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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
reflective
slow-paced
Very slow and the stakes weren’t high enough - didn’t feel like the story really went anywhere
slow-paced
Let it be said: I have never been a fan of Jane Eyre.
Gwendolyn Kiste, through Reluctant Immortals, made me care a lot more about that book and its legacy. That is no small feat.
At its core, Reluctant Immortals is a contemplation on agency, and specifically about the agency of women marginalized through history and literature. It is as much about recovering one's identity after trauma as it is about two women dealing with their toxic exes. The book contains real heart and soul, with a story worthy of most Gothic romances without relying too heavily on the clichéd story tropes that make so many of those stories so troublingly problematic.
Kiste's characters represent all manner of women whose voices have been stolen for the benefit of the stories of chauvinist men, and the reclamation of agency, even for fictional characters wronged a century ago, serves as an important symbolic act for those still struggling with making sense of themselves and their lives after trauma. Even though the subject matter can feel heavy at times, Kiste treats the narrative with good humor and a sense of empowerment through her main characters' adventure together, and it's worth noting that the book presents both queer and platonic relationships between women and men alike, which I find as equally important; community, sisterhood, solidarity, or whatever you might call it all form an important part in the process of healing and recovering one's agency.
Reluctant Immortals is a book I found funny, heartbreaking, tear-inducing, and just plain good. Whether the book had me laughing out loud or had me crying in the bathtub, it managed to hit several emotional beats that left a lasting impression and has completely reshaped my reading of such classics as Jane Eyre. This is one phenomenal book, and it shouldn't be missed.
Gwendolyn Kiste, through Reluctant Immortals, made me care a lot more about that book and its legacy. That is no small feat.
At its core, Reluctant Immortals is a contemplation on agency, and specifically about the agency of women marginalized through history and literature. It is as much about recovering one's identity after trauma as it is about two women dealing with their toxic exes. The book contains real heart and soul, with a story worthy of most Gothic romances without relying too heavily on the clichéd story tropes that make so many of those stories so troublingly problematic.
Kiste's characters represent all manner of women whose voices have been stolen for the benefit of the stories of chauvinist men, and the reclamation of agency, even for fictional characters wronged a century ago, serves as an important symbolic act for those still struggling with making sense of themselves and their lives after trauma. Even though the subject matter can feel heavy at times, Kiste treats the narrative with good humor and a sense of empowerment through her main characters' adventure together, and it's worth noting that the book presents both queer and platonic relationships between women and men alike, which I find as equally important; community, sisterhood, solidarity, or whatever you might call it all form an important part in the process of healing and recovering one's agency.
Reluctant Immortals is a book I found funny, heartbreaking, tear-inducing, and just plain good. Whether the book had me laughing out loud or had me crying in the bathtub, it managed to hit several emotional beats that left a lasting impression and has completely reshaped my reading of such classics as Jane Eyre. This is one phenomenal book, and it shouldn't be missed.
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book includes my least favorite trope of stories like this: it takes interesting side characters from another story and purports to tell their side of the story, but then makes the characters less interesting by insisting the original story was telling lies about them. I didn’t pick up this book because I wanted to be told that actually Bertha was never a “mad woman in the attic” or that Lucy never hurt a child even as a vampire. I picked it up because I found them fascinating as they were! So I gave up on this one in the middle of the fourth chapter.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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:
Complicated
I wish I had this when I was in college.
I loved seeing these secondary characters getting their own story and moving into the 20th century. I will definitely read more from this author!
can’t even do a fun review because this book was just a chore to get through. got sucked into a fun cover and potentially vampires in san francisco. fun concept but poorly executed. or maybe i just need to stop reading books where the person who turns into an undead /supernatural creature/ vampire hates the gift they’ve been given. couldn’t be me.
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes