Plain, Bad Heroines

PLAIN, BAD HEROINES is a book about a haunted place called The Brookhants School for Girls. It is told through two interwoven timelines, one in 1908 and the other in 2014. From the beginning the narrator breaks the fourth wall and consistently refers to you as “Dear Reader.” There are also sometimes funny footnotes throughout the book to add more context to situations or different characters. I know there is a specific word out there for a book within a book but I can’t seem to find it. There is also a metaphor in this book having to do with a Russian Matroyshka Doll, but I don’t want to spoil it for anyone here. That being said, it definitely gave this book an odd feeling of being somehow real. It’d definitely make a good movie, which is funny because the 2014 timeline is about filming a movie.

I personally enjoyed the tone and overall feel of this book. It was definitely an escape from reality that I really appreciated at the beginning of this year. I felt like the author did a great job of creating some eerie, gothic feelings that gave the book a unique vibe. I was genuinely creeped out at some parts.

(MILD SPOILERS) My only critique is that it felt sort of rushed at the end and it didn’t quite stick the landing the way I was hoping for. I did have a fun time reading it, but proceed just knowing that this book is definitely more about the journey, not the ending. (Which I get is like the point of, well, LIFE, but I was expecting more of a cleaned up ending from a story about a cursed book and a haunted house). Anyways, get this book if you’re looking for a fun but creepy romp with a unique narrative voice.

ID: The book Plain Bad Heroines in a garden with orange flowers next to it.

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