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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What's it about?
Taking place in 1870s England, Clara Blackstone has been recently released from a sanatorium. With traumatic experiences from it, she must adjust to society and reunite with her husband in Durham. On the way home they run into a crowd with infamous killer Marry Ann Cotton being brought to prison. Clara is quickly fascinated with her.
Okay y'all know I don't lie or sugarcoat: this does start off slow. Keep in mind that this does take place in the Victorian era so the prose will be accurate to that time period. This sucked me in and really fascinated me, I feel it was done justice. I loved the gothic undertones throughout. Some of the central themes made me straight up angry - from the way men treated women to females not being able to trust/fall back on one another. Husbands could throw you in an asylum with little reason. It broke my heart. Clara's attempts at escape could get a little repetitive but I also know it was trying to highlight a specific point. The ending definitely took an unexpected turn. While I was hoping Clara would follow through with her plans, I can't complain about what ended up taking place.
Our main character, Clara, is a strong willed woman who has gone through hell and back. She's also got plenty of development and growth that take place here which I loved being a witness to. She was brave enough to tackle issues that most women wouldn't of been able to at that time. Henry is an absolute piece of shit and so are his friends, that is all (I'm gonna stop there before I rant). Marry Ann Cotton is absolutely intriguing in this. I never knew before reading the author's note that she was potentially wrongfully convicted.
Historical fiction isn't normally my thing but this was such a great gothic thriller/horror. If you're into true crime at all, I think you'll like this. The author did a wonderful job with bringing awareness to how women were treated in England in this era, as well as how the courts convicted with little evidence. We'll never know if Marry Ann Cotton committed these crimes or not but it was crazy to even see the way that women could be forced into asylums for next to nothing! It angered me but created a ton of gratitude to understand this component of history. I highly recommend picking this up just to learn!
I'd recommend this to gothic literature readers, those that enjoy Victorian historical fiction, feminist voices, and true crime bookworms.
4.5 stars
Taking place in 1870s England, Clara Blackstone has been recently released from a sanatorium. With traumatic experiences from it, she must adjust to society and reunite with her husband in Durham. On the way home they run into a crowd with infamous killer Marry Ann Cotton being brought to prison. Clara is quickly fascinated with her.
Okay y'all know I don't lie or sugarcoat: this does start off slow. Keep in mind that this does take place in the Victorian era so the prose will be accurate to that time period. This sucked me in and really fascinated me, I feel it was done justice. I loved the gothic undertones throughout. Some of the central themes made me straight up angry - from the way men treated women to females not being able to trust/fall back on one another. Husbands could throw you in an asylum with little reason. It broke my heart. Clara's attempts at escape could get a little repetitive but I also know it was trying to highlight a specific point. The ending definitely took an unexpected turn. While I was hoping Clara would follow through with her plans, I can't complain about what ended up taking place.
Our main character, Clara, is a strong willed woman who has gone through hell and back. She's also got plenty of development and growth that take place here which I loved being a witness to. She was brave enough to tackle issues that most women wouldn't of been able to at that time. Henry is an absolute piece of shit and so are his friends, that is all (I'm gonna stop there before I rant). Marry Ann Cotton is absolutely intriguing in this. I never knew before reading the author's note that she was potentially wrongfully convicted.
Historical fiction isn't normally my thing but this was such a great gothic thriller/horror. If you're into true crime at all, I think you'll like this. The author did a wonderful job with bringing awareness to how women were treated in England in this era, as well as how the courts convicted with little evidence. We'll never know if Marry Ann Cotton committed these crimes or not but it was crazy to even see the way that women could be forced into asylums for next to nothing! It angered me but created a ton of gratitude to understand this component of history. I highly recommend picking this up just to learn!
I'd recommend this to gothic literature readers, those that enjoy Victorian historical fiction, feminist voices, and true crime bookworms.
4.5 stars
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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:
Complicated
Maybe literature in a Victorian setting just isn't my thing. I didn't like this, I didn't like The Valancourt Book of Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories: Volume Five, and I didn't like Fingersmith. I thought this book was way too heavy-handed with the misogyny, everyone in the book was an idiot, and there was also zero tension.
The book primarily takes place during Clara's return home from being away at an asylum after the stillbirth of her baby and she has a lot of trouble adjusting. All the men in her life are ridiculously evil (like rubbing their hands together and laughing about how they're going to send her away and take her family fortune), yet she still keeps trusting them and being shocked when she overhears them say awful stuff. Also, there are flash-forward chapters where we're basically told what's happened to certain characters... so we know everything turns out all right. And we know something specific that happens so there's a real start-and-stop feeling because every time Clara is totally for sure escaping... we know that isn't the case because the flash forwards tell us what actually happened.
Also it turns out Henry (her husband) is just... a mama's boy? And it's a WOMAN who was the true evil behind it all???
