A review by steph01924
A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

3.0

This was a strange one. The beginning part when Grace is in an asylum in Boston is quite horrifying. So much happened to her page after page, that I had to look up some reviews to figure out if I wanted to keep reading. Luckily it doesn't last too long, and we dive into the main narrative of the novel, which, as many have said, becomes more about solving mysteries and Grace getting revenge than a tell-all about an abusive asylum (which is what many assumed this would be based on the synopsis).

Maybe knowing this made me more okay than others with how the story went. I wasn't supremely captivated by Grace and this story, yet I found myself picking my Nook back up when I had a moment to keep going.

I don't think this is going to be a book I remember for a long time, but it was a decent enough way to pass a few hours. I enjoyed the friendship between Grace, Lizzie, and Nell, and the friendship between Thornhollow and Grace. I was a bit confused about Falsteed and Lizzie and

Spoiler

their somewhat supernatural sounding abilities. Is this a supernatural book? Magic realism? Are we supposed to believe they're just a little bit mad but there's a perfectly logical non-magical explanation for a man who can sniff out people's personalities and secrets and a girl who knows things that no one should know? I suppose Lizzie could just be extraordinarily good at eavesdropping, as Thornhollow assumes, but we're told about the baby and her Grandma and how she knew Grandma had died, so...what? I just don't like this types of things to be casually dangled in front of us and then not answered. If you're going to be a mystical book then I want to know that upfront, darn it

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