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cjholmes's review
5.0
This book is exceptionally good. It's like Edgar Allen Poe, Willie Collins, the Brontes, Jane Austen and both the Shelleys (ye both of them) got together and decided to write a book.
The gothic horror is brilliant. It's tense. It's full of suspense. The drama builds and the plot is brilliant. The characters are just perfect, and there are reliable and unreliable narrators, likeable and unlikable characters and all of them are well fleshed out. And the writing - well, it's like a poet wrote a novel. It's beautiful.
The gothic horror is brilliant. It's tense. It's full of suspense. The drama builds and the plot is brilliant. The characters are just perfect, and there are reliable and unreliable narrators, likeable and unlikable characters and all of them are well fleshed out. And the writing - well, it's like a poet wrote a novel. It's beautiful.
troublesometrios's review
dark
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I read the ebook and do not have a physical copy.
The Bookshop is a fantastic concept. The lore? Adore it. 10/10.The conversations between the Bookshop and Brandon? Ditto. Brandon's nicknames for the Bookshop? Hilarious. The uncanny themes coloring the Bookshop? Nice parts haunted, witchy , and unnerving. The magic and Guardians/Protectors are intriguing.
The sectional approach to the storytelling was an excellent choice, imo. Each character has different personalities and, most of all, unique perspectives. Whenever a new character enters the Bookshop and interacts with Meredith, you see it all from a different angle, and I eat that shit up. I was invested in all their stories, including the characters who weren't great people. I am a massive fan of both Meredith and Magali. I don't know if it was intentional, but Meredith's lowkey fangirling for Marcus Aurelius's written work was so endearing every time it showed up. Also, Brandon and El's friendship is adorable.
Now with all that said, this book needs more copy editing, and that's where my rating dropped. Rachel's story in particular has comma splices, faulty punctuation (looking at those semicolons), and an inability to decide how to spell the compound word "stepmother." There are several spots where characters are divulging info about themselves and fall into "Discord dialogue" instead of natural rambling; that is, the dialogue reads like the characters are messaging each other paragraph responses infrequently throughout the day instead of having a natural conversation in the moment. Then there's Brandon's lapses into meta-knowledge.Not Magali or Meredith-style meta-knowledge, either. They have an excuse for being supernatural beings and all that. Brandon is intuitive for good reason, but intuition won't give him Magali's name before he is even introduced to him. Another example: later on, Brandon says he knows a in-universe-canon demon lore thing that Magali never shared or implied to have shared.
Lastly, in some scenes, the setting is established well and sets a perfect atmosphere for current events / character reflection. The vibes are vibing. The picture's painted, whether clearly or suitably vague to fit the confusion of the character. Yet in other scenes, I was left filling in the blanks or confused by the phrasing. "She loathed Paddington Station: it was grimy and far too busy." I'm not a local, so I'm not sure what that entails. My closest guess is the rats and human feces of the New York City subway. At one point, there was a room described as pitch black, but the character could see down a hall. So I guess the author meant the paint was pitch black?
Another round of editing could have caught any or all of these immersion-ruining issues easy-peasy. Otherwise, this book is a fun read, both creative and intriguing, and I do recommend giving it a go. Several times I felt the itch to draw a scene, inspired by events and descriptions, and I don't get that often! I recall most vividlythe Bookshop telling its story to Brandon, and then later Matthew walking out of the Bookshop, finally free.
I will absolutely be picking up another McConnell book.
The Bookshop is a fantastic concept. The lore? Adore it. 10/10.
The sectional approach to the storytelling was an excellent choice, imo. Each character has different personalities and, most of all, unique perspectives. Whenever a new character enters the Bookshop and interacts with Meredith, you see it all from a different angle, and I eat that shit up. I was invested in all their stories, including the characters who weren't great people. I am a massive fan of both Meredith and Magali. I don't know if it was intentional, but Meredith's lowkey fangirling for Marcus Aurelius's written work was so endearing every time it showed up. Also, Brandon and El's friendship is adorable.
Now with all that said, this book needs more copy editing, and that's where my rating dropped. Rachel's story in particular has comma splices, faulty punctuation (looking at those semicolons), and an inability to decide how to spell the compound word "stepmother." There are several spots where characters are divulging info about themselves and fall into "Discord dialogue" instead of natural rambling; that is, the dialogue reads like the characters are messaging each other paragraph responses infrequently throughout the day instead of having a natural conversation in the moment. Then there's Brandon's lapses into meta-knowledge.
