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A review by charles_rowland
The Resurrectionist by A. Rae Dunlap
dark
funny
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-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? Yes
5.0
I received an e-ARC and am giving my honest opinion in this review
If I could rate this book higher than 5 stars, I would. For the last 10 pages, I had to get up and pace in my parents' basement room I'm currently staying in. This book was PHENOMENAL.
Firstly, I want to say how the author, A. Rae Dunlap, is brilliant. Reading the Author's Note at the end genuinely made me so happy for a variety of reasons. 1. LOVE Lore. Totally forgotten about the episode on the serial killers, but happily so!! I loved the shock when I realized this was based on something that actually happened, largely. 2. I am assuming the actor Nye was based on was Aneurin Barnard, and I have been a MASSIVE fan of his since The Goldfinch movie, where he played Older Boris. I am beyond obsessed if he was the inspiration, easily seeing Nye's mannerisms and characteristics in my mind through him. 3. The section on media with queer storylines. Not going to lie, hit me hard. It feels as if we have been sliding backwards in regards to outwardly making characters queer. As someone who went through the "Klance" debacle in real-time, that's saying a lot. I've repeatedly been seeing shows and movies hint at there being something romantic between two characters, but leaving it "up to interpretation." I don't want interpretation, I want two men kissing on my TV! So reading about Dunlap's insistence on being sure James and Nye are read as romantic meant so, so much to me. And immediately solidified my endearment with this novel, as if it hadn't been the moment James described Nye using a paragraph of lovely adjectives.
Now, the book itself. I will admit, I am one who loves the aesthetic of dark academia. In part because of my love of reading and books and whatnot, but also because it is just so damn cool looking. So already, off the bat, the vibes of this book were immaculate. Plus, seeing how it was tagged as LGBT+ only made me even more excited. This has been on my NetGalley shelf for months now, as it felt due SO far away I wanted to save it for future-me. But then, you see, I started it, fell in love, and continued to put it off because I didn't want it to end. So now, here I am, frantically typing this review at 11:54 p.m. the night before its publication date. And I am, honestly, devastated that it is over, however the end made me lose my mind a little bit (in a good way!!). Won't spoil, but the gift made me put the book down and rant to my cat about how insanely romantic that is.
On to the plot! I apologize, this review is incredibly long. I don't know how the author did this, but James' voice was incredibly written. I was shocked at how well it seemed to sound in comparison with history and the like, it was a perfect rendition. And not for nothing, either, it completely threw me into the setting and time that the book took place, allowing me to easily find myself falling into the story and out of reality many times. Not only that, but everything historical in general. SO well though out and researched, it's clear the author put a lot of time and energy into making this historically accurate, and it paid off. James' character was also very, very well done. Allowing him to become acquainted with his new job easily, but not in a way that seemed wholly unrealistic. The reader could understand his train of thought, his reasons for accepting the position, as well as the rest of the story. His reactions to his family, to learning the truth of his initial job, etc. Also, that of his many connections and acquaintances, it never felt like any character was just a throw away, or an NPC to deliver a line. They all had purpose, and were all written very well!
Nye was a character I, along with James, absolutely fell in love with. I could tell from the start, that somewhat aloof character with a dazzling smile and a lot of knowledge. Dirk Gently, Howl Pendragon, The Doctor, Neil Perry, Jesper Fahey. And it only worsened with each page. His and James' banter and laughs made me outwardly grin at my Kindle. Although he was a bit... I wouldn't say impulsive, as he felt too calculated for that adjective, but something akin to that. It reminded me frighteningly of myself at times, making huge decisions and assuming I can make it work in the end. Definitely made me go "ohh... That's what it looks like from an outsider's perspective." Nye's love for science and for reason and logic was fascinating to read about, as, although I am not on particularly interested in sciences beyond random deep-dives related to whatever I'm fixated on, I can understand him. The need for logic, to know why something is happening. It's a universal need for anyone, really. And seeing it in a more scientific and literal light, finding out how the body works, was incredible. And very well written, not too many technicalities to make it a tad confusing, but enough to let the reader learn something, depending on their level of knowledge on the topic.
I loved this book. Like, made-a-playlist-for-it loved. Although I am incredibly behind on ARCs, I may have to just accept I'll miss a date and reread it anyways as I already miss the familiarity I grew to feel with it. I can not wait to see more of this author's works, their writing is phenomenal at worst and just incredibly pristine, if that makes any sense to describe writing. Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC, I am so thrilled to have had the privilege of reading it
If I could rate this book higher than 5 stars, I would. For the last 10 pages, I had to get up and pace in my parents' basement room I'm currently staying in. This book was PHENOMENAL.
