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A review by thestarlitpage
Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you so much to William Morrow Books for the gifted review copy!
I usually start reviews with a brief summary of a book’s premise, but the narrator of Plain Bad Heroines sums it up so succinctly with this quote:
“Everything else to come in these pages comprises the story of three heroines from the present and more heroines from the past and how they all collided around Brookhants, and a book, and also a book about Brookhants.”
Harper Harper, Merritt Emmons, and Audrey Wells are brought together by the Hollywood production of Merritt’s book, The Happenings at Brookhants, which tells the story of Clara and Flo—a couple in love who met a tragic end at their girls’ boarding school in 1902. The story jumps back and forth in time between the aftermath of Clara and Flo’s deaths and the present.
Plain Bad Heroines is a haunting and macabre gothic horror story with a richly layered meta-narrative that I couldn’t get enough of. Atmospheric and unsettling, the Brookhants curse seeps through every page. This is one of those reads where a setting has a strong enough presence that it begins to feel like a character in and of itself. It’s also one of those rare reads where I felt invested in each and every characters’ storyline. Every heroine featured was richly developed with a distinct voice. I could have read a full book dedicated to any one of them and yet the interlacing of their stories is what made this book so addicting.
Plain Bad Heroines is my favorite type of read. It's a compelling narrative that stacks stories like nesting dolls, has a lovely way with words, and—if you want to get into the gestalt of the reading experience—the design of the book itself from it's illustrations, end pages and dust jacket design to the color of the cover is complete and utter perfection. It's a book that reminds you that there’s always more to the story. It's creepy enough to churn the stomach and get under the skin (and if you're anything like me, its influence might make its not way into a borderline nightmare with a swarm of yellow jackets) but it's not a scary read.
This is one that I'll definitely be revisiting and adding to my favorites shelf.
I'd recommend this to readers looking for something a little bit dark, readers who like beautifully told stories, and readers who like Gothic horror and stories with curses and haunted places.
I usually start reviews with a brief summary of a book’s premise, but the narrator of Plain Bad Heroines sums it up so succinctly with this quote:
“Everything else to come in these pages comprises the story of three heroines from the present and more heroines from the past and how they all collided around Brookhants, and a book, and also a book about Brookhants.”
Harper Harper, Merritt Emmons, and Audrey Wells are brought together by the Hollywood production of Merritt’s book, The Happenings at Brookhants, which tells the story of Clara and Flo—a couple in love who met a tragic end at their girls’ boarding school in 1902. The story jumps back and forth in time between the aftermath of Clara and Flo’s deaths and the present.
Plain Bad Heroines is a haunting and macabre gothic horror story with a richly layered meta-narrative that I couldn’t get enough of. Atmospheric and unsettling, the Brookhants curse seeps through every page. This is one of those reads where a setting has a strong enough presence that it begins to feel like a character in and of itself. It’s also one of those rare reads where I felt invested in each and every characters’ storyline. Every heroine featured was richly developed with a distinct voice. I could have read a full book dedicated to any one of them and yet the interlacing of their stories is what made this book so addicting.
Plain Bad Heroines is my favorite type of read. It's a compelling narrative that stacks stories like nesting dolls, has a lovely way with words, and—if you want to get into the gestalt of the reading experience—the design of the book itself from it's illustrations, end pages and dust jacket design to the color of the cover is complete and utter perfection. It's a book that reminds you that there’s always more to the story. It's creepy enough to churn the stomach and get under the skin (and if you're anything like me, its influence might make its not way into a borderline nightmare with a swarm of yellow jackets) but it's not a scary read.
This is one that I'll definitely be revisiting and adding to my favorites shelf.
I'd recommend this to readers looking for something a little bit dark, readers who like beautifully told stories, and readers who like Gothic horror and stories with curses and haunted places.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death
Moderate: Infidelity and Panic attacks/disorders