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Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'
A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari
3 reviews
_kaylinconn's review
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
3.25
3.25/5 stars!
A charming debut! While I have some critiques I’ll mention, I do think this a fun book. The pace is constant, there are real threats, a mystery to solve, and some lovable characters with intriguing histories. There is a true love for botany that shines through the novel, and it’s always amazing to see someone’s passion!
That being said, I think most of the critiques I have can be summed up with the simple knowledge that this is a debut novel. Things like lack of tension or some predictable twists will probably become less of an issue for this author as she hones in her craft.
I do appreciate the representation for both women in these fields and soldiers suffering from PTSD in a time where it wasn’t acknowledged at such. I think these elements would have hit harder had we felt more developed in the time era. Saffron and Alexander felt a bit like modern characters dropped in the past, rather than living members of the 1920s.
My biggest issue is the lack of tension. Even when we are in scenes that should be stressful, there’s this underlying mellowness to the writing that seems to steal all that away from us. And the characters are so overtly lucky that there really isn’t a fear of them not succeeding.
As with the plot itself… it felt rather disappointing. The killers were fairly obvious, and were brought up far too early. Dr Berking is established as a bad man within the first page when we get Saffron’s fear of his presence, so to have him be such a large part of the crime felt cheap. And how the crime actually happened didn’t get explained, given it happened in a crowded room where multiple sets of eyes were on him yet he remained unseen while he put the poison in? And allllll of this for embezzlement? The crime they were hiding didn’t feel like a worthy cause for a character to consider homicide. I also feel as though lots of the side characters weren’t used to their true potential, and I don’t think their endings make much sense - even if they got them. Both Eris and Snyder could have made intriguing red herrings or actual villains, yet only worked for their one scene of fame.
While a charming book, I just felt like it needed life. It felt like words on a page and not a story. But again, it was easy to read and I enjoyed Saffron and Alexander’s dynamic.
A charming debut! While I have some critiques I’ll mention, I do think this a fun book. The pace is constant, there are real threats, a mystery to solve, and some lovable characters with intriguing histories. There is a true love for botany that shines through the novel, and it’s always amazing to see someone’s passion!
That being said, I think most of the critiques I have can be summed up with the simple knowledge that this is a debut novel. Things like lack of tension or some predictable twists will probably become less of an issue for this author as she hones in her craft.
I do appreciate the representation for both women in these fields and soldiers suffering from PTSD in a time where it wasn’t acknowledged at such. I think these elements would have hit harder had we felt more developed in the time era. Saffron and Alexander felt a bit like modern characters dropped in the past, rather than living members of the 1920s.
My biggest issue is the lack of tension. Even when we are in scenes that should be stressful, there’s this underlying mellowness to the writing that seems to steal all that away from us. And the characters are so overtly lucky that there really isn’t a fear of them not succeeding.
As with the plot itself… it felt rather disappointing. The killers were fairly obvious, and were brought up far too early. Dr Berking is established as a bad man within the first page when we get Saffron’s fear of his presence, so to have him be such a large part of the crime felt cheap. And how the crime actually happened didn’t get explained, given it happened in a crowded room where multiple sets of eyes were on him yet he remained unseen while he put the poison in? And allllll of this for embezzlement? The crime they were hiding didn’t feel like a worthy cause for a character to consider homicide. I also feel as though lots of the side characters weren’t used to their true potential, and I don’t think their endings make much sense - even if they got them. Both Eris and Snyder could have made intriguing red herrings or actual villains, yet only worked for their one scene of fame.
While a charming book, I just felt like it needed life. It felt like words on a page and not a story. But again, it was easy to read and I enjoyed Saffron and Alexander’s dynamic.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical trauma, Sexual harassment, and Death of parent
jentrythelibrarian's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Colonisation, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Violence, Mental illness, War, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
mondovertigo's review
adventurous
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Blood, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Death of parent
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