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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-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:
Complicated
I felt like there were 2 aspects to this story. The character development and bringing together of the daughters, and then the mystery to solve. I found my mind wandering whenever it was mystery time but pulled back in each time it got back to the girls and their stories and the found family. I haven't read any of the origin stories of Frankenstein, Sherlock Holmes, etc. I think it would have enjoyed it more if I was more familiar with them.
Fun story overall!
Fun story overall!
Took awhile to get into this. The concept was really interesting but it was slow to get going. I ended up switching to audiobook which helped move the book along. It actually made the choppy storytelling more charming.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It was fun but the ending did kind of drag. Still excited to read the next one though.
Truth time - this is the book that, when I heard the premise, I said that I would never read. A retelling of some of the most famous classic gothic/horror stories, including Sherlock Holmes. So I will admit that snobbish me was not even going to give this book a look in. But then the second and third books came out, and numerous reviewers that I watch just will not STOP talking about this series. So when I saw the book pop up on the kindle 99p deal . . . I folded.
So onto the book itself - the book is incredibly easy to read, the writing is compelling, the characters are interesting, and even having Sherlock and Dr Watson in the story is not bothering me much (although it is modern BBC Sherlock). Overall this book was just a really really good time. It didn't blow my socks off, it didn't make me think about anything or ask questions, and it didn't particularly stand out in many ways. The way that I think about this is like watching an action film, or a YA adventure that is really exciting, and when I look back I remember it fondly.
I know that some people are not keen on the writing style which reads like the characters telling their stories, but then they all come into the stories at certain points with little footnote style comments, which I did actually enjoy. I have bought the second book in the series so I do plan to continue, mostly because after some heavy books this type of story is a palette cleaner, even more so because I am familiar with the story and characters now. So overall, a surprising success!
So onto the book itself - the book is incredibly easy to read, the writing is compelling, the characters are interesting, and even having Sherlock and Dr Watson in the story is not bothering me much (although it is modern BBC Sherlock). Overall this book was just a really really good time. It didn't blow my socks off, it didn't make me think about anything or ask questions, and it didn't particularly stand out in many ways. The way that I think about this is like watching an action film, or a YA adventure that is really exciting, and when I look back I remember it fondly.
I know that some people are not keen on the writing style which reads like the characters telling their stories, but then they all come into the stories at certain points with little footnote style comments, which I did actually enjoy. I have bought the second book in the series so I do plan to continue, mostly because after some heavy books this type of story is a palette cleaner, even more so because I am familiar with the story and characters now. So overall, a surprising success!
adventurous
dark
informative
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Funny + intense, smart + entertaining at once.
This was right down my dark, sarcastic, gothic alley.
Coming back to say more in a bit…
*****
It’s a tricky thing to write a story with characters everyone thinks they already know, with events so popular throwing a new curve into the plot causes readers to possibly become disgruntled or obsessed with ‘incorrect details’.
But this story, while drawing from people and places and events we think we already know, blends these characters together in a familiar labyrinth of old stories that shock with the newness of their trajectory, in creating the possibility of these women ever coming together.
Goss stays true to historical character—Sherlock is still quite himself—and she makes the additional characters so believable they fit naturally into the relationships and context.
This is never an easy task… and Goss does it so well.
Okay, she’s a professor of literature and creative writing, she knows her craft— but even still, from the first word, we know this story is going to shatter all the norms, yet entertain us fabulously with the same story we think we already know.
And boy, does it ever.
*****
Just read a 1-star review, (as I do sometimes for a laugh / to see an alternate perspective) who criticised the 'reading by Mary Shelley’ —among other things that simply weren't in this book— since in this book the storyteller is Catherine Moreau and Shelley isn’t even an active character in the novel, though she is mentioned… I think some reviewers skim novels merely to post a shocking review—more for their own’ following’ than to give proper insight into the work. Ignore these naysayers, please. This is GothLit intellectual entertainment all the way through.
This was right down my dark, sarcastic, gothic alley.
Coming back to say more in a bit…
*****
It’s a tricky thing to write a story with characters everyone thinks they already know, with events so popular throwing a new curve into the plot causes readers to possibly become disgruntled or obsessed with ‘incorrect details’.
But this story, while drawing from people and places and events we think we already know, blends these characters together in a familiar labyrinth of old stories that shock with the newness of their trajectory, in creating the possibility of these women ever coming together.
Goss stays true to historical character—Sherlock is still quite himself—and she makes the additional characters so believable they fit naturally into the relationships and context.
This is never an easy task… and Goss does it so well.
Okay, she’s a professor of literature and creative writing, she knows her craft— but even still, from the first word, we know this story is going to shatter all the norms, yet entertain us fabulously with the same story we think we already know.
And boy, does it ever.
*****
Just read a 1-star review, (as I do sometimes for a laugh / to see an alternate perspective) who criticised the 'reading by Mary Shelley’ —among other things that simply weren't in this book— since in this book the storyteller is Catherine Moreau and Shelley isn’t even an active character in the novel, though she is mentioned… I think some reviewers skim novels merely to post a shocking review—more for their own’ following’ than to give proper insight into the work. Ignore these naysayers, please. This is GothLit intellectual entertainment all the way through.
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I like pretty much all shows from the BBC, so I felt like this was a book version of something you might find there plus fantasy-ish elements. I also really like Sherlock Holmes and women detective stories, and I love found family tropes. So yeah this was definitely up my alley.
Fun read. Not the best writing but should read the next one.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-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