Reviews tagging 'Death'

Yellow Jessamine by Caitlin Starling

22 reviews

aardwyrm's review

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

All atmosphere, and it's good atmosphere, so it doesn't matter too much that the very little plot there is wouldn't hold together in a stiff breeze. The supernatural stuff is entirely mysterious until a giant info dump at the end, which is genre standard and kind of how Starling does it, in my experience, but it's perfectly respectable. Evelyn herself is a bit of a weak link, as she's presented as a conniving, ruthless strategist, but on page all we see her do is act in the most suspicious way possible and make the worst available decisions no matter how little sense they make. But the vibes are the star of the book. All the grim, oozing decadence is very effective.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

megj23's review

Go to review page

dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

cait's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

elizalavenza's review

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

leahrosereads's review

Go to review page

dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The basics
Enjoyment: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Plot: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Characters: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pacing: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Writing: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What I loved
Caitlin Starling's prose and just the way she told this incredibly unsettling, bizarre novella, was excellent!  I loved the characters and how all of the little plot strings tied so well together in the end.  I was absolutely invested in everything that was happening. This is the type of gothic c horror I can get behind.

If you loved The Monster of Elendhaven, I highly recommend this one!
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

hannahollihan's review

Go to review page

dark slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

katieconrad's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

3.75

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

dhwani's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

nullandvoidlibrary's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

rorikae's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

'Yellow Jessamine' by Caitlin Starling weaves a fascinating story within a novella length. It tells the story of Evelyn Perdanu, a woman who has been surrounded by death and is now watching the world she lives in crumble. But when a strange sickness starts affecting the people around Evelyn, is it merely a new plague or is there something more to the way that it appears to be stalking her? 
Starling creates a lush story that weaves in and out as we discover more about Evelyn's past. It's gothic, with incredible atmosphere and the ending is fascinating. This is a dark novella that explores one woman's desire to bend the lives around her out of fear that started in her childhood. One of the few shaky bits is that large discoveries sometimes feel like they are dropped in haphazardly. I believe this is due in part to the fact that a novella length doesn't allow for enough time to properly weave in some of the foreshadowing that I think was necessary. Even so, I found this a gripping story that, though it had a lot to cover in a short space, successfully wove together all of its different parts. I hope that Starling explores this world further because it is absolutely fascinating. I can't wait to read more works from Neon Hemlock. If you are looking for an atmospheric tale that delves into nature and poison, please pick up Yellow Jessamine. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings