A review by outsmartyourshelf
Opium and Absinthe by Lydia Kang

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

3.5

In 1899's New York City, eighteen-year-old Tillie Pembroke’s older sister, Lucy, has just been found murdered, her body drained of blood & with two puncture wounds on her neck. Tillie can't help but think this bears a resemblance vampire killings alluded to in Bram Stoker’s new novel, Dracula which has just been published. Her grandmother & mother seem to want to forget it ever happened, & the police have run out of ideas, so taking inspiration from her favourite journalist 'Nellie Bly', Tillie decides to investigate. She soon meets up with a newsie, Tom, (a young man who sells newspapers on street corners) who also has an interest in the case. Trouble rears its head in the form of Tillie's growing addiction to opium, originally prescribed for an injured shoulder, & the fact that Lucy's fiancé, James, now seems to have set his sights on Tillie.

This would have been a 4 star read if it hadn't been for the main character. I found her a bit tiresome to be honest. She is supposed to be eighteen but acts younger, in some ways she is very naïve. I can tell you that if my sister's fiancé tried to pay court to me after she had just been murdered, I would not be flattered in the slightest. The story itself is rather good, with some darker elements, & the hesitant romance between Tom & Tillie is quite sweet. 
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