Reviews tagging 'Violence'

The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner

30 reviews

gracescanlon's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

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knockonwood03's review

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dark mysterious sad tense fast-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

3.5

Decent historical thriller with LGBTQ+ themes. Spooky vibes.
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tea_at_mole_end's review

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mysterious medium-paced

3.0

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cwerber's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

I really enjoyed this book. I went into it cold after acquiring it from my no buy group on the book of faces and I am glad that I did. 

I liked the character development and wasn't even upset when I figured out the twist in the book. 

But I would have liked to read more from Evie's or the love interest's point of view but whatever. I also would like to know more about Eloise. 

Anyway, an apropos book to read at the beginning of spooky season. 
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blackcatkai's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • 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

CW: blood, murder, death, lite sexual content, ableism, body shaming, gaslighting, sexism, sexual assault, alcohol, fire, classism, homophobia, toxic relationships, grief, some gun violence 
it was ok. I would've liked it more without Morleys POV but whatever. love me a good sapphic love story with ghosts. more of that, please! 
honestly my biggest issue was the constant framing of a port wine stain birthmark being ugly. I know this is a historical novel, but it is so frustrating seeing it constantly mentioned throughout the book. ready player one did this too and it pisses me off. 
your birthmark is not an imperfection, a problem, nor is it disgusting. there is nothing wrong with any type of birthmark, regardless of where it is. what size it is. nor its colouring. and dont let anyone or any book make you feel otherwise. 
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tuhkasirius's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

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bold_badger's review

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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caitlyn_rehs's review

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mysterious medium-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

4.0

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siobhanward's review

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mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

 This was a fun read and if you're looking for a beach read that isn't a romance, this would be a good one. The plot moves quickly and the characters are interesting. If you're happy to just read this and enjoy it at surface-level, it's a fine read.

I found when we dig in a bit further, that's when things start to fall apart. It's very small, but Vaudeline mentions making ectoplasm using Borax (essentially listing off a slime recipe), but the timing seemed off. Sure enough, Borax doesn't seem to have been brought to Europe until the 1890s, 20 years after the book is set. It's a small detail, but it's enough of one that it's worth researching before adding it to your book (of course if I'm wrong and someone finds other dates, please feel free to correct me).

This was kind of an ongoing theme through the book - the plot seems fine at a first glance, but things kind of fall apart in the details. Lenna had seemingly no common sense or genuinely much interest in logic, which didn't fit with her logical, science-rooted character. There were various plot points in the middle that just kind of came and went without much explanation or impact.

The premise of this book was great - while I'd read others like it, there was enough creativity that it had its own distinct premise and voice, however it just felt lacking in the execution. 
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bookedupandie's review against another edition

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dark informative mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

What a fun story! Nobody and nothing is what it seems! I loved the dual point of views, and I loved trying to figure out what was going on the entire time.
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