**spoiler alert** This was so creepy. I think I liked it more than the original story it was based on. Very good and interesting world building in suc**spoiler alert** This was so creepy. I think I liked it more than the original story it was based on. Very good and interesting world building in such a short work and I loved the addition of a fictional aunt of Beatrix Potter who is obsessed with mushrooms and fungi.
The hare dissection parts were horrifying.
Great story.
Merged review:
This was so creepy. I think I liked it more than the original story it was based on. Very good and interesting world building in such a short work and I loved the addition of a fictional aunt of Beatrix Potter who is obsessed with mushrooms and fungi.
**spoiler alert** This was an odd one, where I vaguely remembered some things about what this was inspired by but not that much. So I couldn't remembe**spoiler alert** This was an odd one, where I vaguely remembered some things about what this was inspired by but not that much. So I couldn't remember if they'd been caught or not. Luckily there was a very good authors note at the back that told what we do know. I liked that a lot. More books based on true events should have things like that to share what is factual and what they made up or filled in for plot reasons.
Weird, dysfunctional murder family with a strong connection to the spiritualist movement through the daughter decide farming is hard, murdering strangers is easy money. The main character is pretty much the daughter, with the mother being an interesting pov, and also showing them both as being unreliable. The kid who wants to become a reporter was an interesting way to show the outside world that we wouldn't have gotten to see if we'd stayed with the family, which I think made up for the fact that it could be a bit, now suddenly this random child, from time to time.
None of the family was really likeable but I felt more sympathy towards the daughter and mother. Probably because the book focused more on them and the stepbrother couldn't take no for an answer. Also the dad was just really dumb and stubborn at times.
It had a weird ending but then again it was probably better than sticking with the real ending of, they vanished and no one knows for sure what happened, the end. It added at least some closure but added more questions like, I'm pretty sure the daughter killed her family but that's 100% me guessing....more
**spoiler alert** At first I was conflicted because I wanted this to be about Baba Yaga from the fairy tales/folk tales and in the end it turned out t**spoiler alert** At first I was conflicted because I wanted this to be about Baba Yaga from the fairy tales/folk tales and in the end it turned out to be a regular woman just named that. However by the end I was invested and when Baba Yaga appears out of the villagers to confront the event, I felt like it was the Baba Yaga of legend after all. Even if it wasn't. But in a way it was.
The narration was done well. I liked the house telling the many versions of the stories. The narration in these parts reminded me a bit of Lemony Snicket. I didn't realize until later that Lemony Snicket had a blurb on the back.
The world was a bit confusing at first to get into with the, it's our reality but houses sometimes grow weird body parts, so the house doesn't seem to odd because we need the plot to continue. It wasn't bad it just took a while for me to figure out what the rules were around, having powers and such things.
Speaking of which, the kids. I'm glad there was two of them because it really took a while for Isaac to grow on me. He got there in the end but I liked Bellatine a lot quicker. The group following them were interesting but very much background characters.
The monsters being a moment of time where something terrible happened was fascinating and an interesting twist on ghosts.
This was a beautiful, tragic, fantastic book that I'm glad I read....more
**spoiler alert** The first half was great. I loved the historical fantasy fiction with the magical toyshop, that was hopeful and helpful towards peop**spoiler alert** The first half was great. I loved the historical fantasy fiction with the magical toyshop, that was hopeful and helpful towards people who needed it. The second half seemed to throw that in my face and made it as dark and depressing and bleak as possible. It even stopped really being about a magical toyshop.
I don't know why the novel started with a scene from the middle of the book either. It seemed random after I finished reading the book.
Very depressing, hated the ending, hated the way the characters turned out. Not a fan. It gets two stars because the first part was so lovely....more
**spoiler alert** A very creepy sort of existence, that's for sure.
I wish we'd gotten more of the creepy god?'s presence in the story. He kinda just **spoiler alert** A very creepy sort of existence, that's for sure.
I wish we'd gotten more of the creepy god?'s presence in the story. He kinda just showed up randomly in and out of the story. Was he a demon, some other god, an eldritch thing? Was he capable of love and change or was it all a game to him after all? It felt like their story was happening behind the scenes of this one until the end, so it felt like I was missing pieces.
It was alright, not my favourite story. It went on a bit long at points. ...more
**spoiler alert** Fun and interesting. I loved the idea of the doors and I'm so glad the family got a happy ending together. **spoiler alert** Fun and interesting. I loved the idea of the doors and I'm so glad the family got a happy ending together. ...more
**spoiler alert** Apparently this was first written as two people writing letters back and forth with no real planning on what was going to happen, wh**spoiler alert** Apparently this was first written as two people writing letters back and forth with no real planning on what was going to happen, which kind of explains a lot with the pacing of this book.
The love interests were also a bit annoying. I know the jerk/Mr. Darcy before he gets his act together, is a popular trope, especially in books trying to be Jane Austen like but did both of them have to be like that? It's not great when you're like, well this guy is the biggest jerk to her, I bet he's going to be the love interest and it turns out to be true for both leads.
I might try reading the second one if only because I have a copy already and maybe it will be better plotted if they don't just do the letter game again? ...more
**spoiler alert** Sweet if a bit immersion breaking at the end when she does a modern romance ending, of breaking up with her groom at the alter to de**spoiler alert** Sweet if a bit immersion breaking at the end when she does a modern romance ending, of breaking up with her groom at the alter to declare her love for the female servant girl from Japan. In front of like everyone. I wouldn't have minded if she hadn't been hiding it for so long because she wanted to protect her families image but apparently having a sister who is a suffragette is enough to convince her that the family can survive the drama of her doing the above? Which I don't think it would? I think it might get her a dark ending of being hidden away possibly in a mental hospital somewhere or in the house if the family is nice? idk.
If I ignore the fact that it was supposed to be a historical piece it's a great ending and maybe we'll just say it's an alternate universe England where she'll be okay and get to be happy and the family will not be blacklisted from everything because of her actions? Yeah, I like that idea. Let's go with that.
I did like the side characters that offered support. That was cute as well....more
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