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dragonaion's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This isn't my usual genre (fantasy or historical fiction), and when I started the book I was skeptical. However, the storytelling not only kept me reading, but set me down new paths that were completely unexpected and a delight to discover. The story itself is also darker than most, but it was well placed and not excessive; the story is told in such a way I'm certain that someone, somewhere, knows these lives very well.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Self harm, Emotional abuse, and Incest
Minor: Physical abuse, Bullying, Death, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Excrement, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Ableism, Death of parent, Grief, Pregnancy, Rape, and Toxic relationship
This is meant for an adult audience and has a lot of dark themes within one family that is absolutely unhealthy mentally, physically, and emotionally.jdiedrichs628's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, and Incest
paulasnotsosecretdiary's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
The 13th Tale is a gothic novel about family secrets and legacies. The story touches upon the connection between twins, which has a little overall impact on the plot. The narrator, Margaret, is grieving over the loss of her twin and her mother. She works in her father's bookstore and writes biographies of notable scientists and others. Hired to write the biography of beloved author Vida Winters, Margaret untangles Vida's complicated family history, a history Vida has told in half-truths and outright lies in interviews. The truth is more terrible than Vida has let anyone believe, filled with incest, rape, child abuse, hunger, and physical and emotional neglect. Despite the split timeline of the story structure and parallels between Margaret and Vida's lives, by the end of the novel, we know little more about Margaret than we did at the beginning, but everything about Vida. The ending feels over-edited as though the author was strongly advised to conclude the book on a positive note with everything neatly tied up. However, the author's writing and pacing are on point, and a love of writing, words and books is a highlight of the book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Incest, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicide
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