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sharebear431'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
3.75
Graphic: Medical content, Pregnancy, Child death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Death, Excrement, Blood, Gore, and Medical trauma
writteninmagic's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
As I got to know more of the characters (Nora, Dr. Croft, Daniel, and Mrs. Phipps), I grew to really like them. They were all different from each other and the interactions between them made the characters feel real.
The only inconsistent part of the writing was, after Daniel had left for Richmond for a while, Nora refers to Daniel by his first name (even though up to that point in the story she'd only refer to him as Dr. Gibson) and it flips back to addressing him as Dr. Gibson. A few chapters later it states she started referring to him as Daniel because of Dr. Croft and Harry.
Overall, the story was well-written and well-researched. The characters were varied and made the story more interesting.
Graphic: Blood, Gore, and Medical content
Moderate: Child death and Death
haley49's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Misogyny
Moderate: Drug use, Blood, Body horror, Sexism, Animal cruelty, Child death, Death of parent, and Gore
kelly_e's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Author: Audrey Blake
Series: Nora Beady #1
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.0
Pub Date: May 4, 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Unique • Interesting • Detailed
📖 S Y N O P S I S
After a cholera epidemic claims the lives of her entire family, the orphaned Nora Beady is taken in by Dr. Horace Croft. Being raised in the home of a surgeon, Nora takes a keen interest in the world of medicine, eventually developing an extensive knowledge base. 1840s London had no place for women in medicine, and the consequences of a woman practicing were very grave. For this very reason, only a selective few are aware of Nora's work as a medical assistant. The Girl in His Shadow follows Nora's journey of pushing boundaries, and self-discovery
💭 T H O U G H T S
I've never read anything quite like The Girl in His Shadow! This novel opened up a whole new world of medical history I know very little about, and offered a storyline that was so entirely different. This book felt like a breath of fresh air in the historical fiction genre.
Audrey Blake's writing offered vivid descriptions, to the point I often felt like I was in the room with the characters. There is no denying the plot was extensively and carefully researched, although it did seem long winded and overly scientific at times. The cast of characters were well-round, and Nora is a heroine unlikely any other.
It came as somewhat of a shock when I learned that Audrey Blake is the pseudonym for a writing duo, and that this was co-wrote. There is absolutely no way of knowing it was penned by multiple authors while reading. The Girl in His Shadow is a fascinating account, and I look forward to writing book two in the Nora Beady series, and will be curious to know if there will be more.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• historical fiction lovers
• readers who love a strong female lead
• fans of medical dramas
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"That is the great benefit of being a man, with every opportunity in the world before you. You cannot understand."
Graphic: Sexism, Misogyny, Blood, Body horror, Gore, Medical content, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Abortion, Death, Death of parent, and Miscarriage
Minor: Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, and Alcoholism
kbrsuperstar's review
Graphic: Death of parent, Medical content, Child death, Death, Blood, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Gore
Minor: Excrement and Pregnancy
pooogsz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child death, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Abortion, Sexism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Rape, Suicide attempt, Violence, Chronic illness, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Medical content, Miscarriage, Misogyny, and War
hpiglet's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Gore and Sexism
gkgkgk's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Gore and Sexism
Minor: Sexual harassment
katherine_alexis's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Excrement, Medical content, Sexism, Pregnancy, and Blood