A review by corsetedfeminist
Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is gothic through and through.
It's rare that I enjoy a book that contains two separate (and yet connecting) stories, set in different time periods, but the author did both stories justice. The parts of the book written in the early 1900's are historically accurate and starkly unnerving while still being beautiful, and the parts written in the modern day are raw and textured while still reading like something out of a Charlotte Brontë novel.
The women in this book are all (as the title implies) deeply flawed and confusing, and the story allows them to stay that way. If you want a book where the characters motivations are clear and all your questions have answers, this is not your book. But if you want conflicted queer characters and a book that will leave you questioning the line between paranormal, simple tricks, and an overactive imagination, this is that book. By the end, I loved the characters, not despite their flaws but because of them.
An honorable mention to the frequent snarky fourth wall breaks and the footnotes- sometimes sarcastic, sometimes informative.
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