Clara is so dumb and naive but we're just supposed to believe she turns stone cold at the veryyyyy end of this book. What?
The book primarily takes place during Clara's return home from being away at an asylum after the stillbirth of her baby and she has a lot of trouble adjusting. All the men in her life are ridiculously evil (like rubbing their hands together and laughing about how they're going to send her away and take her family fortune), yet she still keeps trusting them and being shocked when she overhears them say awful stuff. Also, there are flash-forward chapters where we're basically told what's happened to certain characters... so we know everything turns out all right. And we know something specific that happens so there's a real start-and-stop feeling because every time Clara is totally for sure escaping... we know that isn't the case because the flash forwards tell us what actually happened.
Also it turns out Henry (her husband) is just... a mama's boy? And it's a WOMAN who was the true evil behind it all???
Clara is so dumb and naive but we're just supposed to believe she turns stone cold at the veryyyyy end of this book. What?
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization
It's 1873 in England, and Clara Blackstone has only just been set back out into the world again after spending a year locked away in a private asylum. Determined to never return to the asylum again, Clara reunites with her husband Henry and tries in vain to return to the life she had before. However, she quickly becomes obsessed with the actions of Mary Ann Cotton, a woman accused of murdering almost twenty people, including her husbands and their children. With her husband perhaps not being the man he claimed to be and Mary becoming an unlikely ally, Clara is stuck in a struggle to protect everything she holds dear.
I love historical fiction novels to pieces. If there's some mystery and thriller bits sprinkled in, it makes it all the better. This was a great novel to get lost in, for sure!
Clara was a wonderful character to be in the mind of, even if it was stressful at times. She's under constant threat at all times, either from her husband's intent to have her sent back to an asylum or society's dislike of Clara's actions towards those they deem beneath them. She feels painfully realistic as she deals with grief and the anger of being put in a position of helplessness by those who are supposed to aide her in her time of need. The relationship she has with Mary Ann Cotton is intriguing and unsettling simultaneously; I was never quite sure if Mary was being 100% honest to Clara, but that was a great part of the mystery.
Henry, Clara's husband, was also a well-written antagonist. His motives and actions were not too far from the realm of possibility, and the fact that such things could (and perhaps did) happen to women during this time made his threats and actions very real and terrifying. I always appreciate when a villain isn't outlandish or over the top, it makes for a much more enjoyable reading experience.
The author's writing was also wonderfully descriptive. I could very easily picture Clara's surroundings and the people around her. It also made seeing through the lens of Clara's senses that much more interesting since I could see myself in her shoes regarding her emotions and reactions.
The only issue I really had with the novel was that some things were left more open-ended than I usually prefer. I'm one of those people that like to have everything wrapped up in a neat bow by the end. It's not always realistic, and it doesn't always work with the ending of the story, but we can't help what we like. That being said, I felt the ending fit the characters and the setting very well.
I love historical fiction novels to pieces. If there's some mystery and thriller bits sprinkled in, it makes it all the better. This was a great novel to get lost in, for sure!
Clara was a wonderful character to be in the mind of, even if it was stressful at times. She's under constant threat at all times, either from her husband's intent to have her sent back to an asylum or society's dislike of Clara's actions towards those they deem beneath them. She feels painfully realistic as she deals with grief and the anger of being put in a position of helplessness by those who are supposed to aide her in her time of need. The relationship she has with Mary Ann Cotton is intriguing and unsettling simultaneously; I was never quite sure if Mary was being 100% honest to Clara, but that was a great part of the mystery.
Henry, Clara's husband, was also a well-written antagonist. His motives and actions were not too far from the realm of possibility, and the fact that such things could (and perhaps did) happen to women during this time made his threats and actions very real and terrifying. I always appreciate when a villain isn't outlandish or over the top, it makes for a much more enjoyable reading experience.
The author's writing was also wonderfully descriptive. I could very easily picture Clara's surroundings and the people around her. It also made seeing through the lens of Clara's senses that much more interesting since I could see myself in her shoes regarding her emotions and reactions.
The only issue I really had with the novel was that some things were left more open-ended than I usually prefer. I'm one of those people that like to have everything wrapped up in a neat bow by the end. It's not always realistic, and it doesn't always work with the ending of the story, but we can't help what we like. That being said, I felt the ending fit the characters and the setting very well.
I received a complimentary copy of THE SAVAGE INSTINCT by M.M. Deluca from Inkshares for an honest review!
THE SAVAGE INSTINCT is set in the 1870s in the UK. Clara Blackstone is a young wife traveling to meet her husband after some troubling times. Following the loss of her baby, Clara was committed to undergo metal health treatments and while now declared sane, she’s still considered fragile and her husband has her on a tight leash.
