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3.32 AVERAGE
3.32 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I picked up an advanced proof copy of this at work and boy am I glad I did. This novel had the perfect mix of detail to atmosphere/setting and compelling characters who keep the story moving through all the beautiful descriptive writing. Carlin portrayed the period so authentically, particularly the disparity between the wealthy of early 19th century England and the poor living in London’s east end. I loved the protagonist and the host of characters surrounding her, they were all so unique and realistic. The way that Carlin releases new information about them slowly worked so cleverly, to the effect that I found myself repeatedly gasping at new revelations as I read. The novel overall reminded me of Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, which shares many similar themes (and is also about queer women), so if you enjoyed that then I highly recommend giving this book a try when it comes out on February 8th.
Also posted on Curiously, Chloe
Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC, which was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
4/5 Stars
I honestly didn’t expect to like this – probably not the best opening to a review. It’s not at all the sort of book I usually read. Historical fiction, with running themes of crime and mystery? Not for me. Well, that’s what I thought before I read this book. Now? Now I don’t know what to think, because this book caught me by surprise.
It’s 1831 and we’re in the dingy backstreets of London, following Hester White, a young orphaned woman who has unfortunately fallen into the slums of the city from her original, better off position. After an accident, Hester is plucked from her life and placed into the world of the aristocratic Brock’s. Soon, with the help of Rebekah Brock, she is thrown into danger, investigating murders and disappearances, whilst also falling in love. It’s a tale of twists and turns – I honestly didn’t see any of the twists coming, which we could blame on my unfamiliarity with mysteries, but I’m going to say it was the quality of the writing. It really was good. From the very first page, I found myself drawn in to Hester’s world, visualising the dank darkness of 19th Century London and the lush opulence of the Brock lifestyle. But nothing was as it seemed in this book. Just when I thought I had it all sussed, everything worked out, the rug was pulled from under me, and I was left reeling. However, sometimes the pacing was a little off. Whilst there were the ‘oh my God, really?’ moments that a good mystery should have, often it took a little while to get there, sometimes dragging along. I’d say that for the first half of the book I was left wondering whether we would ever return to the disappearances in London, whether there was any connections between anything at all, but once I reached the second half I couldn’t put it down, desperate to find out the truth – this was particularly the case in the final few chapters. What a shocker that was…
Hester was a really likeable character. I found myself really able to empathise with her, never finding her emotions and concerns irritating. Her character was built and formed really well, giving me the right amount of details as a reader to be able to form my own opinion about her. She wasn’t whiney either, which considering her situation, could have happened. She never seemed ungrateful or mopey about her life, always trying to find the best in it, which definitely helped with her appeal. I also really liked Rebekah – I enjoyed the fact she was a little bit of an enigma at the beginning, allowing Hester to get to know her better and to form her own opinion. She was strong-willed and charismatic, but also struggling with her place in life and the pressures that surround her. She was definitely a relatable character, never feeling too unrealistic with her issues. The relationship that forms between Hester and Rebekah isn’t too contrived either, nor is it the main focus of the book. It’s underlying, something that simmers and ignites throughout, never detracting from the core plot. By the end, I felt every emotion they did, to the point that when reading the last few chapters on the train home, I almost missed my stop. That was how engaging the writing was within this book.
There’s a lot to be said for a book that manages to place you so firmly within it’s world, leading you on a journey that takes you through not only the day to day, but also the surprises and devastations that come with it. There are family secrets to be discovered, strained relationships to explore, and grotesque truths to be unearthed. I do feel that the uncovering of the disappearances, and the revelation behind them, could have been explored a little more. I loved the end, I couldn’t put it down, but I felt a little cheated by the answers I received. However, I did genuinely enjoy this work and the stories it had to tell. Despite suffering from a slightly slow middle section, the suspense and intrigue of this book definitely means I’d recommend it, particularly if you like mysteries. Having said that, even if you don’t, give this one a try. It might surprise you!
Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC, which was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
4/5 Stars
I honestly didn’t expect to like this – probably not the best opening to a review. It’s not at all the sort of book I usually read. Historical fiction, with running themes of crime and mystery? Not for me. Well, that’s what I thought before I read this book. Now? Now I don’t know what to think, because this book caught me by surprise.
