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georgiaguyer's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
mo_loves_books's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The accent work is *chef's kiss*
la_1224's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
asreadbykat's review
3.0
True Rating: 3.75/5 Stars
Content/Trigger Warnings: Mention/Discussion of self-inflicted abortion, descriptions of violence and surgery, mild descriptions of gore
Initial Thoughts: I enjoyed the first book in this duology, "Anatomy," enough that I was curious how this sequel would go. Despite the synopsis on the book jacket, I was hopeful that the work would be more about Hazel and her aspirations rather than the love story between her and Jack. In a way, I was right; but even though I did get that, I also got more of the love story than I wanted, although one call back did have me laughing again.
What I Disliked:
The Love Story
I will admit it: I wasn't a fan of Hazel and Jack in the first book, I wasn't a huge fan here. At least the rushed romance in the first book had the excuse of being a first, inexperienced love kind of thing. But reading about Hazel missing Jack and how much she loved him when, to the reader, she had only known him for such a long time -as an adult, it got very annoying and I was happy whenever we moved away from it. I was more interested in the secret society, Hazel's new position, and the princess's plans than I was by the romance. Despite "A Love Story" being in the title I feel like it shouldn't refer to the actual romance, because for me the REAL love story should be Hazel and her interest in surgery. Anything else should just fade to the background.
The Pacing
Honestly, at first this book is decently paced; I had absolutely no problems with the pacing until we got to the last third or so -when Jack shows up, and suddenly everything with Beecham, the reunion with Jack, the dilemma with the princess, the secrets of the society -all of them are rushed through so fast it just felt underwhelming. Which is disappointing, because I was really enjoying the book up until that point.
"Surgeon"
Hazel is referred to as a surgeon or physician throughout the novel. Yet after the first hundred or so pages, we don't really get much of that. We get a couple of mentions of it here and there, a lot of mentions of a book she's working on -but for the majority of the novel, she's not really seen working as a surgeon or studying for it. It's all mentioned in passing. And yes, I know, female physicians were disregarded at that time, but still. She could have at least started doing in London what she had done in Edinburgh.
What I Liked:
The Initial Focus
The first 3/4s of the book are almost completely focused on Hazel and her interests and plights, and it made the story so much more interesting. I learned more about Hazel as a character in this sequel than I did in the first novel. In "Anatomy," all I knew was she was a girl who wanted to be a surgeon. Here, we actually get to see that side of her. We can see her using her brain to solve problems, or to think things through. We can truly see how much she cares about what she does, and the kind of personality she has. As much as the last fourth of the book frustrated me, the majority of the story was just what I wanted and I only wish I had gotten more of it.
The Historical Mentions/Uses
The author brings in a lot of famous historical figures, facts, and events during the book. Not all of them are factual (some are explained in the author's note at the end of the novel) but it was fun seeing some familiar names pop up. I greatly enjoyed a joke about Keats made by a certain famous poet, and the names and ideas I didn't recognize interested me enough to look them up. It makes sense to make references like these when discussing immortality, and I enjoyed the way the author did that here.
The Graveyard Callback
As much as I wasn't a big fan of the romance, anyone who's read the first book will likely recall a very specific scene in a grave in a kirkyard. There's a callback to that in this book that I appreciated as much as I laughed at it. I have to give the author some kudos; she's consistent.
The Writing
Despite the story itself being a bit disappointing in some aspects, the author's style and voice is still one that I very much enjoy. You can tell she's writing just to enjoy telling her story, which means the story is very easy and fun to read.
Final Thoughts:
I enjoyed this sequel more than I enjoyed the first book, but there were still aspects that I didn't enjoy in the first one that carried over to this one. However, it's still a solid read and I definitely recommend it if you enjoyed the first novel.
Content/Trigger Warnings: Mention/Discussion of self-inflicted abortion, descriptions of violence and surgery, mild descriptions of gore
Initial Thoughts: I enjoyed the first book in this duology, "Anatomy," enough that I was curious how this sequel would go. Despite the synopsis on the book jacket, I was hopeful that the work would be more about Hazel and her aspirations rather than the love story between her and Jack. In a way, I was right; but even though I did get that, I also got more of the love story than I wanted, although one call back did have me laughing again.
What I Disliked:
The Love Story
I will admit it: I wasn't a fan of Hazel and Jack in the first book, I wasn't a huge fan here. At least the rushed romance in the first book had the excuse of being a first, inexperienced love kind of thing. But reading about Hazel missing Jack and how much she loved him when, to the reader, she had only known him for such a long time -as an adult, it got very annoying and I was happy whenever we moved away from it. I was more interested in the secret society, Hazel's new position, and the princess's plans than I was by the romance. Despite "A Love Story" being in the title I feel like it shouldn't refer to the actual romance, because for me the REAL love story should be Hazel and her interest in surgery. Anything else should just fade to the background.
The Pacing
Honestly, at first this book is decently paced; I had absolutely no problems with the pacing until we got to the last third or so -when Jack shows up, and suddenly everything with Beecham, the reunion with Jack, the dilemma with the princess, the secrets of the society -all of them are rushed through so fast it just felt underwhelming. Which is disappointing, because I was really enjoying the book up until that point.
"Surgeon"
Hazel is referred to as a surgeon or physician throughout the novel. Yet after the first hundred or so pages, we don't really get much of that. We get a couple of mentions of it here and there, a lot of mentions of a book she's working on -but for the majority of the novel, she's not really seen working as a surgeon or studying for it. It's all mentioned in passing. And yes, I know, female physicians were disregarded at that time, but still. She could have at least started doing in London what she had done in Edinburgh.