Clara manages to convince her husband that volunteer work would be good for her and she begins to work with the woman inmates at the prison. There she meets Mary-Ann Cotton, a woman arrested for the multiple murders of her husbands and children by arsenic poisoning. Though she is accused of horrific crimes, Clara finds Mary-Ann’s story intriguing and Mary-Ann is able to provide her with some words of wisdom when it comes to standing up for herself.
Clara’s story provided an interesting insight into the historical world of mental health treatment. Her treatment and how her body was treated was entirely in the hands of her husband and her own wishes weren’t worth anything to anyone. Some of the treatments given to her were truly cringeworthy as the doctors blamed women’s biological differences for their frailty.
Learning that this book was a combination of fiction and fact made the story even more compelling. The case against Mary-Ann Cotton was true, from the crimes of which she was accused, to the lack of concrete evidence and the lack of a real effort to provide her with a fair trial with good representation. Whether she actually did the crimes or not is still a matter for some debate.
I thought it was very interesting how the author used a real life case, one that would have fueled conversations in the surrounding areas, to explore how it would impact the life of a woman like Clara. Clara was beaten down with a lot against her, but her strength really shone through also.
THE SAVAGE INSTINCT is set in the 1870s in the UK. Clara Blackstone is a young wife traveling to meet her husband after some troubling times. Following the loss of her baby, Clara was committed to undergo metal health treatments and while now declared sane, she’s still considered fragile and her husband has her on a tight leash.
Clara manages to convince her husband that volunteer work would be good for her and she begins to work with the woman inmates at the prison. There she meets Mary-Ann Cotton, a woman arrested for the multiple murders of her husbands and children by arsenic poisoning. Though she is accused of horrific crimes, Clara finds Mary-Ann’s story intriguing and Mary-Ann is able to provide her with some words of wisdom when it comes to standing up for herself.
Clara’s story provided an interesting insight into the historical world of mental health treatment. Her treatment and how her body was treated was entirely in the hands of her husband and her own wishes weren’t worth anything to anyone. Some of the treatments given to her were truly cringeworthy as the doctors blamed women’s biological differences for their frailty.
Learning that this book was a combination of fiction and fact made the story even more compelling. The case against Mary-Ann Cotton was true, from the crimes of which she was accused, to the lack of concrete evidence and the lack of a real effort to provide her with a fair trial with good representation. Whether she actually did the crimes or not is still a matter for some debate.
I thought it was very interesting how the author used a real life case, one that would have fueled conversations in the surrounding areas, to explore how it would impact the life of a woman like Clara. Clara was beaten down with a lot against her, but her strength really shone through also.
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
medium-paced
the writing style was not for me. it was incredibly choppy and relied too heavily on weak similes to make me care to read more. additionally, the dialogue was far too ham-fisted and artificial to stand as historical fiction. i don't believe that any human person, historical or not, ever spoke in such a contrived and expository manner.
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
If you're into domestic suspense and historical fiction, then The Savage Instinct by Marjorie DeLuca should be your next read! (Readers should be aware that the novel has themes involving miscarriage, stillbirth, and violence against the incapacitated.) Set in Victorian England, the story follows Clara, a young wife who is released from an asylum for experiencing a violent display of emotion after delivering a stillborn baby. Her husband is more concerned with Clara's inheritance than her well-being and having her committed is the easiest solution to his money woes. Clara has to tread carefully as her husband and his companions plot and scheme to have her declared insane and locked away forever.
One of Clara's hobbies is to read scriptures to women at the local prison. She is especially attached to Mary Ann Cotton, a real historical person who has been hailed as England's first female serial killer. Mary Ann is being tried for the murders of her husbands and many children via arsenic poisoning. Mary Ann's impending trial and sentencing are the backdrop for the tumultuous events in Clara's life. The novel has a slow build and there's plenty of infuriating "man talk" about how fragile and pathetic the female sex is, but there is plenty of suspense at the end to make this a worthwhile read. The ironic ending was unexpected. I'm interested to learn a bit more about the real Mary Ann Cotton after reading this book. I think fans of suspenseful historical fiction will enjoy this one!
*Thanks to the author, Inkshares, and Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!
One of Clara's hobbies is to read scriptures to women at the local prison. She is especially attached to Mary Ann Cotton, a real historical person who has been hailed as England's first female serial killer. Mary Ann is being tried for the murders of her husbands and many children via arsenic poisoning. Mary Ann's impending trial and sentencing are the backdrop for the tumultuous events in Clara's life. The novel has a slow build and there's plenty of infuriating "man talk" about how fragile and pathetic the female sex is, but there is plenty of suspense at the end to make this a worthwhile read. The ironic ending was unexpected. I'm interested to learn a bit more about the real Mary Ann Cotton after reading this book. I think fans of suspenseful historical fiction will enjoy this one!
*Thanks to the author, Inkshares, and Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes