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maddireads13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Murder, and Toxic friendship
zeus_strider'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
2.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Mental illness, Blood, Abortion, Lesbophobia, and Abandonment
maddramaqueen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Lesbophobia, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Alcohol
angelacoz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Sexual content, and Gaslighting
Minor: Cursing, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Torture, Medical content, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, and Classism
erynlasbelin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Grief, Lesbophobia, and Outing
Minor: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Drug use, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Alcohol
colleensreadingadventures'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
4.0
There is a little house in London in the Mid 1800’s where Mrs. Sucksby and Mr. Ibbs live. Mrs. Sucksby is quite the fiend for a woman, she is a baby farmer that takes in babies to sell to the highest bidder to families who are unable to conceive or as servants to others. She also houses a ring of petty thieves (aka Fingersmiths) with Mr. Ibbs, who is in charge of purchasing and sales of all stolen goods.
Sue is one of the Fingersmith’s that was taken in by Mrs. Sucksby as a new born. Unlike all the other children Mrs. Sucksby kept Sue and treated her just like she was her own in every way. Sue now a young woman wants to repay the favor so when Gentleman, one of Mrs. Sucksby and Mr. Ibb’s beloved thief’s comes to visit Sue decides to help him with a con.
He takes Sue to an out of the way town 40 miles away from London as a lady’s maid for Maud Lilly. Maud Lilly is young woman who was orphaned at birth and sent to live with her Uncle at an early age. Let’s just say Maud’s life didn’t get any easier at her uncle’s estate and I wouldn’t want that man as my uncle. Maud’s family has money so Gentleman has set his sights on wooing Ms. Lilly into marriage for her fortune and then sending her off to the mad house to be disposed of. But he needs Sue’s help to convince her he is the perfect man.
Sue is all in and can’t wait to split her money with Mrs. Sucksby for all her kindness, but Sue begins to feel sorry for the innocent Ms. Lilly and eventually develops feelings of sort for Maud that she was not expecting, and she’s not sure what to do any longer.
But all is not what it seems in this tale of deceit and turning tables and there is no way of knowing who the real villain(s) might be.
I think I enjoyed this much more the second time around and really got into the story. It is told in Sue & Maud’s dual POV’s and is both a character and plot driven story. I can’t go into too much detail or I will spill some secrets that made this book so shocking. But I will let you know one thing, NO ONE is what they seem to be. So expect quite a few twists. And also one of my favorite characters was Dainty, who was actually a minor one. If you’ve read it you might understand why I feel that way. She turned out to be the hero of the book in my opinion.
It is quite a long story and it had parts that dragged a bit but the shocks made up for it. And overall Fingersmith was a worthwhile, interesting read. I’d say even for some who do not always enjoy historical fiction like myself to give it a try, it might surprise you.
I’m definitely uping my previous rating from 3-4 stars.
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Minor: Drug abuse, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
becksusername'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
4.0
When the perspective first changed to Maud's I got bored for a while, but other than that, this book was so good!
Graphic: Sexual assault, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Child abuse, Confinement, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Classism
imaginethehours'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? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Sexual assault and Lesbophobia