It’s 1831 and we’re in the dingy backstreets of London, following Hester White, a young orphaned woman who has unfortunately fallen into the slums of the city from her original, better off position. After an accident, Hester is plucked from her life and placed into the world of the aristocratic Brock’s. Soon, with the help of Rebekah Brock, she is thrown into danger, investigating murders and disappearances, whilst also falling in love. It’s a tale of twists and turns – I honestly didn’t see any of the twists coming, which we could blame on my unfamiliarity with mysteries, but I’m going to say it was the quality of the writing. It really was good. From the very first page, I found myself drawn in to Hester’s world, visualising the dank darkness of 19th Century London and the lush opulence of the Brock lifestyle. But nothing was as it seemed in this book. Just when I thought I had it all sussed, everything worked out, the rug was pulled from under me, and I was left reeling. However, sometimes the pacing was a little off. Whilst there were the ‘oh my God, really?’ moments that a good mystery should have, often it took a little while to get there, sometimes dragging along. I’d say that for the first half of the book I was left wondering whether we would ever return to the disappearances in London, whether there was any connections between anything at all, but once I reached the second half I couldn’t put it down, desperate to find out the truth – this was particularly the case in the final few chapters. What a shocker that was…
Hester was a really likeable character. I found myself really able to empathise with her, never finding her emotions and concerns irritating. Her character was built and formed really well, giving me the right amount of details as a reader to be able to form my own opinion about her. She wasn’t whiney either, which considering her situation, could have happened. She never seemed ungrateful or mopey about her life, always trying to find the best in it, which definitely helped with her appeal. I also really liked Rebekah – I enjoyed the fact she was a little bit of an enigma at the beginning, allowing Hester to get to know her better and to form her own opinion. She was strong-willed and charismatic, but also struggling with her place in life and the pressures that surround her. She was definitely a relatable character, never feeling too unrealistic with her issues. The relationship that forms between Hester and Rebekah isn’t too contrived either, nor is it the main focus of the book. It’s underlying, something that simmers and ignites throughout, never detracting from the core plot. By the end, I felt every emotion they did, to the point that when reading the last few chapters on the train home, I almost missed my stop. That was how engaging the writing was within this book.
There’s a lot to be said for a book that manages to place you so firmly within it’s world, leading you on a journey that takes you through not only the day to day, but also the surprises and devastations that come with it. There are family secrets to be discovered, strained relationships to explore, and grotesque truths to be unearthed. I do feel that the uncovering of the disappearances, and the revelation behind them, could have been explored a little more. I loved the end, I couldn’t put it down, but I felt a little cheated by the answers I received. However, I did genuinely enjoy this work and the stories it had to tell. Despite suffering from a slightly slow middle section, the suspense and intrigue of this book definitely means I’d recommend it, particularly if you like mysteries. Having said that, even if you don’t, give this one a try. It might surprise you!
I’m not 100% sure what rating to give this. Either 3 or 4 stars.i wished they focused more on the missing people, it seemed to have been forgotten about for half of the book. I did like to see the relationship between the two female characters and to see them falling in love. I did not expect that! I thought it would be friendship. I did like the ending and how everything was wrapped up.
I'm always looking for historical fiction and mystery stories with female protagonists set in Victorian England. Sadly I have also often been burned during that search. It takes a deft touch to combine all those different aspects and not have one of them become disastrous. So when I saw The Wicked Cometh I was immediately intrigued. People are going missing? Wickedness in London? A bright young woman in the midst of it all? I am SO here for it! Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
In a sense The Wicked Cometh is a mystery novel that tries to answer a straightforward question: why are people disappearing? But Laura Carlin uses this as a way to address class which, in my eyes, definitely elevates the plot. Hester is poor, incredibly poor, living among equally poor and hungry and cold people in London the 1800s. But her life wasn't always like this. When her parents were alive she enjoyed comfort and education, but now, as an orphan, she has not much to hope for. That is, until pure chance literally throws her in the way of the Brock family where she gets another chance. Through Hester, Carlin is able to show the harsh divide between the rich and poor, how the former can look down upon the latter with disgust and zero awareness of how they came to be poor. The constant clash between expectations and reality are really interesting and add an extra layer of meaning to The Wicked Cometh.
