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clovetra's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
hmm.
i don’t like comparing books because that’s like comparing art (not even “like” it literally is). but. sorry this is a worse version of the spirit bares its teeth SORRY
like yes books can have similarities! also this book literally predates tsbit so if anything that book copies this! but tsbit was magnificent…. and this was just…. good.
like i’m sorry tsbit pulls off “afab protag in high society in the victorian era betrothed to affluent man goes rogue and pursues a career in surgery where a male relative undermines the protag and protag uncovers secret relating to murders occurring in an establishment they are studying in”. like
i know that’s suuuchhhh a niche ‘trope’ but THE OVERARCHING PLOTS ARE SO SIMILAR!!!!!
and tbh i wouldn’t even be mad!!!! if i liked this as much as i liked tsbit!!!!!! which i didn’t!!!!!!
which isn’t to say i didn’t like this!!! i did!!! just….. it was ok.
like lowkey i didn’t care about the main characters until i was like 70% deep. i think i became a tad disillusioned because the book felt “predictable” as it followed the same plot beats as tsbit? idk. but jack & hazel felt so surface level. ok yeah hazel is rich and betrothed to shithead and wants to be a surgeon. idk it didn’t feel like there was anything truly deeper. jack is just a poor boy who does some morally questionable things to survive. and he likes isabella. like ??? cmon give me more than that!!!! they felt so two dimensional!!! also there was zero buildup to their romance. it went from her meeting him to them being in love way too quickly imo. i needed more tension than that!!! make them meet sooner man idk. i just didn’t feel connected to their love story as it felt like it only happened because the narrative says it must, not that the characters actually have chemistry.
also can i just say….. the ending is pissing me off sitting here thinking about it. the ending literally concludes nothing and it’s so obvious it’s setting up for a second book. obviously i know there’s a second book but my god i would be fuming if i read this as it was released. cuz seriously there’s a big difference imo between leaving room for a second book but still having a lot of shit closed, and making it so obvious you have to read the second book for any conclusions. i don’t think i’m explaining this right but. i don’t know when everything is essentially left open-ended for another instalment it pisses me off. like agggtm still has room for sequels but many plot points are closed. so many are left open at the end of this book and it’s annoying! some of them im not mad at, like oooo what happened to jack. but like what happened with hazel & her exam? why is her family still staying away from her? why is everybody in the town not furious at hazel regarding bernard??? like idk man i would’ve liked a tad more conclusive-ness.
tbh i think the characterisation & overall plot were what let me down with this. i had heard suchhhh good things about this book (plus i get my hopes up when a book has a good cover like this!!!) but idk it felt like this did not live up to the hype……
i think i defo will finish the series simply so i can say i know what happens. but honestly im not too invested? i kinda just want to read the next book in the series to know where jack is, not how anything else actually turns out 😬
i will say tho a big positive is i love me a book taking place in scotland. SCOTLAND FOREVER!!!!!!!! jack also sounds like he’d be hot. hmu real life jack’s (please don’t it’s pride month and i’m a lesbian)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Sexism, Blood, Misogyny, Medical content, and Death
Moderate: Incest, Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Infidelity
navayiota's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-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
4.5
Good read! Finished it in a day. My one complaint would be that I enjoyed the parts that focused on the surgery or mystery aspects far more than the romance. It was like reading a story with multiple POVs and groaning with frustration whenever I was thrust back into the annoying character's brain. I even noticed myself tuning the narrator out at times when it got too boring and thinking "there's no way I'm going back to listen to all of that again, I'll just keep going"
I liked the ending, though. I would certainly listen to the sequel.
I liked the ending, though. I would certainly listen to the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Violence, Drug use, Grief, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexism, Animal cruelty, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Death, Gore, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny
Moderate: Incest, Confinement, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, Child death, Infidelity, and Pregnancy
Minor: Mental illness, Infertility, and Vomit
apersonfromflorida's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Sexism and Death
Minor: Incest
ssaltae's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Incest
kierrareads_'s review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest and Sexual harassment
This book is set in the 1800s and is pretty explicit about the fact that she is engaged to her cousin, so if you're not in the mood for that I would suggest a different book.caffinatedslug's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This is a fun, unique book I’d recommend! The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is due to the fact that I found little character development. Past that, it’s a very interesting, well-written book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Misogyny
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic, Incest, Medical content, and Sexual assault
anastasialovesbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
3.0
Let's see, this book was up and down for me. Some parts I found boring others I had some disbelief in how people were reacting to situations but then I think of the times and so I kind of understood it.
Hazel was an interesting character she reminded me of Hermione from the Harry Potter books. (I'm sure most people would know the reference but just in case). Some parts of her I didn't quite understand though like being engaged for most of her life but it didn't bother her to get close to Jack or stay engaged but then again the times? Maybe? She also was strange when she and Jack would be around a dead body but still think about kissing each other? Not sure if that was the best setting, seems almost...icky? Not sure if that the right word for it.
Jack was also a bit different but I could understand him in a way because of how he grew up. Things didn't effect him the same way because he was so used to seeing it. The book would also show glimpses in his life and how he had a crush on someone else but which I didn't understand the purpose of to be honest unless the author was trying to show us what kind of personality Jack had?
I liked the story but again ups and downs. If you don't like gore in your stories this one isn't for you. This also seems to be science fiction. It was pretty easy to figure out what would happen in the end but there was also a surprise I didn't see coming so kudos to the author on that one. If it wasn't for that I probably wouldn't be interested in reading the next book if I'm going to be honest.
Hazel was an interesting character she reminded me of Hermione from the Harry Potter books. (I'm sure most people would know the reference but just in case). Some parts of her I didn't quite understand though like being engaged for most of her life but it didn't bother her to get close to Jack or stay engaged but then again the times? Maybe? She also was strange when she and Jack would be around a dead body but still think about kissing each other? Not sure if that was the best setting, seems almost...icky? Not sure if that the right word for it.
Jack was also a bit different but I could understand him in a way because of how he grew up. Things didn't effect him the same way because he was so used to seeing it. The book would also show glimpses in his life and how he had a crush on someone else but which I didn't understand the purpose of to be honest unless the author was trying to show us what kind of personality Jack had?
I liked the story but again ups and downs. If you don't like gore in your stories this one isn't for you. This also seems to be science fiction. It was pretty easy to figure out what would happen in the end but there was also a surprise I didn't see coming so kudos to the author on that one. If it wasn't for that I probably wouldn't be interested in reading the next book if I'm going to be honest.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Murder, Violence, Abandonment, Incest, Grief, Body horror, Classism, Medical content, Terminal illness, Blood, and Sexism
wytherwytch's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
Just brilliant. Dark. Gothic. Romantic. Can't wait for part 2!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Trafficking, Violence, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Murder, Medical trauma, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Incest, Grief, Death, and Blood
Minor: Alcohol, Vomit, Toxic relationship, and Torture
lisacanteven's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book is not as beautiful as its cover. It is gritty and grotesque in the best possible ways. It is so atmospheric that I felt like I was walking the dark streets of Edinburgh with Hazel. I could almost feel the grime. The story is slow to start, but the descriptions of the setting really steal the show in the first half. The second half of the book definitely pick up. I couldn't put the book down at that point. The story becomes twisted and surprising. It does take a little bit of suspended disbelief, but the plot is satisfying. The ending is another thing, but there is a second book. I had to pick up the sequel immediately.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Pregnancy, Pandemic/Epidemic, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Blood, Body horror, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Medical content
Moderate: Incest
shelvesofivy's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Medical content, Gore, and Sexism
Moderate: Incest, Kidnapping, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Classism, Pregnancy, and Violence