savannahsprice's review
2.0
I recieved a copy of MAD MISS MIMIC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
It physically pains me to think about this book, even though the second half was meh. And meh is reeeeeally good compared to the first half.
I was SO excited to read this: I hadn't read a book that had a main character (who isn't a child) that had a stutter before! The title is so interesting, the cover is gorgeous: what better way to get readers interested in a book? Well, maybe I should've been wary of the vague synopsis.
If you liked this book, please exit out of this review, because it's mainly rants from here.
I was considering giving this book one star when I was thinking about DNFing it 100 pages in; I always give a book at least 50 pages, so this was kind of generous. I'm glad I didn't, though, so I can say the last 100 pages were a tiny bit better (tiny), and to be able to put it on my read shelf, AND to be able to firmly argue with anyone that liked this book.
To simply put it, MAD MISS MIMIC has no real plot. It's just a few different elements/storylines and characters thrown together in hopes of a plot being born. I have no idea how to describe what happened in MAD MISS MIMIC. The synopsis I've seen on various websites has to reveal one of the biggest "twists" just to get readers intrigued. It has one of those vague lines I hate: "Leo must search for truth in increasingly dangerous situations - but to do so, she must first find her voice." What does that mean?
Now, the reason I didn't give MAD MISS MIMIC only one star is because of the second half. Even though it was predictable, I still was wondering if this book could get better! (Spoiler alert: it didn't.) I was waiting, waiting, waiting for a major reveal, but alas, none came.
And maybe it's my fault I picked up this book and hated it: I requested it on NetGalley solely for its cover and title, and not at all for the boring synopsis that would've led me to know I shouldn't read this book in fear of boring characters and no plot. But oh well.
MAD MISS MIMIC is "meh" at best, and I'm sorry I spent 30 days of my life struggling through it, but we can't go back now, can we? I recommend this to anyone who needs an answer to this question: "What is the worst or most boring book you've ever read?"
It physically pains me to think about this book, even though the second half was meh. And meh is reeeeeally good compared to the first half.
I was SO excited to read this: I hadn't read a book that had a main character (who isn't a child) that had a stutter before! The title is so interesting, the cover is gorgeous: what better way to get readers interested in a book? Well, maybe I should've been wary of the vague synopsis.
If you liked this book, please exit out of this review, because it's mainly rants from here.
I was considering giving this book one star when I was thinking about DNFing it 100 pages in; I always give a book at least 50 pages, so this was kind of generous. I'm glad I didn't, though, so I can say the last 100 pages were a tiny bit better (tiny), and to be able to put it on my read shelf, AND to be able to firmly argue with anyone that liked this book.
To simply put it, MAD MISS MIMIC has no real plot. It's just a few different elements/storylines and characters thrown together in hopes of a plot being born. I have no idea how to describe what happened in MAD MISS MIMIC. The synopsis I've seen on various websites has to reveal one of the biggest "twists" just to get readers intrigued. It has one of those vague lines I hate: "Leo must search for truth in increasingly dangerous situations - but to do so, she must first find her voice." What does that mean?
Now, the reason I didn't give MAD MISS MIMIC only one star is because of the second half. Even though it was predictable, I still was wondering if this book could get better! (Spoiler alert: it didn't.) I was waiting, waiting, waiting for a major reveal, but alas, none came.
And maybe it's my fault I picked up this book and hated it: I requested it on NetGalley solely for its cover and title, and not at all for the boring synopsis that would've led me to know I shouldn't read this book in fear of boring characters and no plot. But oh well.
