Scan barcode
rorikae's review against another edition
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug use, and Forced institutionalization