The Procrastinators Book Club discussion

Welcome to the The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter Buddy Read Discussion thread! This thread officially opens on May 12th and anyone can join at any time. Please keep in mind that spoilers are allowed in this thread but only up to the group's current reading place. Do not spoil the book if you've read further than the group. Any extra days can be used to catch up!

Each day we will be reading by chapters or page numbers. Page numbers are an approximation based on the hardcover or paperback that is the default on Goodreads. The suggested Buddy Read discussion schedule is as follows:

Week of 05/12
May 12: Chapter 1-3
May 13: Chapter 4-6
May 14: Chapter 7-9
May 15: Chapter 10-12
May 16: Chapter 13-15
May 17: Chapter 16-18
May 18: Chapter 19-21

PARTICIPANTS
~ Brianna
~ Gaea

I totally forgot that this started today so I haven't picked it up yet. I will be picking it up before bed and will update starting tomorrow!

Chapters 1 - 3

(view spoiler)[So far I am definitely intrigued. I don't really remember what it is supposed to be about (I like being somewhat blind to the plot) but I remember it bringing in some of the famous characters together and so far there is Jekyll, Hyde, Watson, and Holmes. The random inputs from the characters that give the perspective that they are together writing this story and this is their side conversation in the present is pretty fun. It'll be interesting seeing who these other characters are - Justine & Catherine I think are the other two I've seen pop up. (hide spoiler)]

That's alright~ I kind of forgot too so I'm starting late myself haha.

Chapters 1-3

(view spoiler)[I can't really say I know what this book (or series) is supposed to be about, save that it involves the daughters of a number of famous fictional characters, so I guess we're both going into this pretty blind lol! I have to admit, I've never read a book written in this sort of style before. It's both interesting and kind of refreshing? At the very least, it gives me hope that these characters will be alive at the ending, even if said endings might not end up all that happy (but I'll hold out hope for that too anyway). I have to admit, I'm not entirely sure how I felt when reading about Holmes and Watson. It was intriguing but also a little awkward? But not in a bad way, I think? (Am I making any sense? xD) Mary is a rather enjoyable character to read about. I love how sensible and practical she is (or at least seems to be so far). Also, the thing with the murdered women? Considering this is set in the 1890s, I'm wondering if Jack Ripper might be making an appearance. (hide spoiler)]

Gaea wrote: "That's alright~ I kind of forgot too so I'm starting late myself haha.

Chapters 1-3

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I agree about Watson and Sherlock. They seemed almost... flat? Like these are characters that are really well known but there was no life to them - at least yet. I was thinking the same thing about Jack the Ripper as well! (hide spoiler)]

Chapters 4 - 6

(view spoiler)[I feel like how this is written - in relation to the Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde aspect is good for those who may not be familiar with the original story. It looks like one the characters giving side information - Beatrice - is about to be introduced so it will be interesting to see her place and her roots in all this! The letters in Latin seem to be a focal point so far so it will be interesting to see just how important they truly are. (hide spoiler)]

Chapters 4-6

(view spoiler)[True! In which case it's very useful for those who aren't familiar with them. Point in fact: I dont know the story of Dr Rappaccini so Beatrice should be extra interesting for me~ Gotta admit, Diana kind of annoys me. She's not a bad character; I'm just not a fan of that sort of personality.

Also, is it just me or does it feel fairly easy to read this? I can't decide if it's the writing style or the story itself.

