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The Corpse Queen
In this dark and twisty feminist historical thriller, a teenage girl starts a new life as a grave robber but quickly becomes entangled in a murderer's plans.
Soon after her best friend Kitty mysteriously dies, orphaned seventeen-year-old Molly Green is sent away to live with her "aunt." With no relations that she knows of, Molly assumes she has been sold as free domestic labor for the price of an extra donation in the church orphanage's coffers. Such a thing is not unheard of. There are only so many options for an unmarried girl in 1850s Philadelphia. Only, when Molly arrives, she discovers her aunt is very much real, exceedingly wealthy, and with secrets of her own. Secrets and wealth she intends to share--for a price.
Molly's estranged aunt Ava, has built her empire by robbing graves and selling the corpses to medical students who need bodies to practice surgical procedures. And she wants Molly to help her procure the corpses. As Molly learns her aunt's trade in the dead of night and explores the mansion by day, she is both horrified and deeply intrigued by the anatomy lessons held at the old church on her aunt's property. Enigmatic Doctor LaValle's lessons are a heady mixture of knowledge and power and Molly has never wanted anything more than to join his male-only group of students. But the cost of inclusion is steep and with a murderer loose in the city, the pursuit of power and opportunity becomes a deadly dance.
Soon after her best friend Kitty mysteriously dies, orphaned seventeen-year-old Molly Green is sent away to live with her "aunt." With no relations that she knows of, Molly assumes she has been sold as free domestic labor for the price of an extra donation in the church orphanage's coffers. Such a thing is not unheard of. There are only so many options for an unmarried girl in 1850s Philadelphia. Only, when Molly arrives, she discovers her aunt is very much real, exceedingly wealthy, and with secrets of her own. Secrets and wealth she intends to share--for a price.
Molly's estranged aunt Ava, has built her empire by robbing graves and selling the corpses to medical students who need bodies to practice surgical procedures. And she wants Molly to help her procure the corpses. As Molly learns her aunt's trade in the dead of night and explores the mansion by day, she is both horrified and deeply intrigued by the anatomy lessons held at the old church on her aunt's property. Enigmatic Doctor LaValle's lessons are a heady mixture of knowledge and power and Molly has never wanted anything more than to join his male-only group of students. But the cost of inclusion is steep and with a murderer loose in the city, the pursuit of power and opportunity becomes a deadly dance.
407 pages, Hardcover
First published September 14, 2021
160 people are currently reading
22419 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 668 reviews
March 3, 2019
already read this dark beauty and it is STUNNING. i couldn't put it down!
September 15, 2021
YALL read this book!! this was bad bitch energy all over! the way i was cheering for these female characters! shiiit! it’s the perfect book to get back into spooky season.
it was kinda slow but it picked back up fast so yeh that’s about it from me
it was kinda slow but it picked back up fast so yeh that’s about it from me
September 17, 2021
I have no idea what to think, honestly. Was it good? Yes. Was it better than good? No. Did it have potential? Yes. Did it reach said potential...
No.
And I'm a little peeved.
Did I laugh at the murder jokes, though?
...
Um, would it be normal if I said I did? Like, come on.
Person A: "What do dogs and trees have in common?"
Person B: "What?"
Person A: "They both lose their bark when they die."
BAHAHBAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAA
*me running from Hades*
Yo, I searched up Murder Jokes and I can't breathe-
(I didn't even realize about that pun)
(annnnnnd, my FBI agent will probably arrest me, but oh well.)
No.
And I'm a little peeved.
Did I laugh at the murder jokes, though?
...
Um, would it be normal if I said I did? Like, come on.
Person A: "What do dogs and trees have in common?"
Person B: "What?"
Person A: "They both lose their bark when they die."
BAHAHBAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAA
*me running from Hades*
Yo, I searched up Murder Jokes and I can't breathe-
(I didn't even realize about that pun)
(annnnnnd, my FBI agent will probably arrest me, but oh well.)
June 1, 2023
After her best friend is found dead, heartbroken and orphaned Molly is then sent away to live with an aunt. Molly hadn’t known about this aunt until now but there are reasons for that. When she arrives at this wealthy aunt’s home she’s immediately put to work. And the work is mighty strange (the title kind of gives it away though) but she goes with the flow and she’s good at the work.
This book is set in ye olden times back when women were second-class citizens and were expected to marry someone of their station and have a bunch of babies. Molly’s not about that. She wants to find her best friend’s murderer and later discovers her mission in life might just be becoming a surgeon but first she has to bring back a few (ok more than a few) corpses for her aunt’s enterprise.
I was really enjoying this book. It was weird and mysterious and took some wild turns and Molly was exceptionally clever but somewhere along the way it just got a little boring for me and stayed that way for a really long stretch. It’s a murder mystery but at times it wasn’t very thrilling because the pacing was super slow pokey until near the end.
I liked it enough to keep going on audio but I may have put it down unfinished had I been reading it in paper. It’s not a book I’d read again but I definitely didn’t hate it. Grab it on audio, if you can, because the narration is lovely.
Content Warning:
This book is set in ye olden times back when women were second-class citizens and were expected to marry someone of their station and have a bunch of babies. Molly’s not about that. She wants to find her best friend’s murderer and later discovers her mission in life might just be becoming a surgeon but first she has to bring back a few (ok more than a few) corpses for her aunt’s enterprise.
I was really enjoying this book. It was weird and mysterious and took some wild turns and Molly was exceptionally clever but somewhere along the way it just got a little boring for me and stayed that way for a really long stretch. It’s a murder mystery but at times it wasn’t very thrilling because the pacing was super slow pokey until near the end.
I liked it enough to keep going on audio but I may have put it down unfinished had I been reading it in paper. It’s not a book I’d read again but I definitely didn’t hate it. Grab it on audio, if you can, because the narration is lovely.
Content Warning:
October 12, 2021
3.5 rounded up. I’ve read several books with a similar theme from this period in history . This was an enjoyable read without being terribly original. The main characters are endearing though. I would have liked more of a sense of place than that provided here. The book could really have taken place anywhere.
September 23, 2021
I just keep expecting too much of historical YA fiction. Let me put it like this: If you're looking for a well-researched story about medicine and grave-robbing in the 19th century, this isn't that story. "The Corpse Queen" is a medical thriller, focusing on themes the genre has been focusing on forever: Molly wants to be a doctor but she's a woman, so she's not allowed. At the same time, a Jack-the-Ripper-esque serial killer is murdering young women in Philadelphia and Molly is the only one who might be able to stop him. Sounds familiar? I thought so.
While I enjoyed the atmospheric writing style and Molly as a main character quite a lot, the lack of research irritated me so much. I read historical fiction to "time travel", not for tired tropes about how Victorians took creepy life-like photographs of corpses (they didn't) or how medical students were all spoilt, talentless boys who need a completely untrained girl to come along and teach them some real medicine.
