Reviews

Dangerous Remedy by Kat Dunn

umairah's review against another edition

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4.0

Dangerous Remedy was an action packed read best summed up as queer Stranger Things meets Frankenstein during the French Revolution. It was a fun, enjoyable and quick read that I'd definitely recommend although I lacked the emotional investment that might have increased my rating.

Content Warnings: violence, death, execution, human experimentation

Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Writing: 4/5

I loved the fast pace of the story that still kept the balance between dynamic, dramatic scenes and quieter ones. The tight structure of the book was held together with short chapters ending on cliffhangers that compelled me to keep reading (I was so grateful for the short chapters, the number of books I've read recently with massive chapters is quite honestly draining). The plot twists were exciting although I saw a few coming and I also loved how the ending gave me closure while leaving enough loose ends to make me want to read the next book.

Camille was the protagonist and one of the POV characters. Although personally, I didn't find her to be the most likeable character she was still really interesting to read about and had admirable qualities. However, I was confused as to why the other characters in the book were all either in love with or really fond of her... I didn't see what was to like. But I think that was the thing about Camille, she had a sense of purpose and drive that drew people in and made them forget about everything else. There were several mentions in the book of her having 'weak lungs' although it didn't go into detail. I haven't seen another book of this genre featuring a character with any sort of health issue before.

As I said, Camille did have admirable qualities. She had a burning desire to bring about justice and 'do the right thing' (even if she didn't always know what that was) and she was a versatile, strong and pragmatic leader not afraid to resort to intimidation or violence to achieve her goals. The main reason I didn't like her was that she had serious communication issues when it came to her personal relationships, I wished she would just sit and talk things out instead of avoiding it.

Ada was the other POV character and she was amazing. She was a smart and curious scientist and I loved to see it. I felt so angry for her not being able to go to university because she was a woman. I liked how she was kind, brave and a surprisingly good actress, making people see only what she wanted them to.

I liked her relationship with Camille and how their soft, romantic moments broke up the action. There were times when I wished Ada would set more boundaries with her but she loved her so much that she excused everything. But on the other hand, no relationship is perfect and the way they always chose each other despite their differences was lovely.

Olympe was a girl with supernatural powers after being subject to human experimentation (slightly similar to Eleven from Stranger Things). She didn't have as much of an active role in the story, there times when I wished I could read a chapter from her perspective. I did like how we see her dealing with her trauma and slowly coming into her own. I also liked Guillaume, the calm, principled and wise big brother figure full of philosophic advice. And Al was a snarky character who pretended to be self serving but I always felt like he secretly cared about everyone the most. I really liked his friendship with Ada, it was unexpected.

In general, the battalion were so lovable, Dunn definitely pulled off the found family trope- I loved their camaraderie and banter! In terms of diversity, both Ada and Guillaume were POC, Camille was bisexual, Ada was lesbian and Al was gay. I loved how they made a group where they accepted each other without question, even if the wider society didn't.

Dangerous Remedy was a high-octane read set to the historical backdrop of the French Revolution that I enjoyed very much and I can't wait to read the next book.

Thank you to Zephyr for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review as a part of their blog tour. All opinions expressed are my own.

cerysvy's review against another edition

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

4.0

that_dork_in_the_corner's review against another edition

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

3.5

I loved Dunn's other work 'Bitterthorn' and wanted to try her other stuff!! I love historical fiction and lgbt stories so this checked all my boxes, I did enjoy it but I dont know yet if I intend to finish the trilogy! Absolutely fell in love with Ada and Cam, and there was a whole lot of emotion going through me the whole time.

violet_pages's review against another edition

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My mood shifted away from this book’s genres and themes, so I’ll probably go back to it in the future when I’m more in the mood for reading it.

kelly24lox's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional slow-paced

4.0

repha's review

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4.0

4.5 would be more accurate.

It was great, like, really. A lot of drama I would say, some frustrating decisions from the characters, but damn if they are not fierce and lovable.
The story was full of twists, which is a thing you either like or don't, I guess. I personally love it.
The last part of the novel really stressed me out, I was on the edge of my sit and couldn't stop reading.

pokako's review against another edition

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Characters started annoying me.

libertyindiarose's review against another edition

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adventurous slow-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

3.5

eimear93's review

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

l0gi's review against another edition

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

3.75