3.5 stars

This book was fine. Not incredible, not awful. Just solidly in the middle.

I really enjoyed the beginning, especially seeing Maria as a child. Her personality had spark, and I was intrigued by her journey. I also liked when she married and met the apothecary. But after that, she lost me. She started giving off “lame Damon Salvatore” vibes, and not in the fun, brooding way.

This book reminded me that I definitely need plot to stay engaged. The writing was beautifully eerie, and I loved the dark, atmospheric settings. Exploring all the different locations kept things fresh. But the characters themselves felt vague and somewhat stereotypical. I was most interested in the side characters Sabine, Charlotte, and Alice met along the way.

And speaking of Alice… I don’t really understand the point of her character. Charlotte couldn’t physically act, sure, but it felt like she could have done what she did to Alice to anyone at any time. So why Alice? Why now? That choice just didn’t land for me.

I didn’t feel pulled to return to the book once I put it down, but when I was reading, I did enjoy myself. It just didn’t leave a strong impression.

And the ending? After all that buildup, it wraps up in five pages. Anticlimactic and underwhelming.

In the end, Charlotte was just as selfish as Sabine, just not in such a loud, toxic way.