Lastly, in some scenes, the setting is established well and sets a perfect atmosphere for current events / character reflection. The vibes are vibing. The picture's painted, whether clearly or suitably vague to fit the confusion of the character. Yet in other scenes, I was left filling in the blanks or confused by the phrasing. "She loathed Paddington Station: it was grimy and far too busy." I'm not a local, so I'm not sure what that entails. My closest guess is the rats and human feces of the New York City subway. At one point, there was a room described as pitch black, but the character could see down a hall. So I guess the author meant the paint was pitch black?
Another round of editing could have caught any or all of these immersion-ruining issues easy-peasy. Otherwise, this book is a fun read, both creative and intriguing, and I do recommend giving it a go. Several times I felt the itch to draw a scene, inspired by events and descriptions, and I don't get that often! I recall most vividly
I will absolutely be picking up another McConnell book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Gore and Death
Minor: Alcohol
theworddegree's review
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Such a fun paranormal romp. A book with books in it is always my jam and the gothic vibes in this creepy bookshop were on point 👌 it’s unpredictable in the best way and while sometimes slightly heavy handed on some of the themes (repetitive), I had such a good time reading it.
itstheconnorsbookclub's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
datewithathriller's review
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
drakaina16's review
dark
mysterious
sad
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? It's complicated
4.5
Thank you to the author for providing a review copy.
This was such an interesting book, the story of 4 people and their encounters with The Black Cat Bookshop and its proprietress. With each encounter, we learn more and more backstory about the shop itself. The characters are interesting and well-written and I loved the world building. 4.5 stars, rounded up.
This was such an interesting book, the story of 4 people and their encounters with The Black Cat Bookshop and its proprietress. With each encounter, we learn more and more backstory about the shop itself. The characters are interesting and well-written and I loved the world building. 4.5 stars, rounded up.
bookcasey's review
I acquired an ARC through a social media post by the author.
To be fair, I’m a mood reader and horror isn’t usually my genre.
There’s so much to love about this book: a bookshop with cats, a sinister presence, and more. Where the book really lost me was the pacing. The first section is too fast-paced; I wished it had been more flushed out. However, it makes the second section drag in comparison. I do appreciate that the variety in pacing adds an interesting, unpredictable quality to the book.
I think the unintended effect of the sectioned approach is that the common thread wasn’t strong enough to keep me picking it back up when my mood started to shift to something else.
To be fair, I’m a mood reader and horror isn’t usually my genre.
There’s so much to love about this book: a bookshop with cats, a sinister presence, and more. Where the book really lost me was the pacing. The first section is too fast-paced; I wished it had been more flushed out. However, it makes the second section drag in comparison. I do appreciate that the variety in pacing adds an interesting, unpredictable quality to the book.
I think the unintended effect of the sectioned approach is that the common thread wasn’t strong enough to keep me picking it back up when my mood started to shift to something else.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Death, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Murder
Minor: Violence
sharron_joy_reads's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
A bookshop appears on an Oxford street populated with sleek elegant black cats. But bound within is a force born of rage and hate that offers the life of your dreams but at a cost, will you pay the price to live your perfect life? A story of the transformative power and hidden danger of stories. Of forces whose ravenous nature cannot be denied.
This is a gothic horror with a cosmic feel that asks if you were offered your dream life what or who would you sacrifice? Knowledge is power but payment is always required .
These are the stories of people in search of a happy ending. Each drawn to the bookshop for different reasons, the shop appears to be endless and labyrinthine. The owner, Meredith, gives them the book that they need but the price must be paid once that book has been accepted and the life of the reader is transformed.
This is darkly mystical tapping into ancient powers and arcane knowledge, it is completely addictive to read. Plus there are books, cats and dark magic, the perfect combination!
This is a gothic horror with a cosmic feel that asks if you were offered your dream life what or who would you sacrifice? Knowledge is power but payment is always required .
These are the stories of people in search of a happy ending. Each drawn to the bookshop for different reasons, the shop appears to be endless and labyrinthine. The owner, Meredith, gives them the book that they need but the price must be paid once that book has been accepted and the life of the reader is transformed.
This is darkly mystical tapping into ancient powers and arcane knowledge, it is completely addictive to read. Plus there are books, cats and dark magic, the perfect combination!
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