Scan barcode
blewballoon's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
There is a lot of unpleasantness in this story. Most of the characters are terrible people, the atmosphere is bleak, and there's a sense of isolation for the main character as she deals with a lot of difficulties alone. I did like her, she's smart and she fights back as hard as she can when faced with any kind of attack, mental or physical. If it weren't for her strength of spirit, the book would have been rough to get through. I didn't care for the romance, though. Overall, not as appealing as Rebecca but it does build a strong sense of atmosphere and the prose is well done. Bit of unfortunate implication for the albino person to be evil, even with the main character trying to remind herself not to be creeped out by his appearance before he's revealed as the villain
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal cruelty
itsruthalicia's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Set in the harsh Cornish moors, the story really comes alive. I saw someone say that its almost like the setting is a character in itself, and I think that's a really good way of putting it. The plot is captivating (although at points feels a little tedious) and has a really good twist near the end. You really feel for Aunt Patience and the way she and consequentially Mary are trapped. Parts of the novel do feel very stereotypical/clichéd especially Mary's love interest, although the context of when the book was written must also be borne in mind.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Gun violence and Sexual harassment
paperknotbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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? No
4.25
Atmospheric.
There was some predictability to evolution of the plot, but it doesn’t take away from the story at all. When we first met Joss, I was hoping Mary’s impressions of him would be a misunderstanding.
The loss of a star was mostly thanks to the over-the-top drawing Mary happens upon, along with the villain’s confession. I just found myself rolling my eyes by this point.
There was some predictability to evolution of the plot, but it doesn’t take away from the story at all. When we first met Joss, I was hoping Mary’s impressions of him would be a misunderstanding.
The loss of a star was mostly thanks to the over-the-top drawing Mary happens upon, along with the villain’s confession. I just found myself rolling my eyes by this point.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexism
Minor: Blood
bookwards's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Mary arrives at her uncle's Inn, The Jamaica Inn , a lonely place in the middle of the moors, after her mother dies. She finds her aunt is now a faded and broken creature and her uncle is a drunken brute. The inn has a disturbing secret and no travellers stop there. Mary is not easily cowed and vows to discover what darkness moves there at night and what madnesses her uncle is involved in. Never knowing who to trust, she attempts to protect her aunt and bring her uncle to justice. This book is a page-turner from the start with a capable heroine who walks out on the moors at night and hangs out with horse thieves and wins the respect of albino vicars. Loads of adventure and menace, peat burning, candles wavering and dubious travellers met at night.
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence, Murder, and Alcohol
yolanda_h's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent and Alcohol
bahamyulala's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Violence
below_average_baker's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
It managed to be a gripping story while also making me hate every single character. Quite impressive really
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Kidnapping
Moderate: Alcoholism and Domestic abuse
Minor: Animal cruelty
mary_juleyre's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Murder
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, and Stalking
dora_w3's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
3.75
The first half of this book was uneventful and slow, and I would have stopped reading if not for du Maurier's illustrative writing style and the mystery that she manages to soak into otherwise dull pages. However, at about the halfway mark, the story becomes suddenly unputdownable, and remains that way pretty much until the end. If not for the fact that I also wasn't a huge fan of the ending, or of the relationship between Mary and Jem in general, I would have given this book 4 stars. It was chilling, adventurous, and immersive. However, that, along with the slightly dragging first half, forces me to give it slightly less.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Minor: Sexual violence
booksandmo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Alcohol
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting