Lydia Kang

Two hearts. Twice as vulnerable. Manhattan, 1850. Born out of wedlock to a wealthy socialite and a nameless immigrant, Cora Lee can mingle with the rich just as easily as she can slip unnoticed into the slums and graveyards of the city. As the only female resurrectionist in New York, she's carved out a niche procuring bodies afflicted with the strangest of anomalies. Anatomists will pay exorbitant sums for such specimens--dissecting and displaying them for the eager public. Cora's specialty is not only profitable, it's a means to keep a finger on the pulse of those searching for her. She's the girl born with two hearts--a legend among grave robbers and anatomists--sought after as an endangered prize. Now, as a series of murders unfolds closer and closer to Cora, she can no longer trust those she holds dear, including the young medical student she's fallen for. Because someone has no intention of waiting for Cora to die a natural death.

The Impossible Girl

Colleen

4.5 Stars
 
ARC provided by Lake Union Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
 
The Impossible Girl caught my eye because the description sounded so unique. I had been scrolling through Netgalley for quite a while, and everything looked so generic. Just as I was about to give up, I stumbled across The Impossible Girl, and it was definitely a lucky find!
 
The story is set in 1850 in New York City. Twenty-year-old Cora Lee has never had an easy life. Her mother was a wealthy socialite who was disowned from her family for getting pregnant out of wedlock then died giving birth to Cora. Cora is then raised by her aunt who was also abandoned by the family for refusing to conform to their expectations. Orphaned, illegitimate, and biracial, Cora’s life was never destined to be comfortable. But there is another darker secret that hangs over Cora: she was born with two hearts. It was a time when anyone with birth anomalies was outcast or worse – hunted both by medical enthusiasts who wanted to study them and by the gawking public who paid to see any “freaks” both dead and alive. When the doctor who delivered Cora begins telling tales about the girl with two hearts, her aunt does everything she can to protect her. They move away and turn Cora into Jacob, raising her as a boy until puberty in an attempt to throw off the people searching for her.
 
Twenty years later, Cora is still caught in-between two lives. By day she is Cora and moves on the fringes of genteel society. By night she is Jacob and works as a resurrectionist (someone who steals bodies since back then it was illegal to use corpses for any medical studies, so they had to be procured through grave robbing). Jacob specializes in unusual bodies – anyone with a physical anomaly. This is precarious given her own highly sought-after anomaly, but it allows her to keep track of who might be after her as well as earning a living. But the stakes get even higher when someone starts murdering people with physical anomalies and a bounty is put out for the legendary girl with two hearts. Cora is left fighting for her life and unsure of whom to trust.
 
The story is fast-paced. I couldn’t put it down and easy read it in a day. I loved the detailed historical setting which was well-researched without being too dry or bogging down the story. Women’s repression is a major theme in the book. There is even a cameo of Elizabeth Blackwell, the first women in America to earn a medical degree. It was also interesting that Cora struggled with her gender identity. After experiencing the freedom and respect offered to her when she is disguised as Jacob, it becomes more and more difficult to behave as Cora. As a woman she has few rights, many restrictions from society, and no way to earn a living. On top of that, she has stigma for being biracial and illegitimate. The Impossible Girl is a story with many layers that I found very engaging although it borders on far-fetched at times.
 
As a side note: there may be some confusion about what genre to classify this book as. Very minor Spoiler: There are some interludes between the chapters that are told from the perspective of the murder victims. These sections provide background information and slowly hint at who the killer is. They may technically be told from the perspective of “ghosts,” but they don’t have any direct bearing on the rest of the story. They provide information for the reader. I might possibly call this magical realism but that’s stretching things a bit. This is absolutely NOT a fantasy story though! I think people could be misled by the description and go into this with very different expectations. I’d hate for someone to dismiss this book just because of differing expectations. But to reiterate, this is not a fantasy story. There is no magic. The “resurrectionists” really were just grave robbers, not necromancers or anything like that. It’s not like any of the characters see the “ghosts” or are affected by them in any way. It’s Historical Fiction all the way.
 
The plot hinges on not knowing who to trust which requires that the other characters’ motivations are kept secret from the reader. While that was fine on a plot level, it also meant that I never got to know the other characters very well. Character development was sacrificed in order to maintain the plot twists. This is my only real critique about the story. While the story was certainly engaging and kept me guessing, I also got a bit fatigued with the “who can I trust” betrayals. You can only play that card so many times before it gets repetitive. I wanted to get to know some of the other characters better but wasn’t able to because being in the dark about their motivations was vital to the plot.
 
Aside from that, I thoroughly enjoyed The Impossible Girl. It probably won’t make my top five for 2018, but it is safe to say that it will stand out as one of the most original books I’ve read this year. I would strongly recommend it to anyone who likes Historical Mysteries/Thrillers and/or stories with strong female leads. I look forward to reading more by Lydia Kang.


RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 5 Stars
Writing Style: 4 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 4 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 4 Stars
Level of Captivation: 5 Stars
Originality: 5 Stars

Kenzie

I mean, I enjoyed the story…but I felt like it took forever to get to the plot and found it to be really slow up until the last couple chapters

Lera D

Simply amazing! Fast paced and full of twists. I often forsee where the storyline is going, but was surprised more than once in this book. The characters are very well written and I love what a strong woman Cora is.

Jordan Heustis

This was very difficult to rate! I really enjoyed the book. It was weird and interesting and different. I do think it would have been cooler to read this in October when it was released. I decided not to bump it up to 5 stars because the first half of the boom felt a bit slow to me but overall, it was quite an interesting read. If you like weird books, you’ll love this.

The Impossible Girl

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