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blewballoon's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Overall, a very interesting and suspenseful story. It's fairly slow paced for the most part aside from some especially dramatic moments, but during the calmer parts of the story there are always looming threats and the sense that trouble is closing in on the main character. I still have some lingering questions now that the book is over. I did like the romance and the found family elements of the story, they were fairly uncomplicated considering everything else going on. I also enjoyed the the historical scientific elements, but this is not a story for the squeamish.
The audiobook narrator was excellent, I'd definitely like to listen to more of their work.
Bit of a personal criticism, but I did feel a strong lack of women in this story. Up until around 25% into the book there is only a passing reference to the main character's mother and sister, otherwise the world is entirely inhabited by men. I understand that women were not allowed in the medical profession, but surely they did exist in Scotland. The first named woman that does show up is of course flawlessly gorgeous and saintly, which irritated me a bit. The sister mentioned in passing earlier also comes back for two scenes to be generally homophobic and snobby. Again, I understand that this was probably a side effect of the historical setting, but I did feel the absence.
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Medical content
Moderate: Body horror, Violence, Blood, and Alcohol
Minor: Homophobia, Sexual content, Death of parent, Murder, and Outing
downtown_kb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
“Yes.”
“Well then, for God’s sake, put it back!"
James is in Edinburgh to accomplish his dreams of becoming a physician. And in order to truly learn how the body works, James needs hands on experience. What better way to get that then afterhours lab work with cadavers? However, it quickly becomes clear that not only will James needs to supplement his meager funds to afford school, but this town goes through an awful lot of bodies, thanks to all the medical students, and they have to come from somewhere.
This story is about James coming into himself, and for that it is also a queer awakening, and a sweet MM romance. It is also a clever and well researched crime thriller. Many of these events or people in the story are pulled from real history. It is a great mix of romance and the macabre, crime thriller and hilarious hijinks. Did I mention it was hilarious? There were chapters, especially the first night James finds himself hands-on with the crew after hours, that had me laughing out loud.
"This is the face of Progress, James. Don’t you dare look away.”
The romance in this is sweet but is what lost a star for me. It is not a romance subplot. It has all the feels of an actual romance, the author takes times to build it. But not quite enough time. The pacing was off from the falling to the fell in a way that irked me just enough. It needed just a little more time given to it and then it would have truly been perfection. Which is why it irked me, it was close and ultimately once established so sweet and supportive.
Still despite that this story is so clever. The writing is captivating. The setting and atmosphere is dark and gruesome. The crime and mystery are truly sinister. The history in the book is so fascinating and well portrayed. And it is all balanced by funny moment. And James who is just the sweetest naive boy who strongly comes into his own.
I hope so much to see more adventures of James and Aneurin (its left with room to continue) but either way I will be watching this author, excited to see what they write next.
"It was brilliant. Wicked, yes. But brilliant."
Graphic: Gore and Medical content
Minor: Homophobia and Sexual content
el2319's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, and Medical content
Moderate: Murder and Outing
Minor: Sexual content and Death of parent
pink_punk's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Blood
Minor: Homophobia and Excrement
maregred's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Transphobia, Blood, Medical content, and Murder
Moderate: Homophobia, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Outing
jefferz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Yet I must insist that, in the end, this is not a story about Death. It is perhaps a Life story—or even, yes, a Love story. It is the story of how I clawed my way from the decay of a crumbling legacy into the modern era of Reason and Science. It is the story of how I escaped the prison of archaic superstition to the freedom of enlightenment. It is the story of how a rose can blossom from even the bloodiest soil, of how light can grow from shadow, how love can grow from despair. This, dear reader, is the story of my Resurrection.