Annnd it might not happen but I wouldn't be surprised if Mary Jekyll one day becomes Mary Watson. Not that there seems to be anything going on (yet?) and it was just that one comment From Diana but... One can speculate, right? especially if one considers the fact that all Dr Watsons are married to a Mary >u> (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[I am in the same boat in regards to Beatrice. They also keep mentioning Moreau which the name sounds super familiar but I am not sure from where.
Diana is definitely a character - I don't dislike her per say but she is annoying. I'm wondering (and hoping) we will see some growth for her.
That is SUCH a good point about Mary and Watson - I didn't remember that his wife is always named Mary.
I know this is a series as well so it will be interesting to see how far into the story this goes. (hide spoiler)]

Chapters 7 - 9
(view spoiler)[Not much new things have happened. There is definitely intrigue and am still curious about what will happen with Watson and Mary. There seems to be the potential of new characters being introduced now that we've learned more about the society - maybe the names we don't know much about yet? (hide spoiler)]

Chapters 10 - 12
Instead of writing my thoughts after finishing the set of chapters - I wrote this as I read them.
(view spoiler)[We will finally see how Catherine is brought into the story! I think she is the primary one writing the story thus far.
As well, I find it interesting that in just a couple of days Mary is able to find specific traits to describe Diana by - like her appetite.
How is Catherine a cat woman?! So it was a costume but what (if anything) was done to her by her dad?
Oh crap! Justine is the female made by Frankenstein! Did NOT see that coming.
I'm still not sure what is special about Catherine but I feel like her and Diana are similar in personality but also very opposite.
I liked the random bit about women's clothes because it's true! It is far easier to move around in men's clothes - at least at that time - and less to slow them down/to keep in mind when going about your day.
Hearing Catherine's story makes me want to read Moreau's story - I just don't remember which book/classic he comes from. As well - it seems interesting that Holmes seems to be taking a liking for Diana now as well. I'm curious to see what will come of the little tidbit about where 4 of the victims were once inmates - the same place as Diana right? (hide spoiler)]

Chapters 13 - 15
(view spoiler)[Oh snap! things are really happening! Alice is back! I was wondering because she was mentioned in their side conversations but I wasn't sure if it was the original Alice from the beginning. Also - Adam Frankenstein! Not quite what I expected but also not surprised now that it has happened. lol
I'm curious to see about this Hyde/Jekyll thing - if Jekyll killed himself, how is Hyde still around? It'll be interesting to see how that plays out. (hide spoiler)]

I had a bit of a rough weekend so I'm a little behind... But I just finished chapter 12~

(view spoiler)[With all these familiar names popping up at this rate, I feel like I'm playing a game of "Spot That Famous Character" haha~ It's pretty interesting to see how the author managed to weave these stories together.

I didn't see the thing about Justine coming either! So wait, does that mean she was the original Frankenstein monster? Not that male one like in the original story? I do love that for all the inherent horror behind her creation, Justine seems like such a gentle, soft-hearted kind of person. Who, you know, accidentally forgets her own strength sometimes when it comes to defending others. XD

Yes, the bit about the women's clothes was so true and also nice to read. Plus, it's the 1890s and around this time the movements for women's rights was really picking up, so these young women discovering the simple joys of wearing men's clothing just feels right~

I've heard of Moreau's story before (I think it's called "The Island of Dr Moreau"?) but what little I know of it made me feel to squeamish to consider actually reading it (or watching the movie adaptation).

Urgh. Is it bad of me for kind of wanting Mary to end up with Holmes and not Watson? XD Though honestly I'd also be happy if she ended up with neither LOL.

I also feel a little sorry for Mary right now - she only wanted to find a way to earn money to support herself and Mrs Poole (who is such a great character, by the way), only to find herself with a previously unknown sister and then the whole thing with women being murdered and experimented on, and now she's basically collecting said living experiments and while it's all helpful and I'm getting some lovely "found family" vibes already, Mary is struggling to stay afloat in a situation she never expected. Sensibility aside, the poor thing must feel like the odd one out. Like, literally. As far as we're aware, she's never been experimented on (like most of their group) or born from an experiment (like Diana). She's also had the most normal upbringing. I wonder if that overall difference compared to the horrible lives of the others will play a role at all...

