ARC REVIEW: The Impossible Girl – by Lydia Kang

Title: The Impossible Girl
Author: Lydia Kang
Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Paranormal
First published: September 18th 2018
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Finished reading: August 13th 2018
Pages: 364

“One always thinks one has forever, and that tomorrow will come to wipe away yesterday’s misfortunes and mistakes to start anew.”

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

I was intrigued by this title as soon as I saw that cover and read the blurb. I have a weak spot for historical fiction, and the promise of a 1850 setting combined with something a whole lot more sinister (grave robbing) and something fascinating (medical anomalies) sounded too good to be true. But this is exactly what The Impossible Girl delivers, and in a very solid way as well. Between the writing and descriptions it feels as if you were back in 1850 New York along with the main characters, and that is always a great sign of a well developed historical setting. But it is not the setting alone that catches the eye. The main spotlight is for the main character Cora, who is absolutely fascinating. Not only was she born with two hearts, she is also a female resurrectionist in an environment and time not kind to women. Both romance and the mystery of the suspicious deaths are well woven into a plot that will manage to keep your attention. There are also a few twists that will most likely manage to surprise you! It shows that Lydia Kang has medical knowledge, and it was interesting to learn a little more about the different medical anomalies. I also appreciated that while the romance was there, it wasn’t the main focus of the story and therefore didn’t disturb the balance of a very interesting plot. All in all a highly entertaining and slightly disturbing read… Perfect for fans of historical mystery reads with a hint of paranormal! Cora is a character you won’t forget soon.

Cora Lee has been born out of wedlock, daughter of a wealthy sociality and a Asian immigrant, but that is not the most notable thing about her. In 1850 New York, she is the only female resurrectionist and very good at her job at that. But that is not the only thing; she is also hiding a secret. Because the very same anatomists that pay her big sums of money for bodies with the strangest of anomalies would pay a fortune to get their hands on her very own body. Cora is the girl born with two hearts, a legend among grave robbers and in mortal danger if her secret ever comes out.

If you are looking for something different to read, don’t mind disturbing the dead and enjoy a well developed historical setting and a strong main character, The Impossible Girl is just the book for you. The perfect balance of a strong historical setting, a dose of creepy, a mystery, some violence and romance makes this story work like a charm. It was interesting to see the story and the characters evolve and I had a great time reading this one.