What honestly bothers me most is how the author picks the parts of Philadelphia history she likes (the medical progress made in the city in the mid-19th century) but ignores every other part of the city's troubled history. In the 1850s, there were racist riots in Philadelphia that shaped the city and its history as well. I think, when writing historical fiction, you can't just pick what you like and ignore the rest, even when it's happening right outside your protagonist's front door. There not being a single black character in this book is also not a great look. This is real history after all and history is not a playground for YA authors to romanticise and cherry pick the parts they like.
I wouldn't usually accuse a book of not being well researched because I obviously don't know the author's research process, I wasn't there. But let me tell you one thing: The research for this book must have been superficial at best. The author keeps bringing up Molly's clothing. A lot. And every time she describes her dresses as being one-piece, with the "underskirts" and crinoline sewn in. That's absolutely ridiculous for so many reasons (the crinoline is a seperate piece of underwear that goes under the petticoats, which go under the actual dress. It was worn to give the skirts their famous mid-century bell shape. In the early 1850s, it looked like this.)
A lady's dress in the 1850s was not made "of crinoline". The crinoline petticoats of the era have nothing to do with modern day crinoline fabric (which is used to stiffen garments). You also could not rip off "the crinoline top layer", like Molly does in one scene, to reveal the "underskirt" that is somehow attached to the bodice. There is no "top layer". There's a skirt, usually made of silk, draped over several layers of petticoats and, if worn, a crinoline. Listen, I wouldn't be going off about this like this if this wasn't such an avoidable mistake. There are 15-minute youtube videos online of people dressing up in these clothes and explaining each garment. All the author had to do was watch one 15-minute video on the clothes she mentions in every second chapter, and she didn't.
That's why books like "The Corpse Queen" make me so angry. It feels so lazy. If you want to write about history, do your damn research. I'm not expecting a 100% historically authentic outcome, that's impossible. But I think it would be cool if writers actually tried? History is not a playground and its not some fancy backdrop. The way we portray history in fiction always shapes readers' understanding of history and, in consequence, the present. So, yeah, "The Corspe Queen" is a macabre, well-written medical thriller, perfect for autumn and Halloween. But it could have been a lot more than that with just a bit more nuanced research.
While I enjoyed the atmospheric writing style and Molly as a main character quite a lot, the lack of research irritated me so much. I read historical fiction to "time travel", not for tired tropes about how Victorians took creepy life-like photographs of corpses (they didn't) or how medical students were all spoilt, talentless boys who need a completely untrained girl to come along and teach them some real medicine.
What honestly bothers me most is how the author picks the parts of Philadelphia history she likes (the medical progress made in the city in the mid-19th century) but ignores every other part of the city's troubled history. In the 1850s, there were racist riots in Philadelphia that shaped the city and its history as well. I think, when writing historical fiction, you can't just pick what you like and ignore the rest, even when it's happening right outside your protagonist's front door. There not being a single black character in this book is also not a great look. This is real history after all and history is not a playground for YA authors to romanticise and cherry pick the parts they like.
I wouldn't usually accuse a book of not being well researched because I obviously don't know the author's research process, I wasn't there. But let me tell you one thing: The research for this book must have been superficial at best. The author keeps bringing up Molly's clothing. A lot. And every time she describes her dresses as being one-piece, with the "underskirts" and crinoline sewn in. That's absolutely ridiculous for so many reasons (the crinoline is a seperate piece of underwear that goes under the petticoats, which go under the actual dress. It was worn to give the skirts their famous mid-century bell shape. In the early 1850s, it looked like this.)
A lady's dress in the 1850s was not made "of crinoline". The crinoline petticoats of the era have nothing to do with modern day crinoline fabric (which is used to stiffen garments). You also could not rip off "the crinoline top layer", like Molly does in one scene, to reveal the "underskirt" that is somehow attached to the bodice. There is no "top layer". There's a skirt, usually made of silk, draped over several layers of petticoats and, if worn, a crinoline. Listen, I wouldn't be going off about this like this if this wasn't such an avoidable mistake. There are 15-minute youtube videos online of people dressing up in these clothes and explaining each garment. All the author had to do was watch one 15-minute video on the clothes she mentions in every second chapter, and she didn't.
That's why books like "The Corpse Queen" make me so angry. It feels so lazy. If you want to write about history, do your damn research. I'm not expecting a 100% historically authentic outcome, that's impossible. But I think it would be cool if writers actually tried? History is not a playground and its not some fancy backdrop. The way we portray history in fiction always shapes readers' understanding of history and, in consequence, the present. So, yeah, "The Corspe Queen" is a macabre, well-written medical thriller, perfect for autumn and Halloween. But it could have been a lot more than that with just a bit more nuanced research.
Want to read
September 21, 2021robbing graves? i'm here all the way for this!
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August 5, 2021The premise was way more interesting than the execution. That we don't get any characterization of anyone, even Molly, but a lot of similes and metaphors instead, just drags out the book unnecessarily. I went in for macabre and dark and, I guess if you've never read dark and macabre before, you'd see that but compared to, say, Daniel Kraus, this book is super tame. The romance was shoehorned in, and thanks to the lack of characterization -- literally, all we know about is how his body looks (a theme throughout, the body vs. the person, that didn't gel). I had no investment anywhere.
There's this interesting trend in YA, especially the last few years, to call anything with a presumed strong female lead feminist. Is this a feminist read? I guess if your criteria is that. Molly defies some gender norms, but it's not especially interesting, and the main villain turns out to be a woman, which frankly, I found more "feminist" an angle than anything.
Plenty of readers will dig this, but don't expect grave robbery, honestly. It's a lot more talk than action.
There's this interesting trend in YA, especially the last few years, to call anything with a presumed strong female lead feminist. Is this a feminist read? I guess if your criteria is that. Molly defies some gender norms, but it's not especially interesting, and the main villain turns out to be a woman, which frankly, I found more "feminist" an angle than anything.
Plenty of readers will dig this, but don't expect grave robbery, honestly. It's a lot more talk than action.
November 17, 2025
Twisty, dark, & feminist might be my favorite kind of book. This hits all the marks, wrapped up in a historical 1800’s Philadelphia setting.
Have you heard of The Mutter Museum? I imagined The Corpse Queen’s Dr. LaValle as someone amassing an endless collection of medical oddities like the real-life Dr. Mutter. Having this reference made the reading experience just a touch more fun. So if you’re unfamiliar go give their website a peek! The Mutter Museum in Philadelphia
This is officially a Heather M. Herrman-stan account. I’m equally upset that I didn’t find her books earlier, and glad that I didn’t - so I don’t have to wait so long for the next one.
GO READ THIS BOOK!
5⭐️| IG | TikTok |
Have you heard of The Mutter Museum? I imagined The Corpse Queen’s Dr. LaValle as someone amassing an endless collection of medical oddities like the real-life Dr. Mutter. Having this reference made the reading experience just a touch more fun. So if you’re unfamiliar go give their website a peek! The Mutter Museum in Philadelphia
This is officially a Heather M. Herrman-stan account. I’m equally upset that I didn’t find her books earlier, and glad that I didn’t - so I don’t have to wait so long for the next one.