MAD MISS MIMIC is "meh" at best, and I'm sorry I spent 30 days of my life struggling through it, but we can't go back now, can we? I recommend this to anyone who needs an answer to this question: "What is the worst or most boring book you've ever read?"
halfcentreader's review
4.0
This was a riviting, exciting and even romantic historical mystery. I learned a little about the origins of opiods in medicine and society of 1870's London. I'd recommend this YA to anyone!
carmens_library's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this fast-paced mystery. I thought this was a very fun and quick read. I really liked Leonora and I loved Aunt Emmaline! This is a great historical fiction with action and adventure and a nice love story thrown in.
malvk's review
4.0
I appreciated the switch up of genres that this book brought me and it rekindled my appreciation for historical reads. Lady Luck’s story was one that I enjoyed reading.
lberestecki's review
2.0
This wasn't a terrible book, but it was too predictable for me to rate it any higher. All of the plot twists were easily to figure out, so there wasn't any real suspense. I also felt like the characters and relationships were rather under-developed, and the villains were particularly cartoon-ish. And the lack of any real explanation for Leo's affliction was annoying. It also... wasn't great that
Spoiler
her stammer was cured by love...aka a guy saved her from her affliction instead of her saving herself.bstaats's review
4.0
Mad Miss Mimic is a really fun, engaging story which blends a few different elements together to create its own unique feel. It's a little bit of historical fiction, with a thrilling mystery, and a heroine who stands out because of her speech disorder. This is a great book for readers who like thoughtful stories and remarkable heroines!
Also this book cover? So pretty and one of my favourites! It suits the book really well.
Reasons to Read:
1. Leonora's brave and fascinating character:
Leo stands out among other book characters for a few different reasons. The most obvious is her speech disorder; this isn't addressed in very many books, but I love that Sarah Henstra included this in Mad Miss Mimic and made it an integral part of the story. You can see how Leo struggles with it, yet she refuses to allow it to become her entire life and learns how to work with her mimicry. The development of her character is remarkable given the shorter length of the book, and it's inspiring to see how she doesn't let anyone else define her or box her in.
2. Leo's speech disorder:
Leo's speech disorder is a fairly obvious trait of hers. It's hard to ignore and no one fails to notice it unless she simply doesn't speak. Which brings up another interesting part of the story - she's regularly encouraged by some characters to sit and look pretty, which wasn't at all an uncommon attitude in Victorian times but it's so poignant with Leo. Importantly, there are other characters who don't see or treat her as lesser because of it (some are better than others, however). And I think it is realistic to see the varying reactions of other characters to Leo's manner of speaking, yet all the while it is balanced by Leo's own feelings towards it.
3. The cast of secondary characters:
I like characters who aren't reduced to being two-dimensional and Sarah wrote her other characters in Mad Miss Mimic really well. No one is truly good nor evil, and you can see that there is a sense of a gray area when it comes to their actions and decisions. There are many people who mean well, but fall short, or who are simply looking out for their own interests, yet at the expense of others. I appreciate this complexity in books and their characters, and it really impressed me to find it here.
The biggest issue for me is that this is a well-developed plot and one that is very complex with so many details to be uncovered, yet the book itself is on the shorter side. There were some parts of the story which I felt could have been fleshed out more had the book been longer. On the other hand, this book moves at a slower pace compared to others so that may be a good thing to keep readers more accustomed to action-packed books engaged with the storyline here.
ARC received from Penguin Canada for review; no other compensation was received.
Also this book cover? So pretty and one of my favourites! It suits the book really well.
Reasons to Read:
1. Leonora's brave and fascinating character:
Leo stands out among other book characters for a few different reasons. The most obvious is her speech disorder; this isn't addressed in very many books, but I love that Sarah Henstra included this in Mad Miss Mimic and made it an integral part of the story. You can see how Leo struggles with it, yet she refuses to allow it to become her entire life and learns how to work with her mimicry. The development of her character is remarkable given the shorter length of the book, and it's inspiring to see how she doesn't let anyone else define her or box her in.
2. Leo's speech disorder:
Leo's speech disorder is a fairly obvious trait of hers. It's hard to ignore and no one fails to notice it unless she simply doesn't speak. Which brings up another interesting part of the story - she's regularly encouraged by some characters to sit and look pretty, which wasn't at all an uncommon attitude in Victorian times but it's so poignant with Leo. Importantly, there are other characters who don't see or treat her as lesser because of it (some are better than others, however). And I think it is realistic to see the varying reactions of other characters to Leo's manner of speaking, yet all the while it is balanced by Leo's own feelings towards it.
