Scan barcode
heresyourletter's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Death, Infertility, Sexism, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and Classism
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, and Blood
One character’s job is supplying women with poison to kill the men in their lives. Beetles are killed to make a poison. One minor character is an alcoholic. Infidelity is a prominent theme. An upperclass character uses her privilege to bully another character into doing her bidding. One character believes in ghosts and mentions feeling haunted by a character who died before the novel begins. Two different characters discuss trying (and failing) to have a baby.pinkupengu's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Incest, Terminal illness, and Violence
Minor: Addiction, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, and Excrement
anni_swanilda's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Chronic illness, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Medical content and Sexual harassment
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Miscarriage, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
kelisabeth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
vanesst's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Infertility, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Gaslighting, and Classism
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Medical content, Abortion, and Alcohol
sharlapeggy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Drug use, Infertility, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
ambb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Blood, Vomit, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
chloereadds's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Miscarriage, Vomit, Medical content, and Murder
Moderate: Misogyny, Pedophilia, and Grief
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death
thirdtimesacharm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Blood, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death and Alcohol
honeyreads1066's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
This book is about what women do to be remembered. It's about pain and endurance and finding one's self through that.
It begins with an introduction to Nella. An apothecary who while dispensing harmless tinctures, also gives out poisons to women who need to be rid of the men in her life.
The other narrative voice is that of Caroline. A woman who has come to London for her 10th wedding anniversary alone since her husband has cheated on her. After finding a glass jar during a mudlarking trip, she begins a journey to find out just how this jar came to be there and the women surrounding its story.
I expected something simple when coming into this, stories of betrayal and how the revenge is carried out but it wasn't what I got. Instead, I got a story about the importance of recording and remembering the story of the everyman and also the complex actions that lead people to their current point in life. How much other people affect our own choices and who we become.
Despite how intricate this story was, I felt there was a disconnect between the story of Caroline and Nella. Until the very end, though their slight similarities, one story was marginally more interesting than the other. While I enjoyed how you watched things unfold in both settings until the story is completed, it took longer than I wanted to get back to the story I wanted to read.
The characters were realistic. Full of pain and you understand why they made the decisions they did. It made them particularly likeable especially Eliza who was a welcomed innocent in the story. Nella's age was also something that stood out to me. I like that we don't follow someone young, naive and impressionable and have the story of someone with experience. It added a layer to the story and is a much-needed point of view.
The one thing that bothered me with the characters was the talk about pregnancy and children. At times it felt unneeded, the point had been drummed in at the beginning and I felt that at times it reduced the female characters to their abilities to become mothers.
Overall, this is a story I'm glad was told. It truly is a lost story and I'm happy with the message about the importance of forgotten people and about telling stories about them, about recording their existence. I was very pleased with how it ended, while I was not expecting part of it at all, it is a satisfying ending to a lost story.
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Miscarriage and Suicide attempt