(I'm also a little curious about the monster comment. One of them said that they were all monsters, even Mary. I kind of hope that wasn't just said in the general term of "anyone can be a monster", etc.) (hide spoiler)]

Chapters 16 - 18
read this section after getting my 2nd covid shot so don't have many thoughts lol
(view spoiler)[It seems like almost everything is wrapped up neatly so it will be interesting what else can happen in the last 25% of this. (hide spoiler)]

Gaea wrote: "I had a bit of a rough weekend so I'm a little behind... But I just finished chapter 12~

With all these familiar names popping up at this rate, I feel like I'm playing a game of "Spot That Famous ..."

(view spoiler)[I can see the Holmes thing over Watson and wouldn't be upset by it. I agree about Mary though - what started off as a simple this is what I need to do to survive - it has become far more interesting. It will be interesting if there were any experiments done on her and what the affect was with that comment about monsters. (hide spoiler)]

Up to Chapter 18~

(view spoiler)[Seeing as Mary said no one ever got to see Jekyll's body when he apparently died, I think it's always hinted at his possible survival. Only the butler and that lawyer saw the "body", right? Who's to say they didn't just pretend Jekyll died? Maybe they found Hyde and thought he was dead and got rid of the body, only for Hyde to escape later? Or maybe they even knew he wasn't dead all along? I wonder if that will get answered later...

The thing with Adam was interesting and rather logical - if Justine managed to survive, then why wouldn't have the original creation? I hope he really is dead now (though considering we've still got a bit to go before the ending, I wouldn't be surprised if he made a sudden comeback).

I will say though that the fight scene was kind of "eh" for me. It felt a bit dragged out and I couldn't help but get the feeling that there was a lot of standing around and watching by other characters whenever two or more characters started fighting.

I'm so curious as to what Hyde thinks of Mary! Like, does he even consider her as his daughter? And if he does, why did he cheat on Ernestine? He obviously cared about Mrs Jekyll to some extent if he made the effort to see her before she died. (Also, totally knew it was him at the window! Though if that's what drove Ernestine over the edge then... No wonder Mary has such mixed feelings about him.)

Also at this point I am realllyyy disliking Diana. Her brash and self-important attitude is just inexcusable, especially the way she treats Mary. Sure, maybe Mary should have taken the chance to ask Hyde about where he's been all these years - but it was hardly the right time, and besides, it's Mary's right to decide not to ask those questions, not Diana's. Diana acts like her own opinion is the only right opinion; seriously, she gets angry with Mary just because Mary thinks of Jekyll and Hyde as two separate people, while Diana thinks they're basically one and the same. It shouldn't be about who is right! It's like Diana is just incapable of accepting other people having different opinions from her. It probably won't happen but I can't help but want to wait for someone to snap at Diana's selfishness. Diana complains about being treated like a child, yet she chooses to behave like one anyway, and a spoiled one at that. I wish Mary wouldn't be so passive towards her, even if she is the adult between the two of them.

Urgh, sorry for the mini rant. She just annoys me so much. Honestly at this point I really wouldn't care what happened to her, I have that little attachment to her as a character. (hide spoiler)]

Finished!

(view spoiler)[Well, apparently I hyped myself up for a sudden conflict-ridden conclusion that never came haha. While it was nice to see the young women take their first steps into their new lives together, it did feel a bit drawn out. Or maybe that's because I'm so used to something fairly dramatic happening in the last 25% of a novel.

And we were given more hints of a possible Sherlock and Mary relationship! At this rate I'm going to end up being disappointed if it never happens. (I also wanted to reach into the book, grab Catherine and demand all the details when she said "Haven't you noticed how he is around Mary?". Like, please. I. Need. Details.)

I've been waiting for a Van Helsing character to turn up ever since the letter from Abraham Van Helsing was found. We already had Renfield who, if I remember correctly, was from the Dracula storyline (I could be wrong though...?). Plus I've been dying to see how the author will translate the Dracula story into something that fits into this world. I'm remembering Dracula to be more of a natural mythical monster story, and not something created by science, so I'm verryyy interested to see what happens in the sequel. (hide spoiler)]

I think I'm giving this 4 stars, maybe a 3.75 if I'm being a little more critical. Overall it was a fun and interesting read, just not the absolute best.

