clovetra's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful mysterious 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? No

3.0

hmm. 
i don’t like comparing books because that’s like comparing art (not even “like” it literally is). but. sorry this is a worse version of the spirit bares its teeth SORRY
like yes books can have similarities! also this book literally predates tsbit so if anything that book copies this! but tsbit was magnificent…. and this was just…. good. 
like i’m sorry tsbit pulls off “afab protag in high society in the victorian era betrothed to affluent man goes rogue and pursues a career in surgery where a male relative undermines the protag and protag uncovers secret relating to murders occurring in an establishment they are studying in”. like
i know that’s suuuchhhh a niche ‘trope’ but THE OVERARCHING PLOTS ARE SO SIMILAR!!!!!
and tbh i wouldn’t even be mad!!!! if i liked this as much as i liked tsbit!!!!!! which i didn’t!!!!!!
which isn’t to say i didn’t like this!!! i did!!! just….. it was ok.
like lowkey i didn’t care about the main characters until i was like 70% deep. i think i became a tad disillusioned because the book felt “predictable” as it followed the same plot beats as tsbit? idk. but jack & hazel felt so surface level. ok yeah hazel is rich and betrothed to shithead and wants to be a surgeon. idk it didn’t feel like there was anything truly deeper. jack is just a poor boy who does some morally questionable things to survive. and he likes isabella. like ??? cmon give me more than that!!!! they felt so two dimensional!!! also there was zero buildup to their romance. it went from her meeting him to them being in love way too quickly imo. i needed more tension than that!!! make them meet sooner man idk. i just didn’t feel connected to their love story as it felt like it only happened because the narrative says it must, not that the characters actually have chemistry.
also can i just say….. the ending is pissing me off sitting here thinking about it. the ending literally concludes nothing and it’s so obvious it’s setting up for a second book. obviously i know there’s a second book but my god i would be fuming if i read this as it was released. cuz seriously there’s a big difference imo between leaving room for a second book but still having a lot of shit closed, and making it so obvious you have to read the second book for any conclusions. i don’t think i’m explaining this right but. i don’t know when everything is essentially left open-ended for another instalment it pisses me off. like agggtm still has room for sequels but many plot points are closed. so many are left open at the end of this book and it’s annoying! some of them im not mad at, like oooo what happened to jack. but like what happened with hazel & her exam? why is her family still staying away from her? why is everybody in the town not furious at hazel regarding bernard??? like idk man i would’ve liked a tad more conclusive-ness.
tbh i think the characterisation & overall plot were what let me down with this. i had heard suchhhh good things about this book (plus i get my hopes up when a book has a good cover like this!!!) but idk it felt like this did not live up to the hype……
i think i defo will finish the series simply so i can say i know what happens. but honestly im not too invested? i kinda just want to read the next book in the series to know where jack is, not how anything else actually turns out 😬
i will say tho a big positive is i love me a book taking place in scotland. SCOTLAND FOREVER!!!!!!!! jack also sounds like he’d be hot. hmu real life jack’s (please don’t it’s pride month and i’m a lesbian)

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forgedopulence's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging hopeful informative inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

10/10 for girlies in STEM.
I'm a bit upset about the cliffhanger at the end. Other than that, this book was perfection.

I love to see a strong-willed young woman take what she wants despite societal expectations and limitations. Her sheer determination was inspiring from beginning to end.

Despite literally all odds, she kept her sights set on her purpose and never faltered, even when she was falling in love. Even though the romance was a small part of the story, I think this book still did a phenomenal job of reinforcing that love is not the only thing that can be fulfilling, and just because you love someone doesn't mean you should negate yourself.

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navayiota's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark funny informative inspiring lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Good read! Finished it in a day. My one complaint would be that I enjoyed the parts that focused on the surgery or mystery aspects far more than the romance. It was like reading a story with multiple POVs and groaning with frustration whenever I was thrust back into the annoying character's brain. I even noticed myself tuning the narrator out at times when it got too boring and thinking "there's no way I'm going back to listen to all of that again, I'll just keep going" 
I liked the ending, though. I would certainly listen to the sequel.

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rimsha04's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging mysterious slow-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

2.5


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teafrog's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-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

3.0


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karen_lo's review against another edition

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

3.5

I  usually don't read historical fiction or YA books but I really liked this one. The story kept me entertained and trying to figure out what Hazel was going to do. I loved the chemistry between her and Jack, as well as the mystery. I would've loved if it was longer because I felt the final chapters a bit rushed, and I would've loved to know more about Bernard, Hazel's actions, etc. 
Also, I found some things hard to believe, like the fact that she was a woman and was difficult for her to walk somewhere without a chaperone, but she could run a hospital in her castle? How is it that the mother never found out? 
I think the book's finale is one of those where you have to tie the loose ends on your own, based on the information you have. But I do wish it was larger. Overall I liked it and it entertained me a lot

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apersonfromflorida's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-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

4.5


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readbooksovermygrave's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0


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priscillarobock's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5


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lakeofstars's review against another edition

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fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

this was delightful

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