sharkgirl45's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical trauma, Medical content, Vomit, Physical abuse, Death, and Suicide attempt
tetedump's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Classism, Death, Ableism, Murder, Terminal illness, Violence, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse
heuteschongekurtet's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content, Domestic abuse, Death, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, and Physical abuse
Minor: Blood, Vomit, Classism, Ableism, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Animal death
pines_and_needles's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A perfect atmospheric read for the autumn months. You can easily imagine the landscape. No boring characters, loved how each of them grappled with their inner darkness. The ending was different from what I was expecting, but this wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Domestic abuse, and Pedophilia
bookleafcrow's review
i was over halfway through with zero motivation to pick it back up again RIP
none of the characters are particularly likeable besides Stella (the pastor's wife)
none of the characters are particularly likeable besides Stella (the pastor's wife)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Ableism, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse
lilsa's review
challenging
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content and Death
marjoleinvanderspoel's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This book really is a feat. Beautiful, atmospheric language mixed with modern topics and timely discoveries, this is historical fiction at it's best. I love how the characters all felt like real people and not swooning damsels and shining knights. But most important was still the wonderful naturalism and landscape descriptors. I desperately want to be a Victorian lady naturalist with a dead husband and no attachments now..
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content
Moderate: Animal death, Death, and Infidelity
laura_keoski's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Things I enjoyed about this book: the lush prose, the moody atmosphere, the historical scientific explorations, the mystery of the serpent, the potential of some of these unique characters.
Things that got in the way for me: The book relied heavily on character development, but most of the characters still felt under-developed and one-dimensional. They were so one-dimensional that they couldn’t seem to predict the rather obvious behaviors of their fellow characters. The ending of the book was a less revelatory experience as the reader than it was for the characters themselves.
Things that got in the way for me: The book relied heavily on character development, but most of the characters still felt under-developed and one-dimensional. They were so one-dimensional that they couldn’t seem to predict the rather obvious behaviors of their fellow characters. The ending of the book was a less revelatory experience as the reader than it was for the characters themselves.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Death, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Violence, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Ableism
Minor: Domestic abuse
fireinherveinzz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Reread the first half which made it make a lot more sense. Did not love the random inclusion of all the extra side character povs like Thomas Taylor who didn’t contribute anything to the story . Also the end cut off without a conclusion which I hate like mid story. There was a lot of will they won’t they that just turned into fade to black eh. Story needed more passion less dryness . The show is definitely giving this story more life so far. I loved Cora and Will’s dynamic , Martha coming into her own independence from Cora and chasing her passions as well in social work. Loved Katherine Ambrose’s line to Cora “you cannot always keep yourself away from things that hurt you. We all wish we could , but we cannot: to live at all is to be bruised; I know that none of us was made to be alone. You told me once you forget you are a woman, and I understand it now you think to be a woman is to be weak you ours is a sisterhood of suffering! Perhaps so, but doesn’t it take a greater strength to walk a mile in pain than seven miles in none? You are a woman, and must begin to live like one. by which I mean: have courage “. Also another great one liner Cora telling Will “we are cleaved together , we are cleaved apart everything that draws me to you is everything that drives me away “. 😭 Could’ve liked this story better had it not been so focused on both Luke’s and Cora/ will’s and just Cora and Will. Luke deserved his own story not to be clumped in with theirs. He had nothing to do with this besides helping Cora with advice and Stella with her illness and being a part of a pseudo love triangle with her and Will.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Terminal illness
strabbyfieldz's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
some parts of this book made me want to cry because I had no other way to express how I feel, it was such a strange overwhelming feeling of connection to an idea to a person to a theme that it hurt in a way. but then other parts jarred with me, especially spencer's plot line... why did the book frame him becoming a landlord as a good thing??? also idk something about Francis and his narrative felt strange in that he only really came into focus at the end. BUT that being said I got so absorbed that my eyes now sting from reading for like 3 hrs lol
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Chronic illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Medical content, and Death
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Death, Toxic relationship, Classism, Domestic abuse, and Misogyny
Minor: Bullying and Emotional abuse