3. The cast of secondary characters:
I like characters who aren't reduced to being two-dimensional and Sarah wrote her other characters in Mad Miss Mimic really well. No one is truly good nor evil, and you can see that there is a sense of a gray area when it comes to their actions and decisions. There are many people who mean well, but fall short, or who are simply looking out for their own interests, yet at the expense of others. I appreciate this complexity in books and their characters, and it really impressed me to find it here.
The biggest issue for me is that this is a well-developed plot and one that is very complex with so many details to be uncovered, yet the book itself is on the shorter side. There were some parts of the story which I felt could have been fleshed out more had the book been longer. On the other hand, this book moves at a slower pace compared to others so that may be a good thing to keep readers more accustomed to action-packed books engaged with the storyline here.
ARC received from Penguin Canada for review; no other compensation was received.
bnkelly's review
4.0
This book was cute. Definitely not the best book I've ever read but it was a nice story to read and I enjoyed it
noemiegvl's review
I wasn't able to get into the book... Maybe I'm not in the mood for this, but it feels a bit boring. I don't quite understand the logic behind characters' personalities and actions.
I also didn't like the portrayal of the stutter, which I assume won't improve throughout the book.
I also didn't like the portrayal of the stutter, which I assume won't improve throughout the book.
dusang's review
3.0
I'm rather conflicted on this. On one hand, it seems a pleasant YA novel with a bit of intrigue and a bit of romance. On the other I had a lot of difficulty with character motivation and plot contrivance.
First, I found Leo at bit blank -- although she definitely grew as a character, took actions, learned new things, I still didn't quite understand her appeal. Particularly as related to OTP, where it seemed her entire appeal rested on how pretty she was. I really hate both insta-love and insta-love predicated exclusively on appearance -- that's lust, kids.
Second, the Lady Hastings was a bit confusing to me. She was Leo's father's sister -- so essentially from a good family but not an obscenely wealthy one. She married young to a Lord. Now, she might be set up for life as the widow of a peer but she wouldn't inherit his property or have the ability to pass on such wealth or consequence to her nieces. In the absence of a direct heir, a distant male relative would be located to inherit the title -- I've seen Downton Abby for goodness sake!! Also, I'm pretty sure that becoming an actress would have been tantamount to becoming a prostitute in terms of societal acceptance. There's no way.
Third, the whole Black Glove / opium ban plot doesn't hold up to much scrutiny. First, the Black Glove as a terrorist organization makes no sense -- if they don't want opium banned, terrorizing people for just thinking of it is pretty counterproductive. Second, if opium were banned, although you could obviously make a fortune selling it on the black market, a patented drug that relied on opium would be dead in the water. Implying that money would be made from the legally enforced intellectual property rights of a banned substance is nonsensical.
It's still a cute book but I didn't like it quite as much as I wanted to.
First, I found Leo at bit blank -- although she definitely grew as a character, took actions, learned new things, I still didn't quite understand her appeal. Particularly as related to OTP, where it seemed her entire appeal rested on how pretty she was. I really hate both insta-love and insta-love predicated exclusively on appearance -- that's lust, kids.
Second, the Lady Hastings was a bit confusing to me. She was Leo's father's sister -- so essentially from a good family but not an obscenely wealthy one. She married young to a Lord. Now, she might be set up for life as the widow of a peer but she wouldn't inherit his property or have the ability to pass on such wealth or consequence to her nieces. In the absence of a direct heir, a distant male relative would be located to inherit the title -- I've seen Downton Abby for goodness sake!! Also, I'm pretty sure that becoming an actress would have been tantamount to becoming a prostitute in terms of societal acceptance. There's no way.
Third, the whole Black Glove / opium ban plot doesn't hold up to much scrutiny. First, the Black Glove as a terrorist organization makes no sense -- if they don't want opium banned, terrorizing people for just thinking of it is pretty counterproductive. Second, if opium were banned, although you could obviously make a fortune selling it on the black market, a patented drug that relied on opium would be dead in the water. Implying that money would be made from the legally enforced intellectual property rights of a banned substance is nonsensical.
It's still a cute book but I didn't like it quite as much as I wanted to.