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crabbyabbe's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I wish I could give this 4.5 stars instead of 4. I loved it; the character of Margaret is a lot like me--insofar as being an introvert goes. To work in an antiquarian bookshop and read books all day would be THE DREAM JOB of all time. Having the story lead into a dark mystery with tragic pasts only made the novel more enjoyable and took my mind off the daily problems of life here in the Covid pandemic. The book left me wanting to know more and not wanting to leave the characters--even the ones who sorrowfully died. A thought-provoking page-turner. The only reason I knocked off half of a star was because the ending was too quick and too perky for the tone that encompassed the rest of the novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Incest, and Child abuse
booksteaandchocolate's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Oh man this book is a wild freaking ride.
I went into this book knowing very little and to be honest I think that is the best way for someone to read this book. To say the least most people say its a mystery of why an author picks this woman to be her biographer, but I would greatly disagree with that. This book is more of a story about siblings and their relationships. Its hard to explain it without giving anything away so I will leave it be.
After reading it you are left with this compulsion to read it again so you can read it with the knowledge of what's actually happening and see it with new eyes. I kept having to jump back and forth because I kept trying to connect scenes.
The book is soooo atmospheric and has a very gothic feeling to the writing. I really love how immersive it feels.
I was so freaking emotional at the end of the book that it was a bit ridiculous. Even with how dark and twisted the whole story is you feel so much compassion for the characters and hearing their stories can be a little overwhelming. I truly loved the entire experience though. I highly recommend this to any gothic readers or mystery lovers. Such a good book.
I went into this book knowing very little and to be honest I think that is the best way for someone to read this book. To say the least most people say its a mystery of why an author picks this woman to be her biographer, but I would greatly disagree with that. This book is more of a story about siblings and their relationships. Its hard to explain it without giving anything away so I will leave it be.
After reading it you are left with this compulsion to read it again so you can read it with the knowledge of what's actually happening and see it with new eyes. I kept having to jump back and forth because I kept trying to connect scenes.
The book is soooo atmospheric and has a very gothic feeling to the writing. I really love how immersive it feels.
I was so freaking emotional at the end of the book that it was a bit ridiculous. Even with how dark and twisted the whole story is you feel so much compassion for the characters and hearing their stories can be a little overwhelming. I truly loved the entire experience though. I highly recommend this to any gothic readers or mystery lovers. Such a good book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Death, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Self harm, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, and Child abuse
Minor: Alcoholism, Vomit, Sexual violence, and Rape
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