Reviews with content warning for Drug abuse - The Death of Jane Lawrence

Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling

6 reviews

raychelbennet's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

I think I did this book a bit of a disservice by reading it immediately following a re-read of <i>The Luminous Dead</i>.

I wasn't sure what I thought of this book until the last 5% (which is unusual for me). I really enjoyed Jane as a character, I was interested in her experiences in Lindridge Hall, and I wanted her to get what she wanted out of life. But I couldn't bring myself to truly care about Augustine and I was confused by the pacing. Sometimes it felt meandering with no end point (conveniently like what I imagine the cellars beneath Lindridge Hall to be like) and other times it felt hasty and rapid-fire. I did feel consistently off-kilter and I was never sure where the plot was going.

Due to these concerns, I was under the impression this was going to be a solidly middle-of-the-road book. Excellent plot, inconsistent pacing, and a strong protagonist but wishy-wishy supporting characters. However, to my surprise, the last 10% of the book wrapped everything up beautifully for me. I can't say I completely understood the plot or what was happening but the ending is that kind of open-ended, not-totally-resolved denouement that I find perfect. It was resolved in what I am realizing might be a signature of Caitlin Starling.

This is somewhere between a four and a five for me, so lowered just a smidge because <i>The Luminous Dead</i> remains my favorite. All-in-all, I can't wait to see what else Caitlin Starling writes.

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aparker89's review

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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rachaeldamms's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-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

4.25

I started out thinking this would be a 5 because I was digging the setting and atmosphere, and seeing the relationship between Jane and Augustine develop. I loved The Luminous Dead and was looking forward to more from this author. What Caitlin Starling does exceptionally well is getting into a character's head. However, the plot of this book becomes a bit slippery after Jane arrives at Lindridge Hall, and I found myself getting confused and lost at times. This may have been intentional, as the same thing is happening to Jane at this point in the book. I was hoping for a bit more lore in regard to the haunted ancestral home. Overall this was an interesting take on a classic genre. I am begging Mike Flanagan to adapt this into a miniseries.

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