Reviews

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

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okbuthearmeout's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional fast-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

4.75

pizzatoes's review against another edition

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Just not for me. I found it too verbose and couldn't focus. It was also difficult to pinpoint when and where things were occuring

aubryn's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Wow this was a stunningly beautiful book, I couldn’t stop reading and I didn’t want to. Kept me on the edge of my seat and beautifully drew in gender, disease vectors, environmental exploration through fungus and horror. The characters felt fully realized and complex and the exploration of them was enjoyable. Would love to read again for the first time.

andreweaver88's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense 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

4.0

ms_3llaneous's review against another edition

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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? It's complicated

This book was a recommendation to me that I found highly disappointing; however, I can see a particular audience enjoying it.

To save readers who are like me the trouble, and keep this book for its intended readership, here are some things to know off the bat:

1. Even though it features adults, drinking, and a bit of cursing, this feels like a book intended for a younger readership. It's not listed as YA, but it definitely reads like YA (which is a style I personally don't have patience for). It's all very literal, easy to digest writing, no nuance, etc.

2. I saw someone describe it as "cozy gothic," but "detective with gothic elements" is more like it. It has the "aesthetics" of gothic literature (castle, decay, generally squeamish things), but lacks the character "actions" I associate with traditional gothic. And anything gothic or scary this book attempted was incredibly tempered by the MC's frankness, logic, and light-humoured monologues (which isn't helped by the tone the narrator, Avi Roque, takes -- although the audiobook is otherwise good).
The original story 19th century story is oddly a lot scarier for me, even without the body horror. This book just kind of produces an "ick, gross" feeling.

And here's my more personal gripe, which won't matter to most readers, but really reuined things for me:
This book didn't have to be a Poe retelling. I would've liked it much better if it was it's own original story, because then I wouldn't have certain expectations for it that were quashed. Yes, they use the names and plot beats; and yet, this felt unrelated to Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher. Which isn't a crime, but why bother then? The Fall of the House of Usher is already a great, even quicker story in its own right, and if you're only going to mimic its plot and not interact with/add to its themes (and build up a larger cast of characters while undeveloping, of all people, the Ushers), what's the point of using the story except as a crutch for outlining and pitch for marketing? It just made me want to always put this story down and read the original. With a few changes, and without being restricted to the Poe story's plot beats, it could've easily been a better, more enjoyable book. (I suspect this is exactly the direction the author goes in with the sequel.)

But! I can also imagine a retelling of the House of Usher that really leans into it's thenes of class and sickness and decay and gender that feel meaningful to a modern audience -- and yet this book never chooses to do that, either avoiding these themes altogether or reaching outside the story for them. It's frustrating, but evidently wasn't a driving force in the creation of this story.

The commentary on gender we do get in this story is also either superficial without subtlety or so tied up within itself that too much of a close reading gives messages that I imagine are unintended by the author. Madeline was done so dirty. (Though I did enjoy the MC being non-cis.)

In short: People less familiar with the original story would probably enjoy it more, which is not what I want from a "retelling". At most, it's just an House of Usher-inspired story.

lifeinsherds's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

4.5

I really loved "What Moves the Dead". While this is a retelling of "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe, I've never read the source material! I am a fan of Poe however, and really enjoyed this read!

I especially love the Victorian-era science on the cusp of discovering something incredible in a horror setting. It vaguely reminded me of the Doctor Who episode "Midnight", but this was far more emotional in its depth and dedicated to its setting.