Reviews

Yellow Jessamine by Caitlin Starling

laralarks's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-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

CAITLIN STOP BREAKING MY HEART 
(Please never stop) 

discreader's review against another edition

mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Death, Terminal illness, Vomit, Death of parent, and War

venneh's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-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? Yes

4.75

A short, spooky gothic-ass novella that unfolds as a plague that may be more supernatural than illness (but the two are twined together) unfolds from a woman's ship, and the darkness that's been stalking her through her life comes to her door and reaches out a hand. Gorgeous plant based imagery, and an absolutely sinister web. Absolutely worth your time. 

paolacarvalho's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

4.0

paolacarvalho's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

4.0

ailarum's review against another edition

dark

3.0

bookdragonism's review against another edition

i did not exactly understand what happened in this book but the vibes were there and i kinda liked it. rtc.

jujia's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? Yes

3.5

cupoladoro's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

cellular_cosmogony's review against another edition

3.0

Trigger Warnings: drugs, poison, stalking, death, violence, misogyny

Ever since I read The Luminous Dead I've been interested in Caitlin Starling's books, so I was quite excited when I realised the audiobook for Yellow Jessamine was available on Storytel.

The book has an amazing premise, but I ended up feeling quite lukewarm about it. It might have been due to the narrator - her voice and reading seemed good at first, but her narration style felt increasingly stuck up and dull the more I listened to it.
Evelyn's character was quite intriguing, probably the thing I liked the most in this story. She is a queer woman who has risen to power in a soiety where women don't have a lot of agency and is ready to do anything to maintain her social standing. Her relationship with her servant Violetta was one of the best parts of the novella.
However the book felt kind of underdeveloped overall -

Spoiler

For example the reveal at the end was poorly set up and disappoiting

(implied spoilers for the ending), the worldbuilding was barely there, and the side characters were quite flat.

I'd love to read more dark queer books like Yellow Jessamine in the future, but I fear this one wasn't for me.