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foxonabook's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy and Miscarriage
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Pedophilia and Child abuse
louisegraveyard's review against another edition
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Miscarriage
Minor: Child abuse and Pedophilia
wallflovver's review against another edition
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
there's something about this book that had me absolutely hooked, i was spending my days looking forward to unravelling more of this story as soon as i had the chance.
im a sucker for female friendship stories, especially ones where the two seemingly have nobody else and grow together, making their days less lonely and filled with light.
i especially loved the imagery of foxes following Fleetwood, to represent her bond with Alice even when they are apart.
i generally disliked the male characters, and felt great sympathy for the women in this story. as is true for women at the time, the society they lived in cost them their lives.
the mix of fiction and historical fact in this book was really interesting, i enjoyed the way it was presented.
the writing style was really nice and easy to consume, i got thru this book really quickly and had no issues with understanding the story and its plot points
overall i was completely gripped by this story and was pleased with the ending
im a sucker for female friendship stories, especially ones where the two seemingly have nobody else and grow together, making their days less lonely and filled with light.
i generally disliked the male characters, and felt great sympathy for the women in this story. as is true for women at the time, the society they lived in cost them their lives.
the mix of fiction and historical fact in this book was really interesting, i enjoyed the way it was presented.
the writing style was really nice and easy to consume, i got thru this book really quickly and had no issues with understanding the story and its plot points
overall i was completely gripped by this story and was pleased with the ending
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death and Vomit
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault
raemow's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child death, Confinement, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Infertility, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Vomit
andrea_carroll123's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Infertility, Infidelity, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death of parent, Medical content, Pedophilia, Confinement, and Gore
nataliaf4's review
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
5 stars! This book gripped me from cover to cover. I adored the characters and gothic setting and the main friendship in this is one of my favorite literary female/female friendships to date!
TW: descriptions of miscarriage and stillbirth, animal death, gaslighting, blood, and mentions of sexual abuse of a minor.
TW: descriptions of miscarriage and stillbirth, animal death, gaslighting, blood, and mentions of sexual abuse of a minor.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Murder, Blood, Animal death, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Sexism, Misogyny, and Infertility
Minor: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Pedophilia
btrz7's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Infidelity, and Miscarriage
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Pedophilia, Rape, Religious bigotry, and Sexual assault
quietkristina's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Cross-posted from my blog: http://quietandbusy.blogspot.com
For my next read, I decided to carry on with my StoryGraph Onboarding Challenge. My next prompt was to "read a book that you find using the filter that has two moods attached and excludes a genre." After a little consideration, I set the site's filters to find me a dark and emotional book that was not a fantasy. I had been noticing that a lot of my recommendations leaned in the fantasy direction (which makes since, given my usual preferences) and I wanted to see what else StoryGraph thought I might like. It gave me The Familiars by Stacey Hall. I'd never heard of this historical fiction novel before, but its summary sounded interesting enough to give it a try. Curious to see if this would actually be a good recommendation for me, I got started.
The novel is set in England in the year 1612. A young noblewoman named Fleetwood Shuttleworth is pregnant, and quite worried. She's had several miscarriages in the past and is desperate to bring a child to term. Her husband Richard is longing for an heir and she feels as if she's failing in her fundamental duty as a wife. To make matters worse, Fleetwood recently found a letter in her husband's papers from her doctor containing disturbing news. The doctor believes that Fleetwood won't survive another pregnancy. Richard never chose to share this with her, leaving her hurt at the idea that her husband places producing an heir over her own safety and health. As a result, there's quite a bit of tension in the air, which is only exacerbated by recent accusations of witchcraft that have swept through her village. Claims have been made against several women and many arrests have taken place. An unsettled and spooky feeling has pervaded the town, leaving everyone on edge.
One morning, on a walk through the woods on her property, Fleetwood meets a curious young woman named Alice Grey. Alice is a midwife, and after she proves her medical skill, Fleetwood is convinced that she is the best person to help her deliver a healthy baby. She agrees to help Fleetwood, but their arrangement is thrown into disarray when Alice is later accused of witchcraft and taken away to prison. Concerned for the lives of her baby, herself, and her new friend, Fleetwood sets out to do all she can to clear Alice's name, even if that means breaking all conventions and putting herself and her marriage at risk to do so.
This story is set against the backdrop of the real Pendle Hill Witch Trials, and many of the characters are based on actual people from that time. Fleetwood and Alice are both actual names that Halls pulled from the historical record, although their words and actions in the story are entirely fictional. Records from this time period are sparse, so The Familiars takes a lot of artistic liberties. It does, however get a lot of information about witchcraft accusations and trials right. I was reminded of Stacy Schiff's The Witches, which I read back in October; while that novel was set in Salem, a lot of the details were similar. It was cool to see history blend into the fictional story. I think Halls did a good job in that respect.
