Nicola Morgan

Fieldnotes:
Edinburgh, 1828

1 Gruesome, Unfortunate Surgery
1 Tragedy Ending in Bankruptcy
1 Alcoholic Absentee Father
1 Winsome Little Sister
Sordid, Squalid Poverty

1 Burning Hatred for
1 Self-Important Surgeon
1 Secret Illegal Anatomy School
Inadequate Amounts of Not Quite Resurrection Men Burke & Hare
1 Self-Destructive Spiral

The Short Version:
I picked this up because of its Edinburgh setting and because it was (ostensibly) about Burke & Hare - a rather gruesome set of criminals from the 1820s. show more But while this was admirably vivid as a look at the squalor and misery of poverty at the time in Edinburgh, the actual plot just...didn't really work for me.

Robbie's mother died after (unanesthetized) surgery done by Dr. Knox when Robbie was only 8. Robbie blames Knox and when Robbie encounters him by chance 6 years later, he becomes consumed by his hatred and drive for revenge to the point of losing his job and neglecting his sister, sending them deeper into squalor - but he discovers that Knox is buying cadavers for an illicit anatomy school from Burke & Hare.

Fine...but somehow Robbie gets entangled working for Burke & Hare (why???) as a lookout and his path just keeps on crossing Dr. Knox who increasingly is shown to be just a person - self-important, but a skilled surgeon who plays the violin as Robbie loves to. Without really caring a jot for Robbie he ends up saving him from prison once and his life another time.

This kind of nuance should be interesting, but ultimately it just seems like the story has no heart. It seems like the sort of thing that would be assigned at school because there are a lot of tie-in subjects that could be discussed (history of medicine, ethics, body-snatching, maybe even some sociology), but in terms of plot - none of it really seems to drive the story forward and I found myself putting the book down more often than not with little drive to pick it back up. show less

This is such a beautifully written tale of the original boy meets girl story… but with a whole load of “what if’s” thrown in. But it IS more than that. Nicola Morgan creates such a great atmosphere in the novel, and it means you really relish and enjoy the book.

Near the beginning, when Jack meets Jess, he says to her: “there is no such thing as chance”.

Jack says:
“Here’s an example. This. Me hearing you sing. I didn’t know you existed but I needed you to. And I walked past show more that door at the right time. Past a soundproofed room. Where the door wasn’t properly shut. Invisible things came together to make it happen. Natural, physical things. Not chance, but definitely luck for me.”

It is brilliantly executed so that, each page you turn, a decision with the coin is made. And when the decision with the coin turns to the reader, that is when it gets really exciting. Now, there are several times in the book when it happens, and I am sorry to say that when there are 2 different chapters to read depending on what you landed on, I read both chapters. I did this because I wanted to see what both choices were, not to ruin the experience.

However, it did not stop my enjoyment of the book, and I truly believe that this is unique. The characters are, I have to say, well developed, and they are actually genuinely realistic in the things they say, how they move, and their actions and behaviour.

The great concoction of great characters, interesting plot and gripping events means that I completely recommend this book!

Rating
Plot: 8/10
Very interesting, and developed plot.
Writing Quality: 9/10
Very very good writing quality
Originality: 8/10
So completely original in the concept of the book, maybe not so much boy meets girl.
Characters: 9/10
The characters were very well developed and were likeable.
Descriptions: 7/10
Good amount of descriptions.

41/50 = 82% show less

I enjoyed following the story of Will and Bess, two young people thrown together under unusual circumstances. Will is the second son of a rich but cruel nobleman, and strong-headed Bess is the daughter of the highwayman featured in the famous poem "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes. I've always loved this poem so I found the story intriguing and the author did a great job weaving the poem throughout the story. Of the two protagonists, I found Will more interesting as he struggled with the show more importance of social status and the meaning of good and evil, right and wrong, although it did get a bit repetitive at times. However, I loved the 18th century English backdrop with all its turmoil and upheaval, and there was plenty of action to keep me reading. show less

Some beautiful language in this book, and an interesting outsider's perspective on synaesthesia (since the narrator hasn't grown up with it, but only acquires it after a near-fatal bout of meningitis). However, what could have been an interesting plot all in itself (the MC learning to deal with his new sensory perceptions) is cluttered up with a modernized take on Faust involving super powers, a demonic character whose motives and allegiances are somewhat muddled, and the MC developing a show more creepy obsession with his sister. It's all explained -- sort of -- by the end, but the action-packed resolution seemed to come out of left field to me, and I was left more befuddled than satisfied, asking myself, "So what exactly is this book about?"Really I'd like to give this 2.5 stars -- halfway between "It was OK" and "I liked it". Prose excellent, plot not quite there. show less