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sasisaskia's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Sexism, Miscarriage, and Animal cruelty
doodeedoda's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Mental illness, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, and Sexism
Moderate: Abortion, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death of parent, Grief, Miscarriage, Murder, and Pregnancy
Minor: Bullying and Vomit
outsmartyourshelf's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
Maud Stearne lives at Wake's End with her father, mother, and younger brother, Richard. Her mother is frequently ill with what Maud refers to as 'the groanings', but it is not until some time later that she realises that her mother is suffering frequent pregnancies and miscarriages and/or still births. Counselled by his doctor to give his wife time to recover, Edward Stearne refuses to listen or take precautions and the worst happens and Maud, Richard and their new brother, Felix are left motherless. Maud grows to hate her father for this and for his relationship with Ivy the housemaid, which Maud discovers when she starts reading her father's diary. Things take a very strange turn though when her father starts to write about a sin he committed when young and that he fears he is being haunted by a demon as punishment. He starts to act erratically and Maud fears it is only a matter of time before someone is killed.
This is a strange read. It consists of chapters from Maud's point of view, alongside chapters which details the entries from her father's diary. Maud is a difficult character to like at first, she's very spiky but when you consider her childhood experiences it's not surprising. Maud sees herself as extremely plain and unattractive, and when she falls in love with the under-gardener, a young man called Clem Walker, she can hardly believe he feels the same, unfortunately it ends in tragedy. Edward Stearne is one of the most loathsome characters I've ever read about - a complete narcissist who thinks all women are brainless, money grasping whores (even his daughter). The supernatural side of the story is less believable than the idea that someone is slowly driving Stearne mad, and I think the author did a good job of showing how women were completely at the mercy of their male kin at that point in history. Overall I liked parts of it, but other aspects were frustrating, therefore I rate this one 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4).
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Head of Zeus, for the opportunity to read an ARC. I am voluntarily giving an honest review.
This is a strange read. It consists of chapters from Maud's point of view, alongside chapters which details the entries from her father's diary. Maud is a difficult character to like at first, she's very spiky but when you consider her childhood experiences it's not surprising. Maud sees herself as extremely plain and unattractive, and when she falls in love with the under-gardener, a young man called Clem Walker, she can hardly believe he feels the same, unfortunately it ends in tragedy. Edward Stearne is one of the most loathsome characters I've ever read about - a complete narcissist who thinks all women are brainless, money grasping whores (even his daughter). The supernatural side of the story is less believable than the idea that someone is slowly driving Stearne mad, and I think the author did a good job of showing how women were completely at the mercy of their male kin at that point in history. Overall I liked parts of it, but other aspects were frustrating, therefore I rate this one 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4).
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Head of Zeus, for the opportunity to read an ARC. I am voluntarily giving an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Mental illness
Moderate: Animal death and Animal cruelty
hettyreads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Religious bigotry
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