Chapter 19 - End

(view spoiler)[I liked the name of Athena Club - "We do not claim the wisdom of Athena, but we identify with her dubious parentage."
Catherine makes a good point about the age thing- I wonder if she will go with the aging of a puma or as a human.
Of course Hyde escaped. lol But Diana may have helped? Ugh.
So now they are alluding to Watson and Beatrice so I wonder what's happening with Holmes and Mary. They have already shown that what is written isn't always correct (i.e. Frankenstein's story) so maybe Watson/Mary is one of those?
Interesting concept to leave open for the sequel! (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[It is hard to say about Adam - I don't recall them saying that his body was located after the fire at the docks so who knows! He could still pop up again.

The fight scene was definitely dragged out and a bit lackluster - more conversation than actual intensity/intrigue.

Diana is the primary thing that affects how I want to rate this book. Without her, it would easily be a 4 - 4.5, but with her it's more of a 3.5 - 4. She is so rude and while that is a valid personality trait and she is young, it would be nice to see some growth, but we don't really get that at all.

The last 25% was a bit flat. I feel like the wrap up (so to speak) could have been shorter. It is nice to see some of the other characters mentioned (like Van Helsing) pop up again to further the story so it does make me want to read the next installment. I actually haven't read or watched Dracula so I'm not sure about Renfield. (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[Yeah, I pretty much agree with everything you said. (And I'm actually kind of glad that Diana got on your nerves too - I was worried I was being nitpicky haha)

I did like the reasoning behind them choosing the name "Athena" too! It was a much better reason than the standard "wisdom" etc meaning lol

It felt like this book was one long setup for the series, which didn't really bother me as it's already a trilogy so some setup should be expected. I just hope that means the second book is a little more action packed along with more world building.

I'm also really curious to see if there are going to be other classic stories included besides just Dracula. Like, say... The aquatic man?

Do you have plans to read the sequel? (hide spoiler)]

Gaea wrote: "Yeah, I pretty much agree with everything you said. (And I'm actually kind of glad that Diana got on your nerves too - I was worried I was being nitpicky haha)

I did like the reasoning behind the..."

Depending on how easy it is to get the sequel from my library I probably will pick up the next one but not for a month or two - have too many other books coming in from being on hold. lol

Brianna wrote: "Gaea wrote: "Yeah, I pretty much agree with everything you said. (And I'm actually kind of glad that Diana got on your nerves too - I was worried I was being nitpicky haha)

I did like the reasoni..."
Yeah, I've got a bunch of other books I've been meaning to get to as well haha. But hey, maybe we could buddy read the sequel when we get round to it? This has been fun ^u^

Gaea wrote: "Brianna wrote: "Gaea wrote: "Yeah, I pretty much agree with everything you said. (And I'm actually kind of glad that Diana got on your nerves too - I was worried I was being nitpicky haha)

I did ..."

I would definitely be down! Maybe aim for July?

Brianna wrote: "Gaea wrote: "Brianna wrote: "Gaea wrote: "Yeah, I pretty much agree with everything you said. (And I'm actually kind of glad that Diana got on your nerves too - I was worried I was being nitpicky h..."

July would be great! :D

Gaea wrote: "Brianna wrote: "Gaea wrote: "Brianna wrote: "Gaea wrote: "Yeah, I pretty much agree with everything you said. (And I'm actually kind of glad that Diana got on your nerves too - I was worried I was ..."

perfect! My library doesn't have it, but Scribd does so I won't be restricted by time frame so as it gets closer we can look at how we want to schedule/plan it out!

Brianna wrote: "Gaea wrote: "Brianna wrote: "Gaea wrote: "Brianna wrote: "Gaea wrote: "Yeah, I pretty much agree with everything you said. (And I'm actually kind of glad that Diana got on your nerves too - I was w..."

Sounds like a plan to me~