Reviews

I had previously read Sarah Waters The Little Stranger which I didn't think was that great so I didn't really have high hopes for this book, how wrong I was, I loved Fingersmith. I loved Sarah's writing in this novel, it was so atmospheric, you could really picture yourself in the grimy streets of London. The plot was great and took a really surprising turn. Would definately recommend this to people.

jimbowen0306's review against another edition

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3.0

With some books it's hard to write a review without giving away some of the story. This book is just such a book.

In it, Susan Trinder, a "girl from the wrong side of the tracks" (Borough in London), teams up with a "well to do friend" of her "aunts," to separate a naive heiress from her money. Along the way there's cross and double-cross as the two heroines (you'll be rooting for both by the end), the "well to do friend" and the "aunt" all vie for the cash.

The story night seem clever, but I wasn't convinced. Maybe it's because I'm a man (many of the positive review are from women). Maybe it's because I've read a lot of crime fiction (and so could guess the story), but I didn't buy into the premiss of this book, or the "double cross" on which it turns (I could see it coming from the moment the "set up" was introduced).

So in short I was underwhelmed by the crux of the story. It's well written. The descriptions of Victorian London were interesting. The core story, however, dragged. Couple this with the fact that one of the heroines wasn't particularly pleasant during the important second third of the book, and the book was lessened for me.

amy7ee's review against another edition

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mysterious tense slow-paced

3.75

seyoban's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

bbbrttt's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious 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? No

5.0

a21ny's review against another edition

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dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

al_sharnaqi's review against another edition

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3.0

This book is absolutely astonishing! At least, that's what I initially thought. From the very beginning, I was captivated by the story, even though I didn't know much about it. The opening chapters were written in such an incredible way. It continued like that until the end of part one, which left me completely shocked! However, part two came along and diminished much of the amazement I had felt. I started to feel uneasy with the overly descriptive words that filled the chapters. Finally, part three arrived with its heaviness. I couldn't bear to continue reading any longer. In fact, I found myself skipping pages without missing the main storyline, as it became overloaded with unnecessary words and sentences. Eventually, I gave up before even starting the last chapter, chapter 17. I ended up reading a summary of it online... which made me wonder, isn't this book overrated?

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