Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

Tripping Arcadia by Kit Mayquist

13 reviews

e_l_bee's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • 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

3.5

i found the first half of this book a little slow, but then i read the second half in two sittings. a brilliant plot with a lot of twists that i didn't see coming and very morally grey characters. a fun gothic poison book that had a lot to say about class. i think it could've used another round of edits though as i found the writing on the sentence/paragraph level to be a little repetitive in ways that could easily have been edited out. (though absolutely stellar use of metaphor and simile and some beautiful descriptions throughout) 
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annegoodreads's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The admission of guilt from the outset of Helena (Lena) Gereghty set the stage for this creepy book.  Often when a book calls itself “gothic”, I find myself disappointed by the lack of darkness.  When I first started reading Lena’s story, I was worried I’d be disappointed.  I was not disappointed, I was blown away.  Lena descends into a darkness that was mesmerizing and inspirational at the same time.  She becomes a “physician’s assistant”  for the famous Verdeaus family empire.  Although she’s supposed to be helping care for the sickly son 
Jonathan, her real job is to help the self-destructive party guests at Arrow’s Edge.  I loved the spooky aura created at Arrow’s Edge.  The secrets Lena learns not just about what occurs at Arrow’s Edge but also about the patriarch, Martin, help the darkness engulf Lena.  It makes Lena perfectly flawed, lovable, and frustrating.  The tie-in of Lena’s work with her Aunt in botany was the bitter chocolate icing on a too-rich cake.  I really enjoyed how you’d turn a page and bam Lena would be making a rash decision almost like a mad scientist.  I loved the use of nature as poison and plants to go up against the debaucherous nurtured sinful, rich people.  The explanation and reveals in the ending were a little off for me but I think I just need to reread it to understand the connections better.  I also loved how the title actually revealed itself in the storyline.  Although the plot lines and twists weren’t perfect, this was a great read for me.  
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alliechase's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

Tripping Arcadia by Kit Mayquist grabbed me and didn’t let go! This modern-day gothic novel kept me on the edge of my seat and up well past my bedtime. Though flawed and not always good people, I cared about the three main characters and rooted for them throughout the book. Mayquist’s writing was engaging, raw, and poetic. It beautifully captured the flawed characters, the debauched Gatsby-esque parties, the anger and compassion of our protagonist, and the gothic decay and beauty of the settings. The book gave a similar feel as The Secret History by Donna Tartt (one of my favorite books!) and had a hint of dark academia within the gothic tale. You will not want to miss this book! I highly recommend pre-ordering Tripping Arcadia, especially with some attractive pre-order incentives available!

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and Penguin Publishing Group for an eARC of this book. 
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