***Spoilers alert!***

Mid-1800s New York - Oddities - Female resurrectionist.

If these pique your interest, then The Impossible Girl is a must read. It will not disappoint!

Cora Lee, the illegitimate child of a wealthy socialite, is born with two hearts and this makes her a fascinating study subject for both scientists and doctors. Hence, her aunt Charlotte raises her as a boy with the name Jacob. Twenty years later, Cora now works as a female resurrectionist, procuring bodies with peculiar anomalies for museums and medical schools. However, when rumour of the girl born with two hearts resurfaces and her potential "clients" begin to die before their time, Cora suspects someone is burking and has offered a lucrative reward for finding her. Her life is imminent danger and she must find the killer or she may ends up as another specimen behind the glass display.

First of all, look at that beautiful cover! Purple is my favourite colour and so naturally this book caught my attention. Yes, I judge a book by its cover. The illustration is pretty and eye-catching! Kudos to the book cover designer!

The premise of the story is oh so distinctive! The subject of resurrectionists in 1800s is interesting and how much more when it's about a female resurrectionist? Since the setting of the story is around mid-1800s, which was around the time of PT Barnum where oddities were both a fascination and abomination to the society, there were brief mentions of Barnum, Afong Moy, & Jenny Lind, and also Dr. Mutter. Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell not only made an appearance in this story, but she was one of the characters in this book. I really loved how Kang blend historical characters with her fictional characters in this story which was cleverly done.

Unique murder mystery with consistent and focused plot. I don't see any plot holes in this story and this made me one happy reader! It was a page-turner right from the beginning. Suspenseful with good story build-up. Kang is a medical doctor herself and she puