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nmellor's review against another edition
3.5
This book had a good plot that was well paced and well explained, with everything tied up well in the end, but it didn't grip me very much and I wasn't very invested in the characters or what happened to them. I found everyone in the book to be unlikable, however this wasn't necessarily a drawback as it would normally be, as the story itself was dark. The only issue it caused for me was that I didn't really care about the ending for our main character as I didn't really care about or like her and certainly wasn't routing for her. I enjoyed the descriptions of the house and the location.
un4tunatalie's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Writing a book about a girl who is sooo evil and having her devious plans require *not* doing evil stuff for the majority of the book is so funny
macbean221b's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I chose this book on recommendation from a favorite BookTokker, and I spent most of it wondering why the recommendation had been so enthusiastic. The book was perfectly fine but it didn’t really feel special. In the last ~15% of the book, though, it picked up the pace incredibly and grabbed my interest—I couldn’t stop, even though I had two days worth of reading left, really. And then that last page, when the penny dropped…? Outstanding.
hayleypayley85's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
_agrippina1990's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
spyralnode's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This is a contemporary gothic, in the vein of 'Jane Eyre' or 'The Turn of the Screw', by which it was inspired. A common theme for me in my book reviews is - where is the originality? What is this book adding to this genre, or literature? And from a personal perspective, do I enjoy it? Was it fun, or did I learn anything? Did I connect with it?
When it comes to both my own experience and the quality of the read, I'm going to say no. I just don't see the point. I will not remember it at all, and I didn't think it added anything to the story of 'The Turn of the Screw'.
Marta is told that she will become the governess of a girl who lives at Fyneshade, and old mansion, renowned for its riches. The atmosphere is heavy, expressed through the dark architecture, the labyrinthian corridors and the creepy noises. Marta is ambitious, and hopes to become financially successful, will Fyneshade be her stepping stone?
Throughout the read, I just thought this has all been done before. The plot is reminiscent of both 'The Turn of the Screw', as intended, and 'Jane Eyre', and the characters reminded me of the level of negativity from 'Wuthering Heights', but done at a far more superficial level. There wasn't much grey-ness about them, but rather they were just obviously bad. I wasn't intrigued to follow anyone, because I didn't get the sense the author was going to add anymore complexity to them.
It wasn't badly written in terms of the choice of words, it just had nothing to say, it blended in with the rest of the genre.
When it comes to both my own experience and the quality of the read, I'm going to say no. I just don't see the point. I will not remember it at all, and I didn't think it added anything to the story of 'The Turn of the Screw'.
Marta is told that she will become the governess of a girl who lives at Fyneshade, and old mansion, renowned for its riches. The atmosphere is heavy, expressed through the dark architecture, the labyrinthian corridors and the creepy noises. Marta is ambitious, and hopes to become financially successful, will Fyneshade be her stepping stone?
Throughout the read, I just thought this has all been done before. The plot is reminiscent of both 'The Turn of the Screw', as intended, and 'Jane Eyre', and the characters reminded me of the level of negativity from 'Wuthering Heights', but done at a far more superficial level. There wasn't much grey-ness about them, but rather they were just obviously bad. I wasn't intrigued to follow anyone, because I didn't get the sense the author was going to add anymore complexity to them.
It wasn't badly written in terms of the choice of words, it just had nothing to say, it blended in with the rest of the genre.
emz86's review against another edition
5.0
What an amazing story. I haven't really read a lot of Victorian Gothic fiction, but reading this has put the genre on my radar. I loved it.
riofka's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0