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A review by powerpuffgoat
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
1.0
The premise was alright. Cute, even. A heartbroken young woman, whose dreams of being a historian were systematically quashed by her husband, goes to London to get away from his betrayal and discovers a mysterious, old-timey vial while mudlarking. A vile that belonged to an 18th century apothecary who specialised in women's ailments (including cheating or abusive husbands).
But while the concept was interesting, the way the story develops, the way the idea is executed is... Lacking.
I wish the narrative was contained between Caroline and Nella. Chapters from children's POV are my pet peeve, because more often than not, they just aren't very good. Unfortunately, an even bigger issue was that the characters all sound alike, recounting the same events with the same melodramatic tone.
Then there's the magick. I don't know if the author was trying to make the word look more antiquated, but ironically, that spelling wasn't used until 20th century (yes, my petty ass checked). And it wasn't like our home-girl Eliza only used it once or twice. FIFTY SIX TIMES (yes, my petty ass checked). Magick, magick, magick, magick, magick. I wish I had listened to the audiobook instead, because this was a constant source of annoyance for me.
It's not like I expect historical accuracy from a book like that, but there would have to be other qualities to make up for it! I also don't know what possessed the author to set the story in London. Both storylines read like caricatures, with lots of Americanisms thrown in.
The prose is generally repetitive, as if not trusting the reader to remember something that happened earlier. And let's not forget the melodramatic style! It couldn't help but roll my eyes.
Overall, I feel like the book had potential, particularly if it explored Nella's life and the cases she had had her hand in. Or if it leaned into the present-day investigation and made the main character do actual research instead of just happening upon things.
Finally, the picture of womanhood that this book paints is kind of basic. Our characters are driven forth to their reproductive systems. No matter what they do, their mind returns to their uterus. And this is where the repetitive prose also gets annoying. I'm sorry, but reading about a girl's first period isn't my idea of captivating.
But while the concept was interesting, the way the story develops, the way the idea is executed is... Lacking.
I wish the narrative was contained between Caroline and Nella. Chapters from children's POV are my pet peeve, because more often than not, they just aren't very good. Unfortunately, an even bigger issue was that the characters all sound alike, recounting the same events with the same melodramatic tone.
Then there's the magick. I don't know if the author was trying to make the word look more antiquated, but ironically, that spelling wasn't used until 20th century (yes, my petty ass checked). And it wasn't like our home-girl Eliza only used it once or twice. FIFTY SIX TIMES (yes, my petty ass checked). Magick, magick, magick, magick, magick. I wish I had listened to the audiobook instead, because this was a constant source of annoyance for me.
It's not like I expect historical accuracy from a book like that, but there would have to be other qualities to make up for it! I also don't know what possessed the author to set the story in London. Both storylines read like caricatures, with lots of Americanisms thrown in.
The prose is generally repetitive, as if not trusting the reader to remember something that happened earlier. And let's not forget the melodramatic style! It couldn't help but roll my eyes.
Overall, I feel like the book had potential, particularly if it explored Nella's life and the cases she had had her hand in. Or if it leaned into the present-day investigation and made the main character do actual research instead of just happening upon things.
Finally, the picture of womanhood that this book paints is kind of basic. Our characters are driven forth to their reproductive systems. No matter what they do, their mind returns to their uterus. And this is where the repetitive prose also gets annoying. I'm sorry, but reading about a girl's first period isn't my idea of captivating.