GO READ THIS BOOK!
5⭐️| IG | TikTok |
August 14, 2022
Set in 1800s Philadephia, this story combines grave robbing, feminism, body horror, a murder mystery and grief as plain Mary grapples with the death of her closest friend, her new life with an aunt she didn't know existed, and her job as a collector of bodies.
This story does go no-holds-barred on body horror, but it was nice to see a story so well researched, I enjoyed following Molly as she started studying to become a doctor herself, and the extra chapters from a person on death row who seemed to be Molly kept me guessing where the ending would go.
The ending was really, really good, there was nothing I expected as I was so sure the culprit was someone else and when they were finally revealed all the pieces finally put themselves together and the story as whole became clear, which was a really cool moment.
This story does go no-holds-barred on body horror, but it was nice to see a story so well researched, I enjoyed following Molly as she started studying to become a doctor herself, and the extra chapters from a person on death row who seemed to be Molly kept me guessing where the ending would go.
The ending was really, really good, there was nothing I expected as I was so sure the culprit was someone else and when they were finally revealed all the pieces finally put themselves together and the story as whole became clear, which was a really cool moment.
October 27, 2021
Ladies, gentlemen, and nonbinary peeps let me present to you the best read of this spooky season. This book was amazing. I will try to keep this review spoiler-free so everyone can know about my love for this book.
The writing was great. It got me hooked from the beginning but my favorite part of this book was Molly. This MC is my favorite one. She is smart and fearless. She is not your classic brave hero, she is THAT girl. Honestly, idol material. Her PTSD was also handled very well. She didn’t forget about her past or the traumatic events. They created battles for her constantly.
I also love how this book misled me. I was ready to write a very VERY angry review about how predictable this book was but I was wrong. I’ve never been more glad that I was wrong. Truth to be told, it’s my fault for believing an author would write a plot twist this badly. Ops.
I’m giving this book five stars but it doesn’t mean I don’t have some issues with it. First of all, it was way too repetitive. If I have to hear about Kitty and how her ‘tail’ was ‘slashed perfectly neat’, I’m carving my own eyes out with a teaspoon. I am DONE. For fucks sake, that tail will hunt me in my dreams. It’s not only that but many many other things were repeated constantly and it bugged me a lot. I’m not gonna give examples for the sake of keeping this spoiler-free. (You learn about Kitty’s murder and her ‘tail’ at the beginning of the book so it’s not a spoiler, no worries.)
The ending and the epilogue of this book… They are my 13th reason I swear. This book was perfect right until the final showdown. Let me explain, the ending was rushed. It was so rushed it gave me whiplash. The build-up was great but the climax just wasn’t there. It has come and gone way too fast. My other issue with the ending was the ‘final plot twist’, it was just thrown in there. It didn’t make any sense. I swear the author was like “Nah, this ending isn’t striking enough, let me add this too!” because what the fuck was that? The ending was also bittersweet. It doesn’t mean it’s bad, I’m just a sucker for happy endings.
Now let’s talk about the epilogue, I honestly have no idea how to explain this part without spoilers but let me just say this, Molly is a young adult not freaking Hannah Montana. There is no way in hell she can pull a ‘best of both worlds’. There is no way she can do all of those things. Just no.
This book also had some very cheesy and cringey scenes. I would like to only mention one of them, which is “She became the knife.”, as a tribute to the king of being a cringey dipshit, Mal Oretsev. Honestly, that scene was supposed to be the most stressful part of the book but I just could not stop laughing.
Anyway, long story short READ THIS BOOK.
The writing was great. It got me hooked from the beginning but my favorite part of this book was Molly. This MC is my favorite one. She is smart and fearless. She is not your classic brave hero, she is THAT girl. Honestly, idol material. Her PTSD was also handled very well. She didn’t forget about her past or the traumatic events. They created battles for her constantly.
I also love how this book misled me. I was ready to write a very VERY angry review about how predictable this book was but I was wrong. I’ve never been more glad that I was wrong. Truth to be told, it’s my fault for believing an author would write a plot twist this badly. Ops.
I’m giving this book five stars but it doesn’t mean I don’t have some issues with it. First of all, it was way too repetitive. If I have to hear about Kitty and how her ‘tail’ was ‘slashed perfectly neat’, I’m carving my own eyes out with a teaspoon. I am DONE. For fucks sake, that tail will hunt me in my dreams. It’s not only that but many many other things were repeated constantly and it bugged me a lot. I’m not gonna give examples for the sake of keeping this spoiler-free. (You learn about Kitty’s murder and her ‘tail’ at the beginning of the book so it’s not a spoiler, no worries.)
The ending and the epilogue of this book… They are my 13th reason I swear. This book was perfect right until the final showdown. Let me explain, the ending was rushed. It was so rushed it gave me whiplash. The build-up was great but the climax just wasn’t there. It has come and gone way too fast. My other issue with the ending was the ‘final plot twist’, it was just thrown in there. It didn’t make any sense. I swear the author was like “Nah, this ending isn’t striking enough, let me add this too!” because what the fuck was that? The ending was also bittersweet. It doesn’t mean it’s bad, I’m just a sucker for happy endings.
Now let’s talk about the epilogue, I honestly have no idea how to explain this part without spoilers but let me just say this, Molly is a young adult not freaking Hannah Montana. There is no way in hell she can pull a ‘best of both worlds’. There is no way she can do all of those things. Just no.
This book also had some very cheesy and cringey scenes. I would like to only mention one of them, which is “She became the knife.”, as a tribute to the king of being a cringey dipshit, Mal Oretsev. Honestly, that scene was supposed to be the most stressful part of the book but I just could not stop laughing.
Anyway, long story short READ THIS BOOK.
January 17, 2022
Quick Stats:
Overall: 1.5 ish stars
Characters: 1/5
Plot: 1/5
Setting: 2.5/5
Writing: 1/5
This was a huge disappointment. Wow.
Marketed as a feminist historical thriller in the vein of Stalking Jack the Ripper, it quickly became one of my most anticipated releases. SJtR is one of my favorite series of all time! And while this book did have a similar premise (girl who does autopsies while trying to solve a crime in the 1800s), it did not live up to its comp title.
There was no character development or growth—not even with Molly Greene, the main character. No one had any personality. Molly was simply a vessel with a goal shoved into her and nothing else and the side characters were NPCs that slooooooooooooowly helped her towards (or in some cases hindered) her progress towards that goal. This book was PAINFUL to get through, and I definitely would have DNFed if not for the fact that it was an ARC and I didn’t want to lower my NetGalley percentage.
Now, I mentioned that Molly had no characterization outside of her goal—finding Kitty’s killer—so you’d think that, at least, would be something that the novel cohesively builds towards, right? Wrong. Molly gets distracted by being a doctor. Molly gets distracted by being a brat to everyone who cares. The plot points happen, but none of them move the story any closer to the resolution. If you took the first two chapters and the last 2-3 chapters and just pasted them together, the story would stay the same, because even though there’s like 2-300 pages in between, nothing of substance happens.
Instead of the plot actually going anywhere, the author relied on shock factors every couple chapters that didn’t always even fit in with the story. Grisly murders and body horror, a brothel, and Molly became a sex worker for an hour??? Nothing fit cohesively. Nothing happened. And half the things that occurred barely made sense in the context of the story.
And then we get to the end. We finally find out who the serial killer is. It’s not the red herring that literally didn’t fool anyone (shocker). And I’ll be honest. The conclusion wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be. It was only like 75% what I thought it would be. But I wasn’t shocked, and even after reading the entire book, I really couldn’t have cared less. I was just happy it was over.
So, moral of the story? It isn’t worth it. Maybe you’ll like it. Everyone has different taste. But in my opinion, you’re better off just rereading Stalking Jack the Ripper.
Overall: 1.5 ish stars
Characters: 1/5
Plot: 1/5
Setting: 2.5/5
Writing: 1/5
This was a huge disappointment. Wow.
Marketed as a feminist historical thriller in the vein of Stalking Jack the Ripper, it quickly became one of my most anticipated releases. SJtR is one of my favorite series of all time! And while this book did have a similar premise (girl who does autopsies while trying to solve a crime in the 1800s), it did not live up to its comp title.
There was no character development or growth—not even with Molly Greene, the main character. No one had any personality. Molly was simply a vessel with a goal shoved into her and nothing else and the side characters were NPCs that slooooooooooooowly helped her towards (or in some cases hindered) her progress towards that goal. This book was PAINFUL to get through, and I definitely would have DNFed if not for the fact that it was an ARC and I didn’t want to lower my NetGalley percentage.
Now, I mentioned that Molly had no characterization outside of her goal—finding Kitty’s killer—so you’d think that, at least, would be something that the novel cohesively builds towards, right? Wrong. Molly gets distracted by being a doctor. Molly gets distracted by being a brat to everyone who cares. The plot points happen, but none of them move the story any closer to the resolution. If you took the first two chapters and the last 2-3 chapters and just pasted them together, the story would stay the same, because even though there’s like 2-300 pages in between, nothing of substance happens.
Instead of the plot actually going anywhere, the author relied on shock factors every couple chapters that didn’t always even fit in with the story. Grisly murders and body horror, a brothel, and Molly became a sex worker for an hour??? Nothing fit cohesively. Nothing happened. And half the things that occurred barely made sense in the context of the story.
And then we get to the end. We finally find out who the serial killer is. It’s not the red herring that literally didn’t fool anyone (shocker). And I’ll be honest. The conclusion wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be. It was only like 75% what I thought it would be. But I wasn’t shocked, and even after reading the entire book, I really couldn’t have cared less. I was just happy it was over.
So, moral of the story? It isn’t worth it. Maybe you’ll like it. Everyone has different taste. But in my opinion, you’re better off just rereading Stalking Jack the Ripper.
February 14, 2022
2.5 stars
Loved the concept, saw it was recommended by Kerri Maniscalco and felt compelled to try it out to see if it could recapture my preferred Stalking Jack the Ripper vibes. Sadly, it did not do that for me...but I also was being a bit unfair to this book by hoping it was like another one...
Concept: ★★★★
Plot/Pacing: ★★★
Enjoyment: ★★
Sometimes I think author blurbs on books are a really weird and not-great idea, especially when it makes you buy a book that you might otherwise have passed on. That's absolutely great for book sales and marketing departments, of course, but not so great for reader reviews. The Corpse Queen was one of those books for me, so a disclaimer now that this review should be taken as a grain of salt because I brought too many expectations to the table here.
When Molly Green's best friend dies and leaves her alone at 17 in the nunnery orphanage, Molly is left with very few options. Especially when the nuns kick her out and send her to live with an "aunt" she never knew about because they were just looking for an excuse to ditch the opinionated and troublemaking young woman.
This aunt isn't just a random old woman looking for free labor, either. She's known as The Corpse Queen of Philadelphia, and lives a rich and blissfully single existence in 1850s America with the heavy costs of disreputable reputations and a career path that gives most people pause: organized corpse acquisition via grave robbing.
The concept is killer, right??
Add in a murder mystery, lots of intrigue in the dead of night, and a plucky main character, and this novel was set up for success.
However... like I alluded to at the top of this review, sadly this novel just didn't mesh with me. I'm not sure what it was about this book that I struggled with, but at the end of the day I felt a lack of engagement with both the plot and the characters.
There was a strange disconnect for me despite the interesting setup—and a fair amount of boredom, to be honest, as I have also read/watch/consumed a lot of media on this time period and the practices of grave robbing for medical students. (Medical history is one of my passion subjects.) This is very much an introductory novel to those concepts that spends a fair amount of time explaining the practices and atmosphere of the times.
Overall, a very cool concept and an interesting narrative for the niche of young adult/dark historical fiction. The writing style and character arcs will most likely appeal best to those in the actual age demographic (15-18, ish) and for anyone without too much knowledge of grave robbing/medical history practices in America.
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Loved the concept, saw it was recommended by Kerri Maniscalco and felt compelled to try it out to see if it could recapture my preferred Stalking Jack the Ripper vibes. Sadly, it did not do that for me...but I also was being a bit unfair to this book by hoping it was like another one...
Concept: ★★★★
Plot/Pacing: ★★★
Enjoyment: ★★
Sometimes I think author blurbs on books are a really weird and not-great idea, especially when it makes you buy a book that you might otherwise have passed on. That's absolutely great for book sales and marketing departments, of course, but not so great for reader reviews. The Corpse Queen was one of those books for me, so a disclaimer now that this review should be taken as a grain of salt because I brought too many expectations to the table here.
When Molly Green's best friend dies and leaves her alone at 17 in the nunnery orphanage, Molly is left with very few options. Especially when the nuns kick her out and send her to live with an "aunt" she never knew about because they were just looking for an excuse to ditch the opinionated and troublemaking young woman.
This aunt isn't just a random old woman looking for free labor, either. She's known as The Corpse Queen of Philadelphia, and lives a rich and blissfully single existence in 1850s America with the heavy costs of disreputable reputations and a career path that gives most people pause: organized corpse acquisition via grave robbing.
The concept is killer, right??
Add in a murder mystery, lots of intrigue in the dead of night, and a plucky main character, and this novel was set up for success.
However... like I alluded to at the top of this review, sadly this novel just didn't mesh with me. I'm not sure what it was about this book that I struggled with, but at the end of the day I felt a lack of engagement with both the plot and the characters.
There was a strange disconnect for me despite the interesting setup—and a fair amount of boredom, to be honest, as I have also read/watch/consumed a lot of media on this time period and the practices of grave robbing for medical students. (Medical history is one of my passion subjects.) This is very much an introductory novel to those concepts that spends a fair amount of time explaining the practices and atmosphere of the times.
Overall, a very cool concept and an interesting narrative for the niche of young adult/dark historical fiction. The writing style and character arcs will most likely appeal best to those in the actual age demographic (15-18, ish) and for anyone without too much knowledge of grave robbing/medical history practices in America.
