Scan barcode
dinipandareads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
TL;DR: This was an intriguing historical medical thriller that had a bit of a slow start but that I quickly found that I didn't want to put down. Tillie was a well-developed character whom I pitied and sympathised with, who frustrated me to no end due to her poor decision-making but whom I ultimately admired by the end. I'm terrible at solving mysteries before the great review and although I'd guessed around the motive, I did not guess at all whodunit so that was a fun surprise! Overall, an enjoyable read.
I'm quite sure that I added this to my NetGalley shelf several years ago because of the cover and when I read the synopsis I probably knew that I had to read this. I'd never heard of Lydia Kang before but I enjoyed her writing. It's nothing astounding and the pace was a bit slow initially but it kept my attention and had me eagerly reading on. I was intrigued by how the mystery sort of revolved around Dracula, as it was released around the same time Tillie's sister was murdered. This intertwining of the story does taper off a bit towards the middle but I liked how the author kept the link going through the epigraphs. It made me want to finally pick up my copy of Dracula! This wasn't your fast-paced, action-packed thriller but it was a slow-build up of a mystery. I don't read much in this genre, and certainly not historical medical mysteries, so although I guessed correctly in the vicinity of motive, I didn't guess correctly when it came to whodunit and honestly, it kinda really took me by surprise although it made absolute sense! 😂 I was properly distracted by the many red herrings and all the drama that unfolds in the societal group that surrounds Tillie but I didn't mind at all. This will not be for everyone though but if you can have patience, I do think that the pay-off is worth it!
I think where the author excelled was with her characters, particularly that of Tillie. I greatly appreciated her character arc and she undergoes some heavy events and experiences major changes to her person throughout the story. When we meet her she's this almost unbelievably naive, bumblingly awkward young woman who came across as much younger than she was. I liked her unquenchable thirst for knowledge and her burning curiosity though and loved the questions she would ask about everything which was considered socially unacceptable to high society in New York in the late 1890s. As the story progresses, you get to witness her fast addiction to opium and laudanum and it is incredibly frustrating to see her make one awful decision after another that keeps her addle-brained yet also somehow functioning through her pain. But she does take the steps to better herself, albeit by force at first, though she does find her strength and grows a backbone and I love how she stood up for herself by the end! I was happy for her and the way her situation ended :)
There were plenty of other characters that were introduced along the way and most of them were truly awful people. I don't want to waste too much time on these secondary characters, especially since talking about them will spoil the "surprise" of meeting them yourself if you want to read the book but it's safe to say I wasn't a fan of many of them. I did like Ian though and the newsies! I wish that we saw more of them, especially Ian, as the story progressed. I also liked Ada, who was fairly meek at first but who also bloomed a bit more towards the end.
Ultimately, I'm glad that this came across my radar! While it didn't necessarily blow me away, once the story got going I didn't want to put this down and I'm glad that it ended on a high note for me. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author in the future!
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Addiction, Drug abuse, Death, Drug use, and Medical trauma
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Vomit, and Sexual content
themelodyofspring's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Trigger warnings: substance abuse, withdrawal symptoms, domestic abuse.
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Pregnancy, Vomit, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body horror, Cannibalism, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Medical content, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
sas_ram's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death, Murder, Sexism, Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Medical content, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Misogyny, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Forced institutionalization
lanid's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Addiction, Cannibalism, Alcohol, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Confinement, Death, Medical trauma, Domestic abuse, Murder, and Sexual assault
antimony27's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Addiction, and Violence
Minor: Vomit
jsant's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Blood and Murder
moiralyle's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Death, Grief, Addiction, Blood, Drug use, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, and Terminal illness
hnnh_bug's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcohol, Grief, Addiction, and Medical content
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Murder, Death, and Sexism
Minor: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Toxic friendship
bookish_afrolatina's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, and Kidnapping
Minor: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Vomit
kylajaynebooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The setting was absolutely incredible add in the Dracula backdrop and I was hooked, it was eerie and haunting but almost elegant at the same time
Each character I felt had distinct personalities and faults to them which I always appreciate; I will say Ian was my favourite though
Tillie was such a fun character to follow; I loved how relentless and headstrong she is despite having her whole family and an addiction going against her. She was a feminist light in an otherwise pretty dark book - we love her and I think she’s a character that will stick with me for some time
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Murder
Moderate: Blood and Vomit