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jennazim's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Terminal illness
notsailingalone's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Minor: Sexual content, Death of parent, Child death, Terminal illness, and Injury/Injury detail
georgia59's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
There were many themes in this story including:
jealousy
love
co-dependency
grief and loss
being a woman in a man's world
faith & spirituality v reason & Darwinism
the poor-rich divide
housing for the poor (the Housing of the Working Classes Act)
the tension between one's (Cora's) place in polite society with its demands for decorum and small talk, and a need to be frank and truthful about one's real beliefs and feelings
The novel was even-paced and never flagged.
Excellent writing that worked very well for me.
Well drawn characters who all developed in some way during the book.
Cons:
The melancholy tone.
Although the prose was accomplished and flowing the author had a fairly frequent habit of using the same pronoun mid-sentence or paragraph when referring to a different person than the one who began the sentence/paragraph. This had the effect of pulling me up short momentarily and interrupting the narrative flow whilst I mentally sorted things out.
So, clearly more pros than cons hence 3.75 stars. Just couldn't quite bump it up to 4 stars because the tone of the book kept my mood low. This was a book with an unpredictable plot at nearly every turn, a truly new and refreshing take on the gothic historical novel.
Moderate: Medical content and Terminal illness
beccaand's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Medical content, Terminal illness, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, and Death
cephalopodbot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Medical content, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Domestic abuse
tetedump's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Classism, Death, Ableism, Murder, Terminal illness, Violence, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse
heuteschongekurtet'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? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Medical content, Domestic abuse, Death, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, and Physical abuse
Minor: Blood, Vomit, Classism, Ableism, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Animal death
darumachan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Another thing that I enjoyed about this is that it read as including subtle but solidly affirming representation of LGBTQIA+ identities, disability, and neurodiversity. While i wouldn't say that there is direct or overt engagement with these identities, there were several characters who clearly identified as "queer" in the sense of being out of step with mainstream social expectations of the time. What was so lovely about these characters is that they found one another and formed an inclusive community in which they could live and be supported and loved not just in spite of, but because of the traits that made them "quirky" or "misfits" in other contexts. Things i noticed included possible autism spectrum, lesbian, gay, asexual, aromamtic, and polyamory. But again, nothing overtly identified, which only read as more authentic to the setting.
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, Suicide attempt, and Terminal illness
Minor: Domestic abuse
laura_keoski's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Things that got in the way for me: The book relied heavily on character development, but most of the characters still felt under-developed and one-dimensional. They were so one-dimensional that they couldn’t seem to predict the rather obvious behaviors of their fellow characters. The ending of the book was a less revelatory experience as the reader than it was for the characters themselves.
Graphic: Medical content, Death, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Violence, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Ableism
Minor: Domestic abuse
bedtimesandbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Terminal illness, Gaslighting, Medical content, Infidelity, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail