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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
Not quite as good as The Birth House, but still a fantastic read. I can't wait to read her next book!
This book was recommended to me because I loved The Once and Future Witches. I think the person who recommended The Virgin Cure misunderstood why I loved the other book so much. I LIKE grit and exploring trauma for sure, but I also prefer catharsis in stories. When themes like the ones in this book are explored, I need something to keep me from getting depressed by the reality of what’s written.
I did appreciate how the author didn’t shy away from facts regarding poverty, women’s experiences, and illness, I just wish it hadn’t left me feeling as hopeless as it did. It felt very immersive as far as the time period is concerned.
TW: sexual assault, domestic abuse, child abuse, racism and fetishization
I did appreciate how the author didn’t shy away from facts regarding poverty, women’s experiences, and illness, I just wish it hadn’t left me feeling as hopeless as it did. It felt very immersive as far as the time period is concerned.
TW: sexual assault, domestic abuse, child abuse, racism and fetishization
As others have said, the random bits of other writings (like from a newspaper or encyclopedia) really interrupt the story. I hope that it was only annoying for me bc I read an ebook version and that the actual physical copy isn't so poorly put together. At one point the blurb was in the middle of a conversation.
Story wise, I found it interesting. I don't read much from the later Victorian Era, so it was especially fun to read about Victorian New York City. I like that the story really sends a message about the problems that were facing the poor there.
Story wise, I found it interesting. I don't read much from the later Victorian Era, so it was especially fun to read about Victorian New York City. I like that the story really sends a message about the problems that were facing the poor there.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
To be honest, I have no idea what to rate books like these. Fictional adult books that don't really belong in any identifiable genre, that is. If it has adequate writing, an engaging character and plot, and I like it, then it becomes 5 stars. Anything that bothers me about it makes it lose a star.
So why is this 4 stars? Because the blurb was really, really through and tedious. It practically gave everything away. And the way it described the book wasn't appealing.
On a better note, I enjoyed reading from Moth's perspective, where observations are honest and refreshing and disturbing in the way it can be through a child's eyes. She draws you in with her intelligence and blunt statements about everything going on around her, about the cruelty she witnesses done to people her age, and to girls in general, about how the privileged use the lower class for their entertainment and gain. And when she got her revenge in the end against her former mistress, the reader could feel the grim satisfaction she is feeling. I liked how Moth plowed on, refusing to give up, how she doesn't linger on others' pity, and yet continued to move day to day with surprising determination.
It's amazing how this book pulls you into the story, considering the main character is an pre-adolescent girl. The people she meets, the ones that hurt her, the ones that aid her make the story all the better, with their multiple personalities, insecurities, meanness, and kindness.
So why is this 4 stars? Because the blurb was really, really through and tedious. It practically gave everything away. And the way it described the book wasn't appealing.
On a better note, I enjoyed reading from Moth's perspective, where observations are honest and refreshing and disturbing in the way it can be through a child's eyes. She draws you in with her intelligence and blunt statements about everything going on around her, about the cruelty she witnesses done to people her age, and to girls in general, about how the privileged use the lower class for their entertainment and gain. And when she got her revenge in the end against her former mistress, the reader could feel the grim satisfaction she is feeling. I liked how Moth plowed on, refusing to give up, how she doesn't linger on others' pity, and yet continued to move day to day with surprising determination.
It's amazing how this book pulls you into the story, considering the main character is an pre-adolescent girl. The people she meets, the ones that hurt her, the ones that aid her make the story all the better, with their multiple personalities, insecurities, meanness, and kindness.
A decent book, though not my favorite of Ami McKay.
Bought a while ago, glad I finally got around to reading it. Just found it very... odd, and not really my thing...
Bought a while ago, glad I finally got around to reading it. Just found it very... odd, and not really my thing...
I really enjoyed this novel. McKay has a unique style and a gift for historical fiction. As with The Birth House, I felt a distance from the main character. I understood Moth, but never felt like she was a part of me... this distance is the only thing that keeps McKay's works from being 5 stars. Her research of setting and development of plot within that setting are extraordinary. I enjoy her author notes almost as much as the novel itself. McKay leaves me thinking about so much and for that I am so appreciative. This is a very high 3.5 for me.... I felt that the ending of this was perhaps a little too happily ever after/full circle given the rest of the novel's pacing and the context of things. It felt rushed and forced in a way that the ending to The Birth House did not. However, I really did love the novel on so many levels and would highly recommend it!
I am a fan of this author and look forward to reading (and learning!) more!
I am a fan of this author and look forward to reading (and learning!) more!
Read it in one sitting - wasn't overly wowed. I enjoy that time period/setting and I'm always up for reading a novel that shows me a part of life that I didn't previously know about (in this case, young women/girls as prostitutes in the late 1800s NYC). But, the plot jumped around from time to time, causing me to wonder "wait what happened in the intervening time?" and the ending is very abrupt.