Great plotting and story aside, from the get-go I was impressed by Dunlap's writing style which I found heightened the material that could easily be played for shock value or body horror (this novel is a lot of things but it is not horror). From the ash-covered gray streets of Edinburgh, to the descriptive yet somehow also beautiful descriptions of dissected or dismembered body parts, the writing is detailed and lyrical. Even when it comes to the romance that is entirely clean, the breakaways to things happening off-screen/page are tasteful and creative. I already touched on James's aristocratic background, but the variety of tones and mannerisms based on the different socio-economic classes are all appropriately varied, particularly James posh-sounding sister Edith. The phrasing felt very immersive to me, though I can also see some casual readers used to contemporary fiction finding the phrasing to be mildly difficult to follow. I've also seen some other reviews that criticize The Resurrectionist for being overwritten or slow which I don't agree with. The plotting and pacing is good and just when the story appears to drag, an appropriately timed developed kicks things back up.
If I had to nitpick anything with this novel it would perhaps preferring a bit more foreshadowing or incorporating the true crime storyline earlier as it feels like the story distinctively shifts in direction once it starts. And while I personally enjoyed James and Nye's relationship and the general plotting, the material and themes can feel a bit PG and juvenile at times. However neither takes away much from how fun, entertaining, and surprisingly wholesome the story can be. I loved pretty much everything The Resurrectionist was doing, especially it's occasionally dark morbid humor. While I acknowledge many elements of this novel were well catered to my personal tastes, I do think there's a lot to like and if given the chance, it's definitely more accessible than it seems based on its summary and marketing. Between the witty banter, the well-researched historical details, and seamless blending of genres, A. Rae Dunlap has left me impressed and I'm definitely looking forward to her future works!
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, and Medical content
Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Violence, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Outing
mary_catherine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Death, Medical content, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Homophobia and Blood
Minor: Torture, Police brutality, and Outing
soobooksalot's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
(Having the Aardvark edition of this is a pure bonus, as the quality of their books is awesome.)
Author A. Rae Dunlap made me an instant fan, as I loved the writing style from the start. It's kind of a tongue-in-cheek old timey classical feel, infused with dark humour.
I also loved the characters, the romance, the medical and the mystery, the overall atmosphere of the streets and underbelly of 1820s Edinburgh.
Yes, I'm gushing. Do check this one out!
Moderate: Death, Gore, Homophobia, Medical content, Murder, and Alcohol
yellowbinge's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
TLDR: Gothic, romantic, a little slow to start, and also full of dead bodies
I have many thoughts about this book, and this review is not going to be coherent so strap in.
The setting and the atmosphere of this book? Oh I loved it dearly. It was so gothic and so London I simply couldn't believe it. I was envisioning dingy brick buildings, a light drizzle, dark streets lit up by too few street lamps, the smell of petrichor in the air, and of course people dressed in suits and simple gowns. The whole time reading I was somewhere completely different than where I was really sitting. I felt like a spectator to the spectacle in front of me.
The characters ... Hit and miss. There is a very clear distinction between the main characters and the side-characters. Some weren't fleshed out at all and had only their name to go by. Some had attempted "fleshings" but were still somewhat flat and bare. This is a little nitpick only, I wish more people in the background had more going on for them.
The romance? Oh hell yeah. It had the perfect amount of "we don't care who catches us in the act", but also "ohmygod we are going to be hanged if anyone sees us". A good blend of companionship and desire. These two were so good together. The moment the relationship was "estabølished" I was hooked. Stunning work.
The story itself had a hard time actually catching me in the beginning I fear. I was waiting for things to happen, things happened, then it didn't really carry on anywhere. It kept this strange pace almost throughout the whole book. Except for the final 20% or so, that's where the story took a more exciting turn. For me at least. Maybe the pace fits others fine, but I wish it was more focused or had more events scattered throughout. Another nitpick truly.
All in all, I was very pleasantly surprised with the quality of the book. Really enjoyed the time I got with it. Highly recommend to those who like the "walk in a graveyard" vibe. 4.5 stars, stunning read.
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Medical content
Moderate: Homophobia, Murder, and Outing
Minor: Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
brooke_city's review against another edition
3.0
I... didn't like Nie. I thought sure James would come to his senses that he was being used, and realize his mates (Charlie in particular) were actually concerned for him.
The situation with the sister was... oddly resolved? but not really.
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Gore, Homophobia, Medical content, and Murder