The Wicked Cometh is incredibly atmospheric and this is all due to Laura Carlin's beautiful writing. Her London comes to life through her descriptions which are incredibly evocative, whether it's the dirt on the streets or the sound of the crowd. The houses, the people, the weather and mood, it's all described in a way that draws the reader in straightaway. I felt like I was watching a movie sometimes, with the amount of detail Carlin managed to confer to me. Carlin takes a lot of time at the beginning of the novel to set her scene and establish her characters, which may not work for everyone but I loved it. Also, I adored Hester, she was such a scrappy and determined main character who stayed true to herself as much as she could. Carlin makes some choices towards the end of the novel which felt a bit rushed, as if she was trying to tie every story line together into one thread and thereby stretched some of them a bit too far. In a way some of these choices reminded me of the Gothic novels of the time, deeply dramatic and a bit too much, but sadly it didn't really work and betrayed some of the strong plot choices made earlier in the novel. However, this didn't really affect my opinion on the overall novel that much, compared to a different novel I read recently.
For full review: http://universeinwords.blogspot.com/2018/02/review-wicked-cometh-by-laura-carlin.html
In a sense The Wicked Cometh is a mystery novel that tries to answer a straightforward question: why are people disappearing? But Laura Carlin uses this as a way to address class which, in my eyes, definitely elevates the plot. Hester is poor, incredibly poor, living among equally poor and hungry and cold people in London the 1800s. But her life wasn't always like this. When her parents were alive she enjoyed comfort and education, but now, as an orphan, she has not much to hope for. That is, until pure chance literally throws her in the way of the Brock family where she gets another chance. Through Hester, Carlin is able to show the harsh divide between the rich and poor, how the former can look down upon the latter with disgust and zero awareness of how they came to be poor. The constant clash between expectations and reality are really interesting and add an extra layer of meaning to The Wicked Cometh.
The Wicked Cometh is incredibly atmospheric and this is all due to Laura Carlin's beautiful writing. Her London comes to life through her descriptions which are incredibly evocative, whether it's the dirt on the streets or the sound of the crowd. The houses, the people, the weather and mood, it's all described in a way that draws the reader in straightaway. I felt like I was watching a movie sometimes, with the amount of detail Carlin managed to confer to me. Carlin takes a lot of time at the beginning of the novel to set her scene and establish her characters, which may not work for everyone but I loved it. Also, I adored Hester, she was such a scrappy and determined main character who stayed true to herself as much as she could. Carlin makes some choices towards the end of the novel which felt a bit rushed, as if she was trying to tie every story line together into one thread and thereby stretched some of them a bit too far. In a way some of these choices reminded me of the Gothic novels of the time, deeply dramatic and a bit too much, but sadly it didn't really work and betrayed some of the strong plot choices made earlier in the novel. However, this didn't really affect my opinion on the overall novel that much, compared to a different novel I read recently.
For full review: http://universeinwords.blogspot.com/2018/02/review-wicked-cometh-by-laura-carlin.html
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was so excited for a dark Victorian thriller and this...wasn't it. 80% of it was building towards a beautiful but out-of-context love story and then in the last few chapters you suddenly get hit with character development and some fast-paced action. And in the space of a chapter you lose and gain the main character in a disappointing final twist .
I’m giving up. lord, is this book dull. maybe my brain can’t focus on this rn with exams coming up but the book doesn’t even TRY to be easy to read. so no thank u. i did like the girls but the WRITING? not for me
Despite the slump in the middle and the book relying somewhat heavily on coincidence, I did enjoy this. For a first novel it was well written and a quick read.
Hester Hester what a character you are. How I loved being dragged into your world. I say dragged as it’s a fully immersive experience and the stench and squalor of your London is not for the faint hearted but what a journey it was!
A girl from a poor family, raised by a rough couple and then in to a world of gentrification. There’s a good story right there. But this had missing children, missing children no one seemed to care about as they were from the poor part of town.
Full review nearer the time
Laura, Laura - please write more!
A girl from a poor family, raised by a rough couple and then in to a world of gentrification. There’s a good story right there. But this had missing children, missing children no one seemed to care about as they were from the poor part of town.
Full review nearer the time
Laura, Laura - please write more!