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kellyvandamme 's review for:
The Fascination
by Essie Fox
Truth be told, the blurb had me at the first two words: Victorian England. As much as I have come to enjoy exploring various eras, and as much as I have been actively seeking out historical fiction set in time periods I’m not familiar with, I will always have a major weak spot for the Victorian era.
Knowing a novel is set in Victorian England raises certain expectations, and I can safely say The Fascination meets them all, and then some. It is a glorious piece of slow-burning Gothic fiction, addressing themes, issues and prejudices from the time through characters you come to care about as you read.
The Fascination is told from two alternating POVs: Theo’s and Keziah’s. Theo has never felt like he fits in anywhere and Keziah’s twin sister Tilly stopped growing at five years old. If you’re at all familiar with the Victorian era, you’ll know that it’s the era of freak shows and exhibitions, and the author really does an amazing job not only portraying this fascination that turns into unhealthy obsession in a heartbeat, but also giving the so-called freaks a voice.
The Fascination has some truly pitch-black elements and did make me want to strangle a few characters in a few instances, and simultaneously hug a few others. However, it was also a joy to see the “misfits” gain confidence and come into their own.
The Fascination is not one to race through, you need to take your time and savour it. Which did require some effort at times, for instance because I wanted to know when and how the characters would figure out something I had figured out because I was dying for them to realise it too. This is definitely one of those books I need to revisit with hindsight, so I can focus on the details and not be spurred on by the need to know certain outcomes.
I had a great time with The Fascination. Also, since finishing it, I have noticed just how much it got under my skin. I find myself still thinking about the characters and all that happened, it does linger. If you enjoy gothic literature and historical fiction set in the Victorian era, this is one you should definitely check out. And while you do that, I’ll be checking out Essie Fox’s backlist.
Massive thanks to Orenda Books for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
Knowing a novel is set in Victorian England raises certain expectations, and I can safely say The Fascination meets them all, and then some. It is a glorious piece of slow-burning Gothic fiction, addressing themes, issues and prejudices from the time through characters you come to care about as you read.
The Fascination is told from two alternating POVs: Theo’s and Keziah’s. Theo has never felt like he fits in anywhere and Keziah’s twin sister Tilly stopped growing at five years old. If you’re at all familiar with the Victorian era, you’ll know that it’s the era of freak shows and exhibitions, and the author really does an amazing job not only portraying this fascination that turns into unhealthy obsession in a heartbeat, but also giving the so-called freaks a voice.
The Fascination has some truly pitch-black elements and did make me want to strangle a few characters in a few instances, and simultaneously hug a few others. However, it was also a joy to see the “misfits” gain confidence and come into their own.
The Fascination is not one to race through, you need to take your time and savour it. Which did require some effort at times, for instance because I wanted to know when and how the characters would figure out something I had figured out because I was dying for them to realise it too. This is definitely one of those books I need to revisit with hindsight, so I can focus on the details and not be spurred on by the need to know certain outcomes.
I had a great time with The Fascination. Also, since finishing it, I have noticed just how much it got under my skin. I find myself still thinking about the characters and all that happened, it does linger. If you enjoy gothic literature and historical fiction set in the Victorian era, this is one you should definitely check out. And while you do that, I’ll be checking out Essie Fox’s backlist.
Massive thanks to Orenda Books for the eARC. All opinions are my own.