularly good.
I loved the plot and was very much along for the ride. I loved Death as a character and can’t wait to find out what happens in Foxglove!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Vomit, Abandonment, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Infertility, Alcoholism, Medical content, Miscarriage, Blood, Grief, Gore, Child death, and Infidelity
seraphina2000's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Grief, Alcoholism, Body horror, Blood, Death, and Death of parent
novelty_reads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
If you ever wanted a Tim Burton-esque YA book, look no further than Belladonna.
This book had everything my gothic romance loving heart could've ever wanted. From the very first page in arguably one of the best prologues I've read in YA, I was hooked. I was obsessed. Everything jumped from the page and felt so real.
Belladonna follows Signa Farrow, an orphan girl with a unique ability to communicate with Death. When one of her relatives dies, she is brought to Thorn Grove, the residence of her last remaining family. When the wife of the patriarch of the house appears and claims she was poisoned, Signa enlists the help of stable hand, Sylas to find out the killer, fearing they might strike again.
The very first thing that jumped out for me was the writing style. This book is gloriously thematic and aesthetic and I was in awe of how the ambience was built up so well from page one. The book flowed so easily, the progression of events feeling so natural and rich with description. From the very start we discover the unfortunate circumstances that lead to Signa's orphanhood and her relationship with the mysterious figure, Death who she's tried seeking out since her parents died when she was a baby. Layering and backstory really enabled a deeper understanding of her character and I loved reading about her on the page. She was a lonely, sad, yet kind main character who was just seeking friendship, a thing she had the misfortune of never experiencing. Her characterisation was one of the best elements of the book.
We also got a lot of backstory and depth to the side characters which was a delightful touch. I found myself connecting to Blythe, Percy, Elijah, Marjorie and Sylas and I enjoyed the moments when Signa was alone with them so we could understand them better.
The one thing that brought this book down a bit rating wise was how predictable some parts of the book were. I predicted the storyline between Sylas and Death from the very start, thinking how strange it was that these characters were never seen together nor seen by anyone other than Signa. I just wished we had more emotional scenes between them so that I could connect to their characters a bit more.
That being said, I am confident the connections between all characters would further develop in book two. This book, especially the ending has left me wanting more and I'm so excited to read Foxglove as soon as it releases.
ACTUAL RATING: 4.4 STARS
If you ever wanted a Tim Burton-esque YA book, look no further than Belladonna.
This book had everything my gothic romance loving heart could've ever wanted. From the very first page in arguably one of the best prologues I've read in YA, I was hooked. I was obsessed. Everything jumped from the page and felt so real.
Belladonna follows Signa Farrow, an orphan girl with a unique ability to communicate with Death. When one of her relatives dies, she is brought to Thorn Grove, the residence of her last remaining family. When the wife of the patriarch of the house appears and claims she was poisoned, Signa enlists the help of stable hand, Sylas to find out the killer, fearing they might strike again.
The very first thing that jumped out for me was the writing style. This book is gloriously thematic and aesthetic and I was in awe of how the ambience was built up so well from page one. The book flowed so easily, the progression of events feeling so natural and rich with description. From the very start we discover the unfortunate circumstances that lead to Signa's orphanhood and her relationship with the mysterious figure, Death who she's tried seeking out since her parents died when she was a baby. Layering and backstory really enabled a deeper understanding of her character and I loved reading about her on the page. She was a lonely, sad, yet kind main character who was just seeking friendship, a thing she had the misfortune of never experiencing. Her characterisation was one of the best elements of the book.
We also got a lot of backstory and depth to the side characters which was a delightful touch. I found myself connecting to Blythe, Percy, Elijah, Marjorie and Sylas and I enjoyed the moments when Signa was alone with them so we could understand them better.
The one thing that brought this book down a bit rating wise was how predictable some parts of the book were. I predicted the storyline between Sylas and Death from the very start, thinking how strange it was that these characters were never seen together nor seen by anyone other than Signa. I just wished we had more emotional scenes between them so that I could connect to their characters a bit more.
That being said, I am confident the connections between all characters would further develop in book two. This book, especially the ending has left me wanting more and I'm so excited to read Foxglove as soon as it releases.
ACTUAL RATING: 4.4 STARS
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Murder, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Blood, and Body horror
isabelleroyall's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Death
Minor: Blood and Grief
thecatconstellation's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A murder mystery wrapped up in a Death-as-romantic-interest bow. I definitely enjoyed this read, and there were enough twists and turns to keep it interesting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Vomit, Terminal illness, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body horror, Grief, and Violence
Minor: Classism, Sexual content, Blood, Gore, and Pregnancy