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A review by mj_james_writes
A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee is a dark, gothic young adult book set in a high school boarding house.
The book is strongly character based, with most of the plot only being moved along due to the characters. The start of the book was slow. It was an attempt to set the gothic scene and build up tension. It also went on too long. There were other parts of the book where it stalled, but not for long. The last part of the book had me hooked. I stayed up late into the night to finish.
The main character, Felicity, is an unreliable narrator due to her own mental illness. It was fascinating how this was done, and how it was built into the main character herself. However, mental illness is real and not just a plot device. It felt like that could have been respected more. Also, the med rep is horrible in the book, and it didn’t have to be.
There were a few inconsistencies and a few unbelievable things. It was hard to know if they were due to the narration or writing. I think it was a bit of both. The two biggest to me - antidepressants do not stop hallucinations. Also, Felicity dug a large hole six feet in the ground during winter in three hours. Not possible.
There is LGBTQ+ rep with F/F relationship and a Non-Binary side character that I wanted more of.
Overall, the book was haunting and will stay with me. I appreciated the writing and also felt more could have been done for accuracy. The strength of this novel is the characters.
The book is strongly character based, with most of the plot only being moved along due to the characters. The start of the book was slow. It was an attempt to set the gothic scene and build up tension. It also went on too long. There were other parts of the book where it stalled, but not for long. The last part of the book had me hooked. I stayed up late into the night to finish.
The main character, Felicity, is an unreliable narrator due to her own mental illness. It was fascinating how this was done, and how it was built into the main character herself. However, mental illness is real and not just a plot device. It felt like that could have been respected more. Also, the med rep is horrible in the book, and it didn’t have to be.
There were a few inconsistencies and a few unbelievable things. It was hard to know if they were due to the narration or writing. I think it was a bit of both. The two biggest to me - antidepressants do not stop hallucinations. Also, Felicity dug a large hole six feet in the ground during winter in three hours. Not possible.
There is LGBTQ+ rep with F/F relationship and a Non-Binary side character that I wanted more of.
Overall, the book was haunting and will stay with me. I appreciated the writing and also felt more could have been done for accuracy. The strength of this novel is the characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content