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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
goddamn. this was good. i haven’t read a proper 1800s historical fiction in a while and this. was. delicious. it’s like You based in 1850s London, except without the glorification/fetishisation of stalkers/sociopaths? it’s really really really well written (i love me some unreliable psychopath narrators), and taps into some (unfortunately still relevant) aspects of being a woman in a Society™️. i found the premise really engaging, and the pacing was pretty good. also the aesthetics, my god, the aesthetics!! the symbolism of trapping a copy of something by painting it versus the trapping of the thing itself by taxitermying it!! the juxtaposition of light and life and darkness and death!! if i may have one complaint (and i may, this is my review), i wish there had been a bit more of an ending to tie up some loose ends and see certain characters’ reactions to them. but other than that, if you’re looking for a creepy 1800s sorta thriller, look no further.
(dark romance lovers stay away, this is not that kind of book, and if you are attracted to the main antagonist, please seek professional help girlies)
(dark romance lovers stay away, this is not that kind of book, and if you are attracted to the main antagonist, please seek professional help girlies)
Incredibly creepy! I love the references to Pre-Raphaelite Art and the Great Exhibition. It's also great to have so much suspense and ambiguity amidst such rich, artistic detail.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A creepy, spine-chilling little book. Full of Victorian nonsense (said affectionately!), romance, art, and gothic happenings. My only complaint is that I saw the twist coming quite early on - but perhaps that is just a compliment to how well written this nastily familiar kind of man is. The relationship between Iris and Louis, and Iris and Rose, was tenderly revealed and their tensions felt believable and true. I think I wanted a little more at the end, just to see that final image played out a little more. But maybe that’s just personal taste. A great novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Blood, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Sexual harassment
adventurous
dark
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Really lovely historical romance novel with horror and thriller elements. I’ve been researching the PRB for a project and picked up this novel on a whim while researching Elizabeth Siddal. What a world Macneal conjures in this novel! It’s exceptionally well researched and written. I loved how detailed the setting came across. The central romance is a little on the light and airy side, but the darker underbelly of the novel manages to excuse that for me.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Se me ha hecho un poco lento, pero el final ha sido súper tenso, no podía parar de leer, ha sido un desenlace muy bonito.
While reading this book, I had the same uneasy feeling that I experienced while watching the movie "Elephant Man" for the first time--there's something about 1850's London that creeps me out...in a good way! You know that something awful is going to happen and you can guess at some of the elements of the awfulness, and you hold your breath as you turn each page, anticipating that it's not going to be EXACTLY a magical fairy tale ending. Nonetheless, the story does not disappoint and deserves a much higher rating than the one it currently holds in Goodreads.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Would have given 5 stars but seemed to finish abruptly.
While I enjoyed it enough to read to the end, I did find it a little long winded.
A great debut novel. I look forward to reading future works by this author.
A great debut novel. I look forward to reading future works by this author.