efruitsnack's review against another edition
5.0
I am truly baffled that this has under 4 stars rating here on Goodreads because the book was so damn good. It was beautifully queer, cleverly written, and the plot was amazing.
The pacing of the plot was good and every time I started to doze off, I was pulled right back in. From the narrators clever tone to the inventive and engaging storytelling, I was entranced by this book.
10/10 - if you’re looking for a queer gothic I cannot recommend this enough.
The pacing of the plot was good and every time I started to doze off, I was pulled right back in. From the narrators clever tone to the inventive and engaging storytelling, I was entranced by this book.
10/10 - if you’re looking for a queer gothic I cannot recommend this enough.
ktxx22's review against another edition
DNFING this at 21% because........ it was compared to The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern which I gave 1 star to and was so angry at that..... at present I am not enjoying this book at all. I don’t care about it at all so I’m gonna DNF it and probably never read it in the future unless I get mad FOMO or someone convinces me otherwise!!
tayloreve07's review against another edition
I enjoyed that. Like with a lot of historical fiction books with dual timelines I kind of wish we just got the historical one because I was very interested in lesbians at a haunted boarding school. But the contemporary one wasn’t boring either so. Pretty good.
Giving me very much beginning of Jane Eyre vibes but with more gays.
Giving me very much beginning of Jane Eyre vibes but with more gays.
flaviasantos's review against another edition
4.0
This was hard to give a star review.
In general, this book had so many things that I hate and that make me so annoyed. No clear end or explanations, too many words to describe too little, very unlikable characters... and the yellow jackets were sooooo annoying appearing all the time, no need for that. Also, very unclear on the mistery, horror and romance.
But in the end I really liked the ambiance, the dark academia thing, the queerness, and even how hateful the main characters were. It really hooked me up and by the end of it I realized that there were soooo many plot holes and unnecessary things, but I also realized that I really enjoyed it.
So 3,5 stars it is - but beawere, it is not a good book by any means, I just really liked reading it.
In general, this book had so many things that I hate and that make me so annoyed. No clear end or explanations, too many words to describe too little, very unlikable characters... and the yellow jackets were sooooo annoying appearing all the time, no need for that. Also, very unclear on the mistery, horror and romance.
But in the end I really liked the ambiance, the dark academia thing, the queerness, and even how hateful the main characters were. It really hooked me up and by the end of it I realized that there were soooo many plot holes and unnecessary things, but I also realized that I really enjoyed it.
So 3,5 stars it is - but beawere, it is not a good book by any means, I just really liked reading it.
wormcourt's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
- 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? Yes
3.75
When I wasn't reading this book I was thinking about it and worrying about what would happen next. There were some parts that weren't looped back in to my satisfaction but overall, a staggering number of lesbians and they're all as petty and delicious as can be.
ferris_mx's review against another edition
5.0
Not my genre (horror), but still a great wlw book with good historical backing (like Mary MacLean).
alva_ahlberg's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Tyckte om den! Ett mystiskt hus med intressant bakgrundshistoria, en threesome (poly?) relation och en skildring av kvinnor i nu och dåtid, relationer och sexualitet. Hur samhället påverkar oss, typ. Kom och tänka på en bok jag läste förra året: Picnic at hanging rock, i och med att det var en flickskola under samma tid och båda handlar mycket om relationer och mysik (dock denna var mer queer och mer fokus på mystiken, hanging rock var fokus på polisutredning och hur tjejerna/lärarna hanterade försvinnande av elever). Idk är inte bra på reviews och sitter på en flygplats och använder gratis wifi som suger, så är inte så sugen på att sätta mig ner och skriva något av substans. Boken var bra iaf.
bettinablocksberg's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
4.0
Wow, I didn't expect to finish a book of this length with such ease. That speaks to my enjoyment of it, I guess. 'Plain Bad Heroines' is hard to describe - historical, horror, LGBTQ+, a boarding school, mysterious happenings, a dual timeline; all of those things are in this book, yet it won't give you the full picture. This book was right up my alley in its weirdness and atmosphere. Still, I don't know if I could really recommend it to most people. I can see why the slow pace would bore readers easily and how the story is probably not everyone's cup of tea. I thoroughly enjoyed it though, just the same as the author's first novel (which is completely different from this). I am excited to read more by Emily M. Danforth.
caroline_clementine's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5