A review by bookswithnicole
Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid

adventurous dark reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

I have mixed feelings about this book. There were aspects I really loved like the gothic atmosphere and the prose. But I thought it fell short as a feminist retelling. Firstly, because it is more of a reimagining than a retelling and the main character derived greatly from the Lady Macbeth of Shakespeare. Secondly, because it lacked subtlety with its handling of the female experience and told us more of the characters beliefs than showed us. I think it is a good gothic fantasy but would have done better with less exposition telling us she fears men and removal from Shakespeare.
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