The Good Thief Review

I just finished this book on Friday last. I'm very slowed down in my reading due to life and homeschooling at the moment. I'm not a real Gothic reader, but fans of the genre would enjoy this book.



This is the story of Ren, an orphan boy who is missing a hand. He was raised in a Catholic orphanage and has a good moral foundation. He knows right from wrong, but has some bad habits, such as his talent for theivery, which is the result of growing up an orphan.



When he is adopted by Benjamin, who claims to be his brother, Ren is hoping for home-cooked meals and a mother's love. He instead finds a con man who gets him involved in things like grave robbing and conning people leaving churches, gathering their sympathy for the one-handed orphan boy.



The story takes an unexpected and jolting (for me, not a huge fan of the genre) twist in the second half of the book. There was a snippet of foreshadowing which had me wondering early on, but there were enough turns to throw me off the scent until I was sucker punched for my distraction!



I think gothic fans, even YA gothic fans will love this book. I enjoyed it and could not put it down despite my distaste for some of it. It is not for everyone. The descriptions of the grave robbing were rather graphic, as well as a few other passages describing someone's breath, appearances, smells, and a factory accident. What kept me reading? I thought it was really well written. I may not have enjoyed the descriptions, but Tinti brought me there. I could smell that breath, and I was in the room for the accident. Well done in that respect.



If gothic is your thing, give it a go. It is worth a read. This book (for those of you who are interested) is one chosen by my husband, because another reviewer compared the writing to Dickens! Again, not a book I would have chosen, but enjoyed it while reading. And, thusfar, there is no sequel ;0)



Currently reading:


All I will say about this one, until it is finished, is you cannot judge a book by its cover! This is not a bodice-ripper romance as the cover seems to bring to mind. It is a newly-released book that I asked the librarian to get for me. She is anxiously waiting for me to return it so she can read it herself. And we are both self-proclaimed loathers of the bodice-ripper storyline.

This post has been linked to "It is Monday, What Are You Reading" at Book Journey.