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July 5, 2022
TWO STARS
UGHGHGHGH, his book had so much potential and just decided to throw the potential away.
Review to come.
UGHGHGHGH, his book had so much potential and just decided to throw the potential away.
Review to come.
January 19, 2022
Fantastic book! Everything was great from the writing style and pacing to character development and world building. I loved the story; it was creepy, weird and original. A well deserved 5 stars!
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**Check me out on Bookstagram/Instagram! I'm @Iheartya311
**Looking to make new book friends? Join LiterALLy BOOKiSh on Facebook to read reviews, play games, join discussions and more!
September 7, 2022
What is the deal with these new YA authors who think rotting corpses and gruesome body parts are the same thing as skillful writing and compelling characters? I was so fed up when I had to read THE CORPSE QUEEN and THE PERFECT PLACE TO DIE simultaneously. Is the point supposed to be that young women need to be completely desensitized to violence and suffering in order to compete in the modern world? Is this stuff supposed to be empowering? I don't get it!
There were some poetic passages in this book. The one-eyed graverobber Tom, was almost sympathetic at times. Like when he's looking up at the stars. But every time someone was on the edge of having some sort of normal relationship, they'd throw in another gruesome scene with a corpse.
Definitely not a book I would recommend to Young Adults. Or Old Adults. The author needs to think hard about finding a different audience or a different subject matter. Or both.
There were some poetic passages in this book. The one-eyed graverobber Tom, was almost sympathetic at times. Like when he's looking up at the stars. But every time someone was on the edge of having some sort of normal relationship, they'd throw in another gruesome scene with a corpse.
Definitely not a book I would recommend to Young Adults. Or Old Adults. The author needs to think hard about finding a different audience or a different subject matter. Or both.
May 24, 2023
hmm… 3.2 stars? it was better than i thought it was going to be, but fell so flat in the last quarter. there’s really not much else to say (meaning i will forget that i read this in approximately 8 days).
September 10, 2021
This is one of those books that sounds better than the execution. The story lost its luster as it unfolded and the romance didn't bring anything to it either. The gothic feel and overall creepiness that I was hoping for slowly dwindled as the story progressed. I did not make it to the end of this one and after reading what I just did on goodreads I think I am really glad that I didn't. As it seems they bring in a live dog to cut up.
April 7, 2022
I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK. Whether it’s the storyline, characters, or pacing Heather Herrman NAILED it. I honestly didn’t expect it to be what it is but it has definitely exceeded my expectations. It’s so beautifully written you feel like you’re right there with the characters which makes it all the more enjoyable. You could feel and relate to Molly's anguish. Despite that Molly is such a badass, clever main character. In the end regardless of everything she's one of those characters that says “I choose me” which is so admirable. All the characters are so realistic and I love every single one of them. The romance in this book while not a lot IS THE SWEETEST THING. Overall this book is absolutely amazing, and definitely my favorite standalone right now. It’s also PERFECT for spooky season. I highly recommend it, but do check the trigger warnings first!
Thank you to Penguin Teen for sending me an arc of this book!!
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⚠️SPOILER WARNING⚠️
I am in love with Tom😩 “when I kiss you, Molly Green, it will be because you asked” consent is so hot 🥵 THE BANTER TOM AND MOLLY HAD WAS EVERYTHINGG THEYRE SO CUTE. But also the way they’re always there for each other 🥺 I JUST LOVE THEM SO MUCH. Usually, I wouldn’t be a fan of the ending where the main character/love interest don’t end up together but for Molly and Tom, it seemed so fitting. I just know Tom would wait for her until she’s ready and it’d be so beautiful 😭
Ginny and Hans and everyone at the Red Carousal ARE THE BEST
SOMEHOW I GUESSED LAVALLE WAS THE KNIFEMAN FROM HIS FIRST APPEARANCE?? AND I WAS RIGHT??😳
I honestly think the real plot twist was Ava actually being Molly's mother and the way she died was so heartbreaking 💔
I am DYING to know if Molly actually visits her uncle in London because that seems like it would be such an interesting meeting💀
Thank you to Penguin Teen for sending me an arc of this book!!
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-
⚠️SPOILER WARNING⚠️
I am in love with Tom😩 “when I kiss you, Molly Green, it will be because you asked” consent is so hot 🥵 THE BANTER TOM AND MOLLY HAD WAS EVERYTHINGG THEYRE SO CUTE. But also the way they’re always there for each other 🥺 I JUST LOVE THEM SO MUCH. Usually, I wouldn’t be a fan of the ending where the main character/love interest don’t end up together but for Molly and Tom, it seemed so fitting. I just know Tom would wait for her until she’s ready and it’d be so beautiful 😭
Ginny and Hans and everyone at the Red Carousal ARE THE BEST
SOMEHOW I GUESSED LAVALLE WAS THE KNIFEMAN FROM HIS FIRST APPEARANCE?? AND I WAS RIGHT??😳
I honestly think the real plot twist was Ava actually being Molly's mother and the way she died was so heartbreaking 💔
I am DYING to know if Molly actually visits her uncle in London because that seems like it would be such an interesting meeting💀
January 31, 2022
I received an ARC from Edelweiss
TW: mutilation, death of a pregnant woman, talks of suicide, ethnic prejudice, gore, mentioned physical abuse, detailed & somewhat gruesome surgical operations, mentioned botched abortion, mentioned pedophilia, misogyny, slut shaming, rabies & animal death, prescription drug addiction, drowning, poison
4
Molly Green has been an orphan, with no one but the nuns who barely tolerate her and a single friend, for 4 years, and is used to her life. But now everything is changing in one fell swoop. Her best friend, Kitty is found dead- and pregnant- and when Molly is discovered in the grave with her, attempting to get rid of any evidence of her friend's anomaly, she's happily tossed out, into the home of someone claiming to be her aunt. Though she was certain she had no family, her aunt turns out to be very real, rich, and dangerous. Drawn into the world of grave robbing and surgeons, Molly finds herself in a very new life that she's surprised she might be enjoying. But there's further danger than just getting caught- there's a killer on the loose, killing girls with anomalies, like Kitty, and Molly is determined to find out just who The Knife Man truly is.
"A body is the only way a woman can making a living in this world. I just choose not to use my own."
This is a very dark, interesting, atmospheric book. There are plenty of layers at work, and Herrman does a great job painting a picture of the world Molly finds herself in.
The way the time period and the different facets of it- from ladies charity to asylums to surgery theatres- are all so well described sets the scene perfectly for the story itself. There's never any doubt of what time or place this takes place in. And the story really does take advantage of all that the setting allows.
Herrman is a good writer in general. The descriptions of the setting are wonderful, but the descriptions overall deserve praise. Some of it is gross or shocking, but all of it is lush. Herrman strikes a great balance between the heavy details and still having it be incredibly readable. It's actually a bit difficult to pull away from.