Overall, I was consistently entertained while reading, although I did feel like the pacing was a bit slow at times. I also couldn't stand Fleetwood's husband Roger. His behavior throughout the story was pretty awful and I never felt like he truly got what he deserved. I found myself wishing there was more of a romantic storyline to enjoy as well. Something about reading historical fiction makes me want a strong love interest, and that wasn't part of this story. Of course, that's more of a personal preference than a criticism of the book. It is true though that I struggled to find a relationship among the characters that I truly felt invested in. Fleetwood and Alice's friendship was okay, but it was a bit rushed. Aside from those small issues though, this was a solid book and I enjoyed it. I'm finding that I don't have much to say beyond that. It was good.
As far as the StoryGraph aspect of the challenge goes, I think its filters did do a good job of giving me what I asked for. The Familiars was dark and emotional, and it wasn't a fantasy story. I will definitely be able to use the website to help me find recommendations for mood reading in the future, so I'm glad I gave this prompt a try.
For my next read, I decided to carry on with my StoryGraph Onboarding Challenge. My next prompt was to "read a book that you find using the filter that has two moods attached and excludes a genre." After a little consideration, I set the site's filters to find me a dark and emotional book that was not a fantasy. I had been noticing that a lot of my recommendations leaned in the fantasy direction (which makes since, given my usual preferences) and I wanted to see what else StoryGraph thought I might like. It gave me The Familiars by Stacey Hall. I'd never heard of this historical fiction novel before, but its summary sounded interesting enough to give it a try. Curious to see if this would actually be a good recommendation for me, I got started.
The novel is set in England in the year 1612. A young noblewoman named Fleetwood Shuttleworth is pregnant, and quite worried. She's had several miscarriages in the past and is desperate to bring a child to term. Her husband Richard is longing for an heir and she feels as if she's failing in her fundamental duty as a wife. To make matters worse, Fleetwood recently found a letter in her husband's papers from her doctor containing disturbing news. The doctor believes that Fleetwood won't survive another pregnancy. Richard never chose to share this with her, leaving her hurt at the idea that her husband places producing an heir over her own safety and health. As a result, there's quite a bit of tension in the air, which is only exacerbated by recent accusations of witchcraft that have swept through her village. Claims have been made against several women and many arrests have taken place. An unsettled and spooky feeling has pervaded the town, leaving everyone on edge.
One morning, on a walk through the woods on her property, Fleetwood meets a curious young woman named Alice Grey. Alice is a midwife, and after she proves her medical skill, Fleetwood is convinced that she is the best person to help her deliver a healthy baby. She agrees to help Fleetwood, but their arrangement is thrown into disarray when Alice is later accused of witchcraft and taken away to prison. Concerned for the lives of her baby, herself, and her new friend, Fleetwood sets out to do all she can to clear Alice's name, even if that means breaking all conventions and putting herself and her marriage at risk to do so.
This story is set against the backdrop of the real Pendle Hill Witch Trials, and many of the characters are based on actual people from that time. Fleetwood and Alice are both actual names that Halls pulled from the historical record, although their words and actions in the story are entirely fictional. Records from this time period are sparse, so The Familiars takes a lot of artistic liberties. It does, however get a lot of information about witchcraft accusations and trials right. I was reminded of Stacy Schiff's The Witches, which I read back in October; while that novel was set in Salem, a lot of the details were similar. It was cool to see history blend into the fictional story. I think Halls did a good job in that respect.
Overall, I was consistently entertained while reading, although I did feel like the pacing was a bit slow at times. I also couldn't stand Fleetwood's husband Roger. His behavior throughout the story was pretty awful and I never felt like he truly got what he deserved. I found myself wishing there was more of a romantic storyline to enjoy as well. Something about reading historical fiction makes me want a strong love interest, and that wasn't part of this story. Of course, that's more of a personal preference than a criticism of the book. It is true though that I struggled to find a relationship among the characters that I truly felt invested in. Fleetwood and Alice's friendship was okay, but it was a bit rushed. Aside from those small issues though, this was a solid book and I enjoyed it. I'm finding that I don't have much to say beyond that. It was good.
As far as the StoryGraph aspect of the challenge goes, I think its filters did do a good job of giving me what I asked for. The Familiars was dark and emotional, and it wasn't a fantasy story. I will definitely be able to use the website to help me find recommendations for mood reading in the future, so I'm glad I gave this prompt a try.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage
Minor: Pedophilia
flopsiful's review against another edition
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage
Minor: Pedophilia and Sexual assault
More...