Firstly, I want to say how the author, A. Rae Dunlap, is brilliant. Reading the Author's Note at the end genuinely made me so happy for a variety of reasons. 1. LOVE Lore. Totally forgotten about the episode on the serial killers, but happily so!! I loved the shock when I realized this was based on something that actually happened, largely. 2. I am assuming the actor Nye was based on was Aneurin Barnard, and I have been a MASSIVE fan of his since The Goldfinch movie, where he played Older Boris. I am beyond obsessed if he was the inspiration, easily seeing Nye's mannerisms and characteristics in my mind through him. 3. The section on media with queer storylines. Not going to lie, hit me hard. It feels as if we have been sliding backwards in regards to outwardly making characters queer. As someone who went through the "Klance" debacle in real-time, that's saying a lot. I've repeatedly been seeing shows and movies hint at there being something romantic between two characters, but leaving it "up to interpretation." I don't want interpretation, I want two men kissing on my TV! So reading about Dunlap's insistence on being sure James and Nye are read as romantic meant so, so much to me. And immediately solidified my endearment with this novel, as if it hadn't been the moment James described Nye using a paragraph of lovely adjectives.
Now, the book itself. I will admit, I am one who loves the aesthetic of dark academia. In part because of my love of reading and books and whatnot, but also because it is just so damn cool looking. So already, off the bat, the vibes of this book were immaculate. Plus, seeing how it was tagged as LGBT+ only made me even more excited. This has been on my NetGalley shelf for months now, as it felt due SO far away I wanted to save it for future-me. But then, you see, I started it, fell in love, and continued to put it off because I didn't want it to end. So now, here I am, frantically typing this review at 11:54 p.m. the night before its publication date. And I am, honestly, devastated that it is over, however the end made me lose my mind a little bit (in a good way!!). Won't spoil, but the gift made me put the book down and rant to my cat about how insanely romantic that is.
On to the plot! I apologize, this review is incredibly long. I don't know how the author did this, but James' voice was incredibly written. I was shocked at how well it seemed to sound in comparison with history and the like, it was a perfect rendition. And not for nothing, either, it completely threw me into the setting and time that the book took place, allowing me to easily find myself falling into the story and out of reality many times. Not only that, but everything historical in general. SO well though out and researched, it's clear the author put a lot of time and energy into making this historically accurate, and it paid off. James' character was also very, very well done. Allowing him to become acquainted with his new job easily, but not in a way that seemed wholly unrealistic. The reader could understand his train of thought, his reasons for accepting the position, as well as the rest of the story. His reactions to his family, to learning the truth of his initial job, etc. Also, that of his many connections and acquaintances, it never felt like any character was just a throw away, or an NPC to deliver a line. They all had purpose, and were all written very well!
Nye was a character I, along with James, absolutely fell in love with. I could tell from the start, that somewhat aloof character with a dazzling smile and a lot of knowledge. Dirk Gently, Howl Pendragon, The Doctor, Neil Perry, Jesper Fahey. And it only worsened with each page. His and James' banter and laughs made me outwardly grin at my Kindle. Although he was a bit... I wouldn't say impulsive, as he felt too calculated for that adjective, but something akin to that. It reminded me frighteningly of myself at times, making huge decisions and assuming I can make it work in the end. Definitely made me go "ohh... That's what it looks like from an outsider's perspective." Nye's love for science and for reason and logic was fascinating to read about, as, although I am not on particularly interested in sciences beyond random deep-dives related to whatever I'm fixated on, I can understand him. The need for logic, to know why something is happening. It's a universal need for anyone, really. And seeing it in a more scientific and literal light, finding out how the body works, was incredible. And very well written, not too many technicalities to make it a tad confusing, but enough to let the reader learn something, depending on their level of knowledge on the topic.
I loved this book. Like, made-a-playlist-for-it loved. Although I am incredibly behind on ARCs, I may have to just accept I'll miss a date and reread it anyways as I already miss the familiarity I grew to feel with it. I can not wait to see more of this author's works, their writing is phenomenal at worst and just incredibly pristine, if that makes any sense to describe writing. Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC, I am so thrilled to have had the privilege of reading it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Child death, Homophobia, Medical content, and Classism
|| contains brief and no-detail discussion of necrophilia-related acts ||