Take a photo of a barcode or cover
shelfofunread 's review for:
The Fascination
by Essie Fox
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Identical twin sisters Keziah and Tilly are alike in every way, except that Tilly hasn’t grown an inch since she was five. Coerced by their violent and manipulative father into using their talents to promote his ‘miracle’ cure-all, they’ve spent most of their lives on the road. But when Keziah and Tilly are sold by their father to the mysterious Italian known as ‘Captain’, they find themselves joining a theatrical ‘family’ of human curiosities and heading for the bright lights of London.
Would-be doctor Theo, on the other hand, has been raised in relative stability and comfort but with very little love. His grandfather, Lord Seabrook, despises the medical profession in spire of his own interest in anatomical ‘curiosities’. When Lord Seabrook remarries and a new heir for his estate is procured, Theo finds himself cast out of his childhood home. Determine to pursue his dreams, he answers an advert placed by ‘gentleman anatomist’ Dr Eugene Summerwell.
Summerwell’s ‘Museum of Anatomy’ is home to Captain and his family of performers, freaks, and outcasts, Tilly and Keziah included. But as Theo, Keziah, and Tilly’s lives become intertwined, they soon realise that there is darkness lurking beneath the surface of their glittering new world. And, if they’re not careful, the web of lies and deceit that surrounds them could soon entangle them all.
The Fascination is a suspenseful tale that digs into the dark heart of the world of Victorian showmen and casts a light upon the often grim realities that lay behind fairs, showgrounds, and the theatrical marvels of the age. The era’s fascination with human ‘curiosities’ is thoroughly explored in the novel, as are the disturbing connections between the spectacles seen in Burlington Hall and Drury Lane and the anatomist’s ‘theatre’. Both worlds are vividly brought to life by Fox’s luminous prose, which pulled me right into the dark heart of Victorian England.
Tilly, Keziah, and Theo all make for empathetic protagonists in the face of almost insurmountable challenges and dangers. I really enjoyed the way in which each character’s motivations and vulnerabilities are explored, as well as the relationships that develop – and are uncovered – between them. Essie Fox also has a real talent for writing villains – there are several characters in here that I could quite happily have swung for(!) – and isn’t afraid of portraying the often heart-wrenching realities of life for her more vulnerable characters. As a result, content warnings should be noted for period-relevant attitudes towards – and language reflective of – disability, domestic and physical violence, emotional abuse, alcohol and drug use/abuse, coercion/coercive control, medical trauma/detail, and confinement. These topics are dealt with sensitively however it clear that Fox has done a great deal of research to really immerse her reader in the period and it’s details, however unpalatable they might be to modern readers.
Although I did find the book a little slow to start with, the pace really picks up once all the characters some together at Dr Summerwell’s ‘Museum’ in the second act, and the slow burn of tension built up in the first part of the novel really pays off towards the end, when all the threads are skilfully drawn together for an explosive – and unexpected – finale.
Fans of Elizabeth Macneal’s Circus of Wonders and Imogen Hermes Gower’s The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock, will find much to enjoy in the rich detail and evocative stylings of The Fascination, with its immersive depiction of Victorian showmanship and the darker undercurrents that lie beneath the surface glamour. Offering a surprisingly sweet coming-of-age tale wrapped within a darkly Gothic tale of secrets and deception, The Fascination is sure to fascinate plenty of readers come release day!
NB: This review also appears on my blog at https://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpress.com as part of the blog tour for the book. My thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Would-be doctor Theo, on the other hand, has been raised in relative stability and comfort but with very little love. His grandfather, Lord Seabrook, despises the medical profession in spire of his own interest in anatomical ‘curiosities’. When Lord Seabrook remarries and a new heir for his estate is procured, Theo finds himself cast out of his childhood home. Determine to pursue his dreams, he answers an advert placed by ‘gentleman anatomist’ Dr Eugene Summerwell.
Summerwell’s ‘Museum of Anatomy’ is home to Captain and his family of performers, freaks, and outcasts, Tilly and Keziah included. But as Theo, Keziah, and Tilly’s lives become intertwined, they soon realise that there is darkness lurking beneath the surface of their glittering new world. And, if they’re not careful, the web of lies and deceit that surrounds them could soon entangle them all.
The Fascination is a suspenseful tale that digs into the dark heart of the world of Victorian showmen and casts a light upon the often grim realities that lay behind fairs, showgrounds, and the theatrical marvels of the age. The era’s fascination with human ‘curiosities’ is thoroughly explored in the novel, as are the disturbing connections between the spectacles seen in Burlington Hall and Drury Lane and the anatomist’s ‘theatre’. Both worlds are vividly brought to life by Fox’s luminous prose, which pulled me right into the dark heart of Victorian England.
Tilly, Keziah, and Theo all make for empathetic protagonists in the face of almost insurmountable challenges and dangers. I really enjoyed the way in which each character’s motivations and vulnerabilities are explored, as well as the relationships that develop – and are uncovered – between them. Essie Fox also has a real talent for writing villains – there are several characters in here that I could quite happily have swung for(!) – and isn’t afraid of portraying the often heart-wrenching realities of life for her more vulnerable characters. As a result, content warnings should be noted for period-relevant attitudes towards – and language reflective of – disability, domestic and physical violence, emotional abuse, alcohol and drug use/abuse, coercion/coercive control, medical trauma/detail, and confinement. These topics are dealt with sensitively however it clear that Fox has done a great deal of research to really immerse her reader in the period and it’s details, however unpalatable they might be to modern readers.
Although I did find the book a little slow to start with, the pace really picks up once all the characters some together at Dr Summerwell’s ‘Museum’ in the second act, and the slow burn of tension built up in the first part of the novel really pays off towards the end, when all the threads are skilfully drawn together for an explosive – and unexpected – finale.
Fans of Elizabeth Macneal’s Circus of Wonders and Imogen Hermes Gower’s The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock, will find much to enjoy in the rich detail and evocative stylings of The Fascination, with its immersive depiction of Victorian showmanship and the darker undercurrents that lie beneath the surface glamour. Offering a surprisingly sweet coming-of-age tale wrapped within a darkly Gothic tale of secrets and deception, The Fascination is sure to fascinate plenty of readers come release day!
NB: This review also appears on my blog at https://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpress.com as part of the blog tour for the book. My thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Violence, Medical content, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Alcohol