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ruthyreads13 's review for:
When We Lost Our Heads
by Heather O'Neill
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
✅ If you like the industrial revolution, commentary on wealth inequality, and unlikeable main characters, then you’ll probably like this book.
❌ If you don’t like grotesque excess, heavy-handed allusions, and Montreal, then you probably won’t like this book.
This novel is set in 1870s Montreal and follows the intense relationship between our two main characters, Marie and Sadie. Marie and Sadie live two very different lives as young girls, yet their stories are inextricably connected following a childhood tragedy. And let me say this: This is a novel where both of the main characters are eminently unlikeable. In itself this is not a problem, but I felt neither of them really got the character development they deserved. While the majority of this book was a bit of a slog for me, it did have some banger quotes—“That was perhaps a definition of innocence: not knowing what one was capable of.” The author’s writing style is very particular—at times beautiful, but at times heavy-handed and didactic. This novel wasn’t my cup of tea, but maybe it will be yours? In any case, it felt à propos to be reading about wealth inequality, women fighting for their rights, and revolution given the state of the U.S. in 2025.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
.
❌ If you don’t like grotesque excess, heavy-handed allusions, and Montreal, then you probably won’t like this book.
This novel is set in 1870s Montreal and follows the intense relationship between our two main characters, Marie and Sadie. Marie and Sadie live two very different lives as young girls, yet their stories are inextricably connected following a childhood tragedy. And let me say this: This is a novel where both of the main characters are eminently unlikeable. In itself this is not a problem, but I felt neither of them really got the character development they deserved. While the majority of this book was a bit of a slog for me, it did have some banger quotes—“That was perhaps a definition of innocence: not knowing what one was capable of.” The author’s writing style is very particular—at times beautiful, but at times heavy-handed and didactic. This novel wasn’t my cup of tea, but maybe it will be yours? In any case, it felt à propos to be reading about wealth inequality, women fighting for their rights, and revolution given the state of the U.S. in 2025.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
.