Scan barcode
bloodmaarked's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Infertility, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Death of parent, Racism, Blood, Sexual assault, Death, Rape, Car accident, Child death, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Self harm
Minor: Alcohol, Colonisation, Sexual content, and Grief
for the car accident warning: obviously, there were no cars in 1840s Britain! but there was an accident with a horse and carriage which was quite shocking. also for the death of parent warning: there are several, but they all happen off-page. for drug abuse: several people are drugged multiple times against their will. for rape: a woman is "medically" examined internally while unconscious (and unconsenting). it isn't sexual but she is essentially raped.princessbilbo's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
TW: Animal harm on page
I loved the writing but this book got really slow. I found myself asking "what's the point?" A lot. It was so many PoVs and I don't think it was necessary. But the writing style kept me hooked.
I loved the writing but this book got really slow. I found myself asking "what's the point?" A lot. It was so many PoVs and I don't think it was necessary. But the writing style kept me hooked.
hatto's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
4.5
moreliajoy's review against another edition
3.0
If you love this book, read The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender because The Gifts is a less complex and heartbreaking ripoff of it.
ekbeeks22's review
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
andougherty's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It grew on me for sure. It’s a slow development but a good story. There is one major thing left out though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Miscarriage, and Animal cruelty
bluebleeder2001's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
eshalliday's review against another edition
1.0
Hmph! I'd been looking forward to this one for ages, but it ended up being badly written. The plot only got its oomph at 70% and even then, it fizzled out again towards the floppiest of conclusions. I was generally disinterested the whole way through. It's a bad state of affairs when, in the final chapters, I still couldn't differentiate between the insipid cast of characters: Annie/Mary, is there someone called Sarah? Richard/Edward/Charles or Charlie... It doesn't help that they have been given the most bland names, I suppose. This was a real disappointment for me, I'm afraid. Too much 'tell', not enough 'show'; Chekhov would not have been pleased.
snuzzbobble's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
rlwaite's review against another edition
1.0
Slow, mostly boring, sometimes confusing, gratuitous descriptions of such things as surgery and dog murder (I think the author was going, too hard, for shock, but that didn't really work out well). Not at all a fun read.