What I Liked:
The Initial Focus
The first 3/4s of the book are almost completely focused on Hazel and her interests and plights, and it made the story so much more interesting. I learned more about Hazel as a character in this sequel than I did in the first novel. In "Anatomy," all I knew was she was a girl who wanted to be a surgeon. Here, we actually get to see that side of her. We can see her using her brain to solve problems, or to think things through. We can truly see how much she cares about what she does, and the kind of personality she has. As much as the last fourth of the book frustrated me, the majority of the story was just what I wanted and I only wish I had gotten more of it.
The Historical Mentions/Uses
The author brings in a lot of famous historical figures, facts, and events during the book. Not all of them are factual (some are explained in the author's note at the end of the novel) but it was fun seeing some familiar names pop up. I greatly enjoyed a joke about Keats made by a certain famous poet, and the names and ideas I didn't recognize interested me enough to look them up. It makes sense to make references like these when discussing immortality, and I enjoyed the way the author did that here.
The Graveyard Callback
As much as I wasn't a big fan of the romance, anyone who's read the first book will likely recall a very specific scene in a grave in a kirkyard. There's a callback to that in this book that I appreciated as much as I laughed at it. I have to give the author some kudos; she's consistent.
The Writing
Despite the story itself being a bit disappointing in some aspects, the author's style and voice is still one that I very much enjoy. You can tell she's writing just to enjoy telling her story, which means the story is very easy and fun to read.
Final Thoughts:
I enjoyed this sequel more than I enjoyed the first book, but there were still aspects that I didn't enjoy in the first one that carried over to this one. However, it's still a solid read and I definitely recommend it if you enjoyed the first novel.
bookish_withsky's review
3.0
Once again, we follow Hazel Sinnett, an aspiring surgeon. She’s convinced that the events that took place a year before were all in her imagination, though she can’t stop herself from looking for Jack within each and every crowd. Once she’s arrested after saving a life, Hazel gets the opportunity to work with the Princess, Charlotte, who is very sick. She becomes more and more entangled in the court and still can’t stop her heart from searching for the person she loves most.
I absolutely adored the first novel and rated it five stars. That being said, I did not enjoy this one as much as I had hoped that I would.
Let’s begin with the pros: Hazel and other characters that we know and love are here and we do get some answers the questions the first book left us with. I love novels that have a bit of political intrigue and this book did delve into that a bit, which was pretty fun. I enjoyed the plot itself in general.
Here are the cons: The atmosphere felt a bit off and slightly different from the first one in a way that I struggled with. I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the first and felt out of place in the story with this one. There’s also a character that I felt acted differently, though still probably logically. They just didn’t show up when I thought that they would. I had hoped that I was going into the second novel to see an active search or a quick reunion, but that didn’t happen until half way, if not slightly over, through the book. I can see why the choices were made the way that they were, I just didn’t personally enjoy it. There’s also a bit of a love triangle that felt weird in this one, especially since we had one in the last book too.
Overall, it’s a good book. I can’t deny that it’s as good as the first. I was just hoping for a different outcome and dont fully agree with quite a few of the choices made.
I absolutely adored the first novel and rated it five stars. That being said, I did not enjoy this one as much as I had hoped that I would.
Let’s begin with the pros: Hazel and other characters that we know and love are here and we do get some answers the questions the first book left us with. I love novels that have a bit of political intrigue and this book did delve into that a bit, which was pretty fun. I enjoyed the plot itself in general.
Here are the cons: The atmosphere felt a bit off and slightly different from the first one in a way that I struggled with. I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the first and felt out of place in the story with this one. There’s also a character that I felt acted differently, though still probably logically. They just didn’t show up when I thought that they would. I had hoped that I was going into the second novel to see an active search or a quick reunion, but that didn’t happen until half way, if not slightly over, through the book. I can see why the choices were made the way that they were, I just didn’t personally enjoy it. There’s also a bit of a love triangle that felt weird in this one, especially since we had one in the last book too.
Overall, it’s a good book. I can’t deny that it’s as good as the first. I was just hoping for a different outcome and dont fully agree with quite a few of the choices made.
elektrifried's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
maivalentine's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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? No
3.0
lisas_library_factory's review
4.0
As I was very intrigued by the first part of Dana Schwartz's Duology, I was very much looking foreward to continue with the story.
I especially liked the mixture of a crime mystery, a Gothic and horror tale with elements of a love
story. This time, we even have a bit of a love triangle, which gave the plot an interesting twist. However, what I still find most fascinating about Schwartz's books is the illustration of the role of women in the mid-19th century and how they tried to overcome the obstacles of their time. She furthermore introduces us to many "real" historical characters and thus gives the reader the inspiration to lear more about these people.
Somehow, I liked the first book a bit better than the first, also because the ending was a bit too clichée for my liking. However, both books are very much worth reading, also for a more "mature" readership.
I especially liked the mixture of a crime mystery, a Gothic and horror tale with elements of a love
story. This time, we even have a bit of a love triangle, which gave the plot an interesting twist. However, what I still find most fascinating about Schwartz's books is the illustration of the role of women in the mid-19th century and how they tried to overcome the obstacles of their time. She furthermore introduces us to many "real" historical characters and thus gives the reader the inspiration to lear more about these people.
Somehow, I liked the first book a bit better than the first, also because the ending was a bit too clichée for my liking. However, both books are very much worth reading, also for a more "mature" readership.