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A review by jayzed_kay
The Revenge of Bridget Cleary by Mathilda Zeller
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- 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? Yes
4.0
After the disaster which was my last read for this Challenge, I immediately realised that this book was perfect for laying that ghost to rest, which is topical because that is the theme of this entire story: Brigid Cleary is driven to avenge the brutal torture and murder of her mother, Bridget Cleary, who was a real-life victim of extreme domestic violence in 1895. A historical note at the beginning of the book shares the facts.
Mathilda Zeller creates the world clearly and the characters are mostly very well developed. You find yourself longing for Brigid to find the peace that she's so desperate for; being thankful - or perhaps wishing - for friends like Florence and Adelaide, and falling in love with Edmund and willing him not to let you down. Perhaps the only character who convinced me less than entirely was Mr Baxby. I felt like the whole story could have been rewritten from his point of view and he would have been a sorry character. How lovely to be back with characters who you felt like you could properly invest in though!
The pace of the book is very good. I usually read one chapter a night and, occasionally, could absolutely not wait to find out what happened next so would need to keep reading. You always feel as though there is something happening, rather than just any chapters which are in as fillers. I also loved the use of chapter headings such as, "In Which Our Heroine Confronts a Villain," as they really give an added sense of time to the story.
This should have been a five star book: I loved it and was gripped from beginning to end (did I mention, the ending is spectacular!)
The reason is isn't a five star review from me is because it was like an almost-finished product. The copy I received was in need of a final edit and proofread, and there were occasions throughout where this jerked me out of the world which was created by the story. Mostly, they were typos or formatting errors (the use of italics is essential in the story because they demonstrate when Brigid is hearing the voice of her dead mother in her head) but there were a couple of historical inaccuracies too. The Ireland described in the books is more in line with 19th century rather than 1910, which I believe is when the story is set. Irish history is a passion of mine, so I am certain that some of the things which didn't sit right with me wouldn't bother anyone else.
Mathilda Zeller is a talented author and, in The Revenge of Bridget Cleary, she has cleverly created a world which draws you quickly and deeply into an adventure with a great deal at stake. It just makes me annoyed that good authors can't always access affordable editorial support - and this is something which we're attempting to address with Crowvus Piapiac.
Mathilda Zeller creates the world clearly and the characters are mostly very well developed. You find yourself longing for Brigid to find the peace that she's so desperate for; being thankful - or perhaps wishing - for friends like Florence and Adelaide, and falling in love with Edmund and willing him not to let you down. Perhaps the only character who convinced me less than entirely was Mr Baxby. I felt like the whole story could have been rewritten from his point of view and he would have been a sorry character. How lovely to be back with characters who you felt like you could properly invest in though!
The pace of the book is very good. I usually read one chapter a night and, occasionally, could absolutely not wait to find out what happened next so would need to keep reading. You always feel as though there is something happening, rather than just any chapters which are in as fillers. I also loved the use of chapter headings such as, "In Which Our Heroine Confronts a Villain," as they really give an added sense of time to the story.
This should have been a five star book: I loved it and was gripped from beginning to end (did I mention, the ending is spectacular!)
The reason is isn't a five star review from me is because it was like an almost-finished product. The copy I received was in need of a final edit and proofread, and there were occasions throughout where this jerked me out of the world which was created by the story. Mostly, they were typos or formatting errors (the use of italics is essential in the story because they demonstrate when Brigid is hearing the voice of her dead mother in her head) but there were a couple of historical inaccuracies too. The Ireland described in the books is more in line with 19th century rather than 1910, which I believe is when the story is set. Irish history is a passion of mine, so I am certain that some of the things which didn't sit right with me wouldn't bother anyone else.
Mathilda Zeller is a talented author and, in The Revenge of Bridget Cleary, she has cleverly created a world which draws you quickly and deeply into an adventure with a great deal at stake. It just makes me annoyed that good authors can't always access affordable editorial support - and this is something which we're attempting to address with Crowvus Piapiac.