And part of that is because of the tension. There is a lot of tension in this book, and it builds well. There is the danger of Molly's work with grave/corpse robbing and getting caught, the danger of The Tooth Fairy himself, the mystery of The Knife Man, and Molly's journey into the surgical world. There's never so much going on that you get lost, but it's packed enough to never wane in action or interest. And while the time skip scenes were a bit of a problem for me, using them did definitely keep things on a precipice as well.
However, I really felt the flashes in time for me didn't add enough to be worth being in the story. With the full context of them I think it just makes things messy and confusing. Without the actual context they're certainly gripping, but with everything else going on they don't do much but promise pay off- which they don't really deliver on.
The ending as a whole was weak for me. The answer to the question of the those scenes is a strange, unsatisfying answer, and the answer to the overall question of the novel isn't in itself inherently bad, but delivered in such a melodramatic way I couldn't take it seriously. The whole thing ramps itself into melodrama so much that it loses what it was building up the whole time.
There are places where things felt stunted, and the romance was one I never bought into, but the story itself is very readable and compelling. And I enjoyed reading Herrman's writing throughout.
TW: mutilation, death of a pregnant woman, talks of suicide, ethnic prejudice, gore, mentioned physical abuse, detailed & somewhat gruesome surgical operations, mentioned botched abortion, mentioned pedophilia, misogyny, slut shaming, rabies & animal death, prescription drug addiction, drowning, poison
4
Molly Green has been an orphan, with no one but the nuns who barely tolerate her and a single friend, for 4 years, and is used to her life. But now everything is changing in one fell swoop. Her best friend, Kitty is found dead- and pregnant- and when Molly is discovered in the grave with her, attempting to get rid of any evidence of her friend's anomaly, she's happily tossed out, into the home of someone claiming to be her aunt. Though she was certain she had no family, her aunt turns out to be very real, rich, and dangerous. Drawn into the world of grave robbing and surgeons, Molly finds herself in a very new life that she's surprised she might be enjoying. But there's further danger than just getting caught- there's a killer on the loose, killing girls with anomalies, like Kitty, and Molly is determined to find out just who The Knife Man truly is.
"A body is the only way a woman can making a living in this world. I just choose not to use my own."
This is a very dark, interesting, atmospheric book. There are plenty of layers at work, and Herrman does a great job painting a picture of the world Molly finds herself in.
The way the time period and the different facets of it- from ladies charity to asylums to surgery theatres- are all so well described sets the scene perfectly for the story itself. There's never any doubt of what time or place this takes place in. And the story really does take advantage of all that the setting allows.
Herrman is a good writer in general. The descriptions of the setting are wonderful, but the descriptions overall deserve praise. Some of it is gross or shocking, but all of it is lush. Herrman strikes a great balance between the heavy details and still having it be incredibly readable. It's actually a bit difficult to pull away from.
And part of that is because of the tension. There is a lot of tension in this book, and it builds well. There is the danger of Molly's work with grave/corpse robbing and getting caught, the danger of The Tooth Fairy himself, the mystery of The Knife Man, and Molly's journey into the surgical world. There's never so much going on that you get lost, but it's packed enough to never wane in action or interest. And while the time skip scenes were a bit of a problem for me, using them did definitely keep things on a precipice as well.
However, I really felt the flashes in time for me didn't add enough to be worth being in the story. With the full context of them I think it just makes things messy and confusing. Without the actual context they're certainly gripping, but with everything else going on they don't do much but promise pay off- which they don't really deliver on.
The ending as a whole was weak for me. The answer to the question of the those scenes is a strange, unsatisfying answer, and the answer to the overall question of the novel isn't in itself inherently bad, but delivered in such a melodramatic way I couldn't take it seriously. The whole thing ramps itself into melodrama so much that it loses what it was building up the whole time.
There are places where things felt stunted, and the romance was one I never bought into, but the story itself is very readable and compelling. And I enjoyed reading Herrman's writing throughout.
October 12, 2021
The Corpse Queen was such a fun and dark book to dive into. Especially since October is the season for spooky books. In this, you will be meeting grave robbers and some bad ass women selling bodies.
Molly is one of the main characters and she definitely kept me on my toes throughout the entire book. She wasn't the only one to do so either. No, this book gave me so many fantastic characters that it was hard to find a particular favorite. Or maybe that's just me.
Now she has a romance that develops for most of the book. It's with Tom, who is a complete sweetheart. I really liked them being together but I also liked how things ended between them at the same time. They both had dreams of doing something more and they never held anyone back from them. They made a very mature decision in my eyes.
Then there's the mysterious Knife Man. Honestly, this had so many mysterious characters that either creeped me out or just intrigued me even more. There was no in-between for me. In the end, I really enjoyed everything that happened within this. Each little twist and turn kept me on my toes and the gory body scenes made me feel like I was in Grey's Anatomy.
Molly is one of the main characters and she definitely kept me on my toes throughout the entire book. She wasn't the only one to do so either. No, this book gave me so many fantastic characters that it was hard to find a particular favorite. Or maybe that's just me.
Now she has a romance that develops for most of the book. It's with Tom, who is a complete sweetheart. I really liked them being together but I also liked how things ended between them at the same time. They both had dreams of doing something more and they never held anyone back from them. They made a very mature decision in my eyes.
Then there's the mysterious Knife Man. Honestly, this had so many mysterious characters that either creeped me out or just intrigued me even more. There was no in-between for me. In the end, I really enjoyed everything that happened within this. Each little twist and turn kept me on my toes and the gory body scenes made me feel like I was in Grey's Anatomy.
October 4, 2021
Thank you to Penguin Teen for providing me with an e-ARC of The Corpse Queen in exchange for an honest review!
Let's list the goods, yeah? & some solid aspects that really won me over.
- graverobbing
- dark historical fiction
- a strong-as-hell female protagonist
- serial killer
- more fantastic female characters
- v much love the atmosphere & characters of the nightclub
The Corpse Queen is perfect for spooky season; it's not necessarily a horror book, but has dark vibes & is so perfectly atmospheric. And, as usual, I love women & Molly is definitely an amazing & strong protagonist!
Let's list the goods, yeah? & some solid aspects that really won me over.
- graverobbing
- dark historical fiction
- a strong-as-hell female protagonist
- serial killer
- more fantastic female characters
- v much love the atmosphere & characters of the nightclub
The Corpse Queen is perfect for spooky season; it's not necessarily a horror book, but has dark vibes & is so perfectly atmospheric. And, as usual, I love women & Molly is definitely an amazing & strong protagonist!
December 9, 2021
3.5 almost 4 stars this book was raw too raw at times some very disturbing parts but I loved the woman power in it and I did love Molly I loved Ms. Herman's to all the writers out there trying hard heck im trying to write again its hard! And about her grandmother having to publish her own poems good for her and I bet they were amazing! Im looking forward to Heather's other books.
March 1, 2022
4.5 I read this in a day. It 🍿 a great way to learn some history and have fun and get swept away from our current crisis. Highly recommend
December 7, 2022
Molly po smrti kamarátky odchádza zo sirotinca a prichádza do Filadelfie ku svojej tete, o ktorej existencii ani len netušila. Lenže vo Filadelfii sa nenachádza iba jej teta, ale aj tajomný vraj, ktorý vraždí a zohavuje mladé ženy. Maá tento beštiálny vrah, ktorého prezývajú Řezník, na svedomí aj Mollynu priateľku?
Molly sa ho snaží vypátrať, popritom pracuje pre svoju tetu, kráľovnú mŕtvol. Jej úlohou je zháňať mŕtve tela, aby ich mohli využívať študenti medicíny. Tiel je nedostatok, vykrádači hrobov sa musia predbiehať, aby telo nebožtíka získali ako prví. Avšak Molly je v získavaní tiel dobrá a pre lekára a jeho študentov získava tie najlepšie kúsky.
Mrazivá atmosféra sa šíri mestom, ženy miznú priamo z ulíc a objavujú sa zohavené na nepoznanie. Kto je týmto desivým vrahom? Má Molly vôbec šancu ho odhaliť?
Mala som tip na možného vraha (okrem neho som mala v mala ešte dalších dvoch podozrivých) a môj predpoklad sa naplnil. Vrah napokon odhalený, hoci jeho odhalenie nebolo vôbec také, ako by ste mohli očakávať. Kráľovna mŕtvol ponúka nevšedný príbeh o získavaní tiel, príbeh ľudí, ktorí ich musia získať za každú cenu a kradnutie anomálii a nevšedností ľudského tela je na dennom poriadku.
Nevšedné, temné a mrazivé čítanie, pri ktorom až do samotného konca budete podozrievať každého a nikoho, zaujímavá mladá hlavná hrdinka, ktorá kvôli svojmu snu je ochotná urobiť takmer čokoľvek. Ale kedy už je konanie za hranicou ľudskosti? Kedy sa už nestačí oháňať vedou a lekárskou praxou?
Za Kráľovnú mrtvol ďakujem vydavateľstvu Knihy Dobrovsky, vďaka ktorým som sa obísť stala knižným ambasadorom.
Molly sa ho snaží vypátrať, popritom pracuje pre svoju tetu, kráľovnú mŕtvol. Jej úlohou je zháňať mŕtve tela, aby ich mohli využívať študenti medicíny. Tiel je nedostatok, vykrádači hrobov sa musia predbiehať, aby telo nebožtíka získali ako prví. Avšak Molly je v získavaní tiel dobrá a pre lekára a jeho študentov získava tie najlepšie kúsky.
Mrazivá atmosféra sa šíri mestom, ženy miznú priamo z ulíc a objavujú sa zohavené na nepoznanie. Kto je týmto desivým vrahom? Má Molly vôbec šancu ho odhaliť?
Mala som tip na možného vraha (okrem neho som mala v mala ešte dalších dvoch podozrivých) a môj predpoklad sa naplnil. Vrah napokon odhalený, hoci jeho odhalenie nebolo vôbec také, ako by ste mohli očakávať. Kráľovna mŕtvol ponúka nevšedný príbeh o získavaní tiel, príbeh ľudí, ktorí ich musia získať za každú cenu a kradnutie anomálii a nevšedností ľudského tela je na dennom poriadku.
Nevšedné, temné a mrazivé čítanie, pri ktorom až do samotného konca budete podozrievať každého a nikoho, zaujímavá mladá hlavná hrdinka, ktorá kvôli svojmu snu je ochotná urobiť takmer čokoľvek. Ale kedy už je konanie za hranicou ľudskosti? Kedy sa už nestačí oháňať vedou a lekárskou praxou?
Za Kráľovnú mrtvol ďakujem vydavateľstvu Knihy Dobrovsky, vďaka ktorým som sa obísť stala knižným ambasadorom.
September 13, 2021
“Sometimes it is easier to believe in monsters than the truth about someone we love.” -Heather Herrman🖤
The Corpse Queen blends the intensity of a murder mystery with the dark atmosphere and wild thrill of grave robbing in this haunting new tale perfect for the fall season.👻
In the dark, dreary streets of 1800s Philadelphia, women are disappearing and left brutally murdered all across the city. When her friend suddenly goes missing, Molly Green is determined to find the killer by taking a job opportunity robbing graves for the notorious Corpse Queen.💀🪦
Overall, the mysterious plot kept me on my toes and made my head spin with theories.🕵🏻♀️ I absolutely loved the grave stealing aspect of the story and the cast of amazing secondary characters so much that I wanted more of them! (Especially the budding friendship, flirty banter, and tender moments between Molly and Tom!🥺😍)
This book has all the makings of a perfectly spooky read with adrenaline-rushing adventures, buried secrets, a strong heroine, and plenty of skeletons in the closet.🗝 I hope there’s going to be a sequel because I could see this growing into a story with many expanding plot lines!🤗
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*
[TW: Mutilation, loss of parent/loved one, childbirth, miscarriage, assumption of sexual assault/abuse, medical practices/surgery, handling of corpses, misogyny, prescription drug abuse, animal death]
The Corpse Queen blends the intensity of a murder mystery with the dark atmosphere and wild thrill of grave robbing in this haunting new tale perfect for the fall season.👻
In the dark, dreary streets of 1800s Philadelphia, women are disappearing and left brutally murdered all across the city. When her friend suddenly goes missing, Molly Green is determined to find the killer by taking a job opportunity robbing graves for the notorious Corpse Queen.💀🪦
Overall, the mysterious plot kept me on my toes and made my head spin with theories.🕵🏻♀️ I absolutely loved the grave stealing aspect of the story and the cast of amazing secondary characters so much that I wanted more of them! (Especially the budding friendship, flirty banter, and tender moments between Molly and Tom!🥺😍)
This book has all the makings of a perfectly spooky read with adrenaline-rushing adventures, buried secrets, a strong heroine, and plenty of skeletons in the closet.🗝 I hope there’s going to be a sequel because I could see this growing into a story with many expanding plot lines!🤗
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*
[TW: Mutilation, loss of parent/loved one, childbirth, miscarriage, assumption of sexual assault/abuse, medical practices/surgery, handling of corpses, misogyny, prescription drug abuse, animal death]
February 13, 2023
Pri tejto knihe ma hneď zaujal názov a obálka.Anotáciu som ani nečítala a čakala som úplne iný príbeh ako som dostala.
To ale nič nemení na tom,že kniha sa mi páčila a upútala ma hneď na začiatku.
Hlavná hrdinka, 17 ročná Molly Greenová, vyrastá v sirotinci. Po smrti svojej jedinej kamarátky Kitty jej oznámia, že odchádza ku svojej tete do Philadelphie. Doteraz však o žiadnych príbuzných nič nevedela a tak si myslí,že ju v sirotinci jednoducho predali a ona bude musieť ísť pracovať ako slúžka.
Prekvapením je pre ňu zistenie,že teta naozaj existuje a dokonca je veľmi bohatá. No a práca, ktorú bude pre ňu vykonávať je tiež veľmi zvláštna. Musí vykrádať hroby a získavať mŕtvoly pre študentov medicíny.
Molly bola odjakživa "iná" a táto práca sa jej istým spôsobom začala páčiť. Vyvolala v nej túžbu stať sa medičkou,lenže pre ženu v 19.storočí to nebolo také jednoduché.
Celý námet tejto knihy je naozaj perfektný. Tajomná atmosféra, mŕtvoly, morbídnosť,hnus a závan smrti.Zaujímavé postavy,prekvapivý záver a fakt,že naozaj existovali vykrádači hrobov, dodal tejto knihe povestnú čerešničku na torte.
Knihu určite odporúčam a na tieto zimné večery je ako stvorená.
To ale nič nemení na tom,že kniha sa mi páčila a upútala ma hneď na začiatku.
Hlavná hrdinka, 17 ročná Molly Greenová, vyrastá v sirotinci. Po smrti svojej jedinej kamarátky Kitty jej oznámia, že odchádza ku svojej tete do Philadelphie. Doteraz však o žiadnych príbuzných nič nevedela a tak si myslí,že ju v sirotinci jednoducho predali a ona bude musieť ísť pracovať ako slúžka.
Prekvapením je pre ňu zistenie,že teta naozaj existuje a dokonca je veľmi bohatá. No a práca, ktorú bude pre ňu vykonávať je tiež veľmi zvláštna. Musí vykrádať hroby a získavať mŕtvoly pre študentov medicíny.
Molly bola odjakživa "iná" a táto práca sa jej istým spôsobom začala páčiť. Vyvolala v nej túžbu stať sa medičkou,lenže pre ženu v 19.storočí to nebolo také jednoduché.
Celý námet tejto knihy je naozaj perfektný. Tajomná atmosféra, mŕtvoly, morbídnosť,hnus a závan smrti.Zaujímavé postavy,prekvapivý záver a fakt,že naozaj existovali vykrádači hrobov, dodal tejto knihe povestnú čerešničku na torte.
Knihu určite odporúčam a na tieto zimné večery je ako stvorená.
September 5, 2021
Reviews are hard so please forgive me in advance. The Corpse Queen is an interesting read because on the one hand, I really enjoyed aspects of it. On the other hand, my expectations were thrown out the window and trampled by a carriage. Very saddening stuff.
I really loved the dark atmosphere of the Philadelphia streets! When Molly is pulled into her aunt’s body-snatching business, she does a lot of works by night. It was so interesting see how the whole “body black market” worked because it wasn’t really grave-robbing. There were so many intricacies to obtaining a body for medical students to practice on, and so much moral ambiguity, that it makes me want to do actual research. For fun. That’s how good of a job this book did at immersing me into this world.
And the women in this book! Despite all of the sexism (because yikes history), Molly stands up for herself. In fact, Molly’s aunt is the one making a name for herself, and many of Molly’s friends are just great people. At first, I wasn’t totally sold on the romance in this book. But it actually ended up being such a fantastic sign of Molly’s character arc, and what a healthy relationship based on mutual trust should look like. So I really enjoyed that!
The thing that brought down my personal rating for this book is honestly unsurprising. I’m extremely picky when it comes to YA mysteries because there’s rarely enough mystery for my tastes*. While there was a killer in the streets, that wasn’t the main focus of the book. No, the main focus was Molly’s character arc, turning this story into more of a coming-of-age drama than a mystery. That isn’t necessarily bad, it simply threw my expectations a little.
*look if it’s being pitched as a mystery i want the MYSTERY. i want INVESTIGATING. if you go two full chapters with little happening in the way of it, i am an angry bumblebee vampire. yes, we exist, and no, i will not be taking questions.
I’ll be honest: I didn’t see the ending coming. I love when there’s multiple plot twists hidden behind layers upon layers. The climax was a little bumpy but overall pretty well-written. This definitely reminded me of Stalking Jack the Ripper with the combination of atmosphere and historical mystery! Overall, 3.5/5 stars.
pre-review: the plot twists, y’all. also historical fiction + a macabre setting? perfection. full rtc.
thank you so much penguin for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I really loved the dark atmosphere of the Philadelphia streets! When Molly is pulled into her aunt’s body-snatching business, she does a lot of works by night. It was so interesting see how the whole “body black market” worked because it wasn’t really grave-robbing. There were so many intricacies to obtaining a body for medical students to practice on, and so much moral ambiguity, that it makes me want to do actual research. For fun. That’s how good of a job this book did at immersing me into this world.
And the women in this book! Despite all of the sexism (because yikes history), Molly stands up for herself. In fact, Molly’s aunt is the one making a name for herself, and many of Molly’s friends are just great people. At first, I wasn’t totally sold on the romance in this book. But it actually ended up being such a fantastic sign of Molly’s character arc, and what a healthy relationship based on mutual trust should look like. So I really enjoyed that!
The thing that brought down my personal rating for this book is honestly unsurprising. I’m extremely picky when it comes to YA mysteries because there’s rarely enough mystery for my tastes*. While there was a killer in the streets, that wasn’t the main focus of the book. No, the main focus was Molly’s character arc, turning this story into more of a coming-of-age drama than a mystery. That isn’t necessarily bad, it simply threw my expectations a little.
*look if it’s being pitched as a mystery i want the MYSTERY. i want INVESTIGATING. if you go two full chapters with little happening in the way of it, i am an angry bumblebee vampire. yes, we exist, and no, i will not be taking questions.
I’ll be honest: I didn’t see the ending coming. I love when there’s multiple plot twists hidden behind layers upon layers. The climax was a little bumpy but overall pretty well-written. This definitely reminded me of Stalking Jack the Ripper with the combination of atmosphere and historical mystery! Overall, 3.5/5 stars.
pre-review: the plot twists, y’all. also historical fiction + a macabre setting? perfection. full rtc.
thank you so much penguin for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
October 11, 2021
Holy shit-
I don't know what I was expecting from this book, but not that, and I mean that in the best way possible. THE CORPSE QUEEN packages themes of classism, sexism, and objectification into one little bundle that's probably actually got a human hand inside of it. And despite having a character named The Tooth Fairy, this book is incredibly fucking gross and gory, and definitely not for the faint of heart; it opens with the main character hauling her dead best friend's body out of a lake as parts of her skin get stuck in the earth and it only gets grosser from there. Big content warning for that are described fairly graphicly. This would have been an easy five stars if not for the twist at the end; it wasn't horrible and I've read worse, but also
I don't know what I was expecting from this book, but not that, and I mean that in the best way possible. THE CORPSE QUEEN packages themes of classism, sexism, and objectification into one little bundle that's probably actually got a human hand inside of it. And despite having a character named The Tooth Fairy, this book is incredibly fucking gross and gory, and definitely not for the faint of heart; it opens with the main character hauling her dead best friend's body out of a lake as parts of her skin get stuck in the earth and it only gets grosser from there. Big content warning for that are described fairly graphicly. This would have been an easy five stars if not for the twist at the end; it wasn't horrible and I've read worse, but also
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