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A review by feifeii
The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Perhaps a 2.5.
Things I like about this book:
The premise and the setting, especially the vibe Pearse tried to build in the beginning and the prologue.
Also the underlying idea of revenge and challenge against the abuse of power and exploration of vulnerable women in such a patriarchal society. Sounds quite feminist to me.
The tension between siblings
The epilogue sounds intriguing. Possibly a sequel?
Things I don’t really enjoy much:
The book consists of 92 chapters in total, excluding the prologue and epilogue, which each chapter is quite short and all from the POV of the protagonist, Elon (which by the way I don’t like and find her hard to like). The narrative feels choppy to me
The later part of the plot development, and the overall scheme in hindsight, seems far fetched to me.
Things I like about this book:
The premise and the setting, especially the vibe Pearse tried to build in the beginning and the prologue.
Also the underlying idea of revenge and challenge against the abuse of power and exploration of vulnerable women in such a patriarchal society. Sounds quite feminist to me.
The tension between siblings
The epilogue sounds intriguing. Possibly a sequel?
Things I don’t really enjoy much:
The book consists of 92 chapters in total, excluding the prologue and epilogue, which each chapter is quite short and all from the POV of the protagonist, Elon (which by the way I don’t like and find her hard to like). The narrative feels choppy to me
The later part of the plot development, and the overall scheme in hindsight, seems far fetched to me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, Body horror, and Murder
Minor: Rape and Abortion