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labunnywtf 's review for:
The Doll Factory
by Elizabeth Macneal
Read for Book Roast's Magical Readathon: NEWTs Exams. Subject: Defense Against the Dark Arts, O Level. (English author or set in England)
Hmm.
This book is set in Victorian England. There's no high society here, these are the streets of Victorian England, where children starve in the streets and you can buy a set of false teeth for two guineas, plucked straight from the mouths of dead soldiers. This is not glamour.
Iris and her twin sister Rose work in a doll maker's shop, painting the porcelain and sewing outfits. The shop owner is a miserable old crone, and both women dream of escaping and opening their own shop. Iris was born with a broken collarbone that never healed right, so Rose was always the beautiful one. Until smallpox took her eye and her beauty.
A chance meeting on the street brings Iris into the sights of Silas, a taxidermist who dreams of fame and prestige. He's a collector, and once he sets his sights on Iris, he'll have her no matter what.
It's through Silas that Iris is introduced to Louis, a painter who begs and pleads to get Iris to be a model for his latest painting. It is only after she wrangles a promise to teach her to paint that she agrees, and this opens doors and opportunities that Iris never could've dreamed of. Her life is finally coming together.
Except for that whole Silas thing.
I took a bit of a break from thrillers after going through a series of clunkers at the beginning of the year. It's hard when a genre you love so much becomes over saturated with the same old story lines, to the point where nothing surprises you anymore.
This is definitely unique. And the tension is beautifully built.
So, what is my problem here?
I'm having a hard time putting my finger on exactly what bored me about this book. When the tension is there, it's rich and heavy. It's easy to become attached to these characters, to Iris with her dreams and Albie with his sweet, caring spirit and feisty mouth. You detest Silas, and want very much to beat him with a club, and you're waiting, waiting, waiting, to see what he is going to do.
But when the lulls happen, they are....deadly. They easily drag the story down until you can claw your way back up to the top and keep going.
If you're a fan of Victorian-era stories, and you like a good thriller, I think this is absolutely perfect for you.
36 books in 31 days: Book 17
Hmm.
This book is set in Victorian England. There's no high society here, these are the streets of Victorian England, where children starve in the streets and you can buy a set of false teeth for two guineas, plucked straight from the mouths of dead soldiers. This is not glamour.
Iris and her twin sister Rose work in a doll maker's shop, painting the porcelain and sewing outfits. The shop owner is a miserable old crone, and both women dream of escaping and opening their own shop. Iris was born with a broken collarbone that never healed right, so Rose was always the beautiful one. Until smallpox took her eye and her beauty.
A chance meeting on the street brings Iris into the sights of Silas, a taxidermist who dreams of fame and prestige. He's a collector, and once he sets his sights on Iris, he'll have her no matter what.
It's through Silas that Iris is introduced to Louis, a painter who begs and pleads to get Iris to be a model for his latest painting. It is only after she wrangles a promise to teach her to paint that she agrees, and this opens doors and opportunities that Iris never could've dreamed of. Her life is finally coming together.
Except for that whole Silas thing.
I took a bit of a break from thrillers after going through a series of clunkers at the beginning of the year. It's hard when a genre you love so much becomes over saturated with the same old story lines, to the point where nothing surprises you anymore.
This is definitely unique. And the tension is beautifully built.
So, what is my problem here?
I'm having a hard time putting my finger on exactly what bored me about this book. When the tension is there, it's rich and heavy. It's easy to become attached to these characters, to Iris with her dreams and Albie with his sweet, caring spirit and feisty mouth. You detest Silas, and want very much to beat him with a club, and you're waiting, waiting, waiting, to see what he is going to do.
But when the lulls happen, they are....deadly. They easily drag the story down until you can claw your way back up to the top and keep going.
If you're a fan of Victorian-era stories, and you like a good thriller, I think this is absolutely perfect for you.
36 books in 31 days: Book 17