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clarabooksit's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexism, Racism, Misogyny, Murder, and Violence
noellelovesbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
***Review first posted to my blog***
Content Warning:
-Descriptions of cadavers/dead bodies
-Graverobbing/grave desecration
-Racism and sexism
-Murder, poisoning, and attempted murder
-Sexual harassment and assault
Last night I took one of those hot showers that are so hot it seems your brain turns to jelly. I was trying to figure out what I wanted to read next, which can already be a trying task when you’re a mood reader. Looking at my bookshelf and my stack of “should be read soon” I wasn’t getting any sparks. I was genuinely worried that maybe I was hitting a book slump and needed to take a few days off.
As I lay in bed I decided to go through my Kindle library and see if any of my unread books sparked my interest. Sure enough, I found myself looking at the cover of “The Impossible Girl” that’d I’d bought in the fall of 2020 and just left unread. I feel this becoming a trend, me gushing about a book that, I openly admit, I left unread for a long time. Most of the amazing books I’ve read, so far this year, have been books that have been just waiting patiently for me to read them.
Set in the late 1800s this book follows Cora, a girl of mixed heritage [daughter of a mother who was disinherited due to getting pregnant, out of wedlock, by a Chinese laborer], who was born with two hearts. To ensure her secret [her extra heart] remains secret she works as a graverobber procuring and delivering bodies with anomalies to doctors and medical colleges. By working closely with those in the medical field she’s able to make sure that no one ever mentions looking for a girl with two hearts.
I stayed up, last night, reading until my eyes could barely stay open and as soon as I had time today I dove right back in. Cora lives in constant fear of being found out, only those who’ve known her since birth know of and guard her secret. Fear of exposure has made her feel very isolated and has prevented her from making any close relationships outside of those that know her truth.
Start to finish this book had me hooked. The atmosphere, Cora herself, and all those she came into contact with had me constantly worried whether or not she could trust those around her, both new and old. This is one of those books that has me wishing to explore more of the characters and places within.
Another thing I loved to learn was that the author herself is also a physician. In the author’s notes, she mentions her time in medical school when they had to work with cadavers and how she was fascinated by the dark history of acquiring bodies for science. Honestly, I was deeply fascinated reading through the author’s note on how she was inspired by a lot of real-world events and people, some of which she mentions as characters in her book.
This was my first read from Lydia but it definitely won’t be my last. I look forward to seeing more of her writing and I definitely can see myself re-reading this book over and over.
Content Warning:
-Descriptions of cadavers/dead bodies
-Graverobbing/grave desecration
-Racism and sexism
-Murder, poisoning, and attempted murder
-Sexual harassment and assault
Last night I took one of those hot showers that are so hot it seems your brain turns to jelly. I was trying to figure out what I wanted to read next, which can already be a trying task when you’re a mood reader. Looking at my bookshelf and my stack of “should be read soon” I wasn’t getting any sparks. I was genuinely worried that maybe I was hitting a book slump and needed to take a few days off.
As I lay in bed I decided to go through my Kindle library and see if any of my unread books sparked my interest. Sure enough, I found myself looking at the cover of “The Impossible Girl” that’d I’d bought in the fall of 2020 and just left unread. I feel this becoming a trend, me gushing about a book that, I openly admit, I left unread for a long time. Most of the amazing books I’ve read, so far this year, have been books that have been just waiting patiently for me to read them.
Set in the late 1800s this book follows Cora, a girl of mixed heritage [daughter of a mother who was disinherited due to getting pregnant, out of wedlock, by a Chinese laborer], who was born with two hearts. To ensure her secret [her extra heart] remains secret she works as a graverobber procuring and delivering bodies with anomalies to doctors and medical colleges. By working closely with those in the medical field she’s able to make sure that no one ever mentions looking for a girl with two hearts.
I stayed up, last night, reading until my eyes could barely stay open and as soon as I had time today I dove right back in. Cora lives in constant fear of being found out, only those who’ve known her since birth know of and guard her secret. Fear of exposure has made her feel very isolated and has prevented her from making any close relationships outside of those that know her truth.
Start to finish this book had me hooked. The atmosphere, Cora herself, and all those she came into contact with had me constantly worried whether or not she could trust those around her, both new and old. This is one of those books that has me wishing to explore more of the characters and places within.
Another thing I loved to learn was that the author herself is also a physician. In the author’s notes, she mentions her time in medical school when they had to work with cadavers and how she was fascinated by the dark history of acquiring bodies for science. Honestly, I was deeply fascinated reading through the author’s note on how she was inspired by a lot of real-world events and people, some of which she mentions as characters in her book.
This was my first read from Lydia but it definitely won’t be my last. I look forward to seeing more of her writing and I definitely can see myself re-reading this book over and over.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
angeladams's review
dark
mysterious
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
4.5
This book was a different read for me as I don’t usually biological types of books. I read this in about a week and really enjoyed it! The twists at the end both shocked and enthralled me, would definitely recommend. Only lost half a point as some of the writing is a bit clunky and it was, in places, too anatomical and gory for me personally.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Medical content, Murder, and Sexism
thisiskrystina's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content and Death
Moderate: Pedophilia, Xenophobia, Violence, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Pregnancy, Murder, Misogyny, and Kidnapping
Minor: Homophobia, Racism, and Racial slurs
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