A review by hello_lovely13
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

This book was very good at intrigue; when the POVs changed, I usually wanted to know what happened next. However, I wasn’t as connected to the main characters as I wanted. Caroline was my favorite, but I didn’t like that
she threw the vial back in the river (so stupid, it could have been important evidence for her research; I get protecting Eliza’s story, but still; also, isn’t the point of the register that their stories are usually forgotten or erased from history, and she just did that? I get protecting this secret, but currently a bit on the fence whether I agree with it)
. I also didn’t like
the part of the pregnancy, for Caroline and the emphasis on motherhood in general in the book. It’s just not for me. Also, if she took James back, I would have been SO ANGRY. Thankfully, she didn’t, though.
Nella was all right to follow, though not written as the most interesting character, despite her premise being the most interesting. It often came off to me as the person keeping the plot together, which is unfortunate. Eliza, though sweet, was my least favorite perspective to read in. I personally am not a fan of reading about that sort of youthful naïveté.
However, her not understanding periods and thinking it a ghost, resulting in a bunch of drama??? This felt very silly, a bit enduring at first, but quickly turned into frustrating.
For the ending, I was happy for all of the characters, but the slight twist it added at the end felt a bit out of place. I know the author probably wanted it to come off as whimsical, and it sort of did, but the tone just didn’t match the rest of the book, so I didn’t like it very much.
I mean, out of nowhere magic is real? With no display of it for more than 90% of the book? There are 3 scenes with it display (more like 2.5): the bookshop boy telling Eliza about being a stillborn and a potion reviving him, the reveal that Eliza survives the jump with the potion she made, and the ending scene. Making Eliza sort of right is just weird and doesn’t fit the rest of the book. Real magic and ghosts? Really? Kind of a ridiculous ending, if you ask me. Those things didn’t need to be included. If she added just the two women walking along the river and disappearing when Caroline throws there vial in the river and Eliza surviving (though not implying with MAGIC), then that would have been okay, not precisely ideal, but fine. But everything? Not for me. I would have preferred no implication at all that ghosts and magic were real in this world. It makes more sense for the story, as well as the story’s tone. Eliza was supposed to come off as a naive child for a reason (because she is), not for a twist at the end that she was right!
Overall, an enjoyable read, but not one I’ll be gushing about.
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