edwardian_girl_next_door's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book is (all puns intended) bewitching. The suspense is so well done that I could hardly stand to put it down. There were a few moments were I felt like it was drawn out too much, but for the most part, it kept the plot moving seamlessly. I really liked the protagonist and Chrissa Moore, and the secondary and tertiary characters all felt well fleshed out and like individuals.
For most of the book, it is unclear whether or not the witch accusations stem from the supernatural. I loved the ending, and felt that all the loose ends were tied up effectively. I look forward to any future books that Andrews may publish!
If you liked The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry, Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell, or The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell, you will like The Leviathan.
For most of the book, it is unclear whether or not the witch accusations stem from the supernatural.
Spoiler
Even though I am not the biggest fan of the supernatural in books, I was won over by this story. It might have been cooler to have Esther as the 'witch', hiding her true malicious nature under a facade of religious sweetness and docility, and the accusations merely a ploy of hers; however, that would have taken the story in a much different direction. I also would like to know where Thomas got his information about M... He certainly kept us all in the dark about that oneIf you liked The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry, Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell, or The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell, you will like The Leviathan.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Confinement, Death, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, and Violence
Moderate: Gore, Child abuse, and Misogyny
Minor: Pregnancy, War, and Cursing
megpadams's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
I wanted to love this book so badly. I pre ordered it because the cover was so beautiful and it sounded intriguing. Sadly, it just didn’t deliver.
It was definitely an enjoyable read, but it missed on all the points I was looking for; the suspense and the eldritch horror of a leviathan. I think my expectations were probably too high.
I’d recommend this book for fans of The Essex Serpent or Karen Maitland’s books.
It was definitely an enjoyable read, but it missed on all the points I was looking for; the suspense and the eldritch horror of a leviathan. I think my expectations were probably too high.
Spoiler
Also, I really didn’t like how Andrew’s made Milton’s blindness some sort of demon curse by having the Leviathan grant him a mystical vision and leading to Paradise Lost. Can’t we just have a normal blind person for once? Why does it always have to be mystica? <\spoiler>I’d recommend this book for fans of The Essex Serpent or Karen Maitland’s books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Violence, and War
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