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tania_mybookishsecret's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Vomit
catanami's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, and Mental illness
Moderate: Vomit, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
redroseses's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Car accident, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Stalking, and Car accident
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Police brutality, and Abandonment
alba_marie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This one was at least better than <i>The Corset</i> which disgusted me to my core.
I was intrigued to read <i>The Shape of Darkness</i> for three reasons: because it was Victorian, gothic, and set in Bath – a place I once lived and where I ultimately decided that I wanted to permanently live in Europe. Needless to say, it's one of the places I hold dearest to my heart.
While I loved the start in Sydney Gardens and across Pultney Bridge, I was a bit disappointed that Bath itself hardly featured after the first few scenes despite being the perfect setting for such a novel. To me, it seems like the author missed a trick here.
At the core of the novel, we have Agnes, a middle-aged spinster still recovering physically from an illness and emotionally from past family drama; as well as Pearl, an albino child trafficked by her step-sister as a spirit medium.
In this book, the spirits come alive with a vengeance. They – often violently – speak through Pearl to her paying clients. They haunt Agnes through the silhouette cutouts of long dead people. They haunt Pearl for the seemingly simple crime of being born. And now they are haunting Bath itself with people dropping like flies upon interacting with Agnes.
The twist at the end was unexpected
So in the end, not a bad book, and a fascinating dive into the forgotten art of silhouettes, but not one that will stay with me in the long run.
Graphic: Child abuse and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Mental illness
robin_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Confinement, Death, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Child death, Misogyny, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
lc_books's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Agnes Darken is a struggling silhouette artist living with her mother and nephew. When her customers start dropping dead one by one, and the police have no culprit, she seeks the help of child Spiritualist; Peal.
Agnes and Pearl aren’t your usual heroines and Laura Purcell did a great job of writing realistic women for this specific time period. Because of this there was a fine line between reality and the fantasy elements.
Purcell’s prose grabbed my attention from the very first line to the last. Every chapter was a joy to read and even though the pacing was very slow for my taste, I’m glad I finished the book for that ending.
This is a book I would enjoy reading again.
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, and Murder
linguaphile412's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Drug use
emmasanderson's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Murder
the_vvitch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, and Blood
kb_sherman's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Death, Medical trauma, Car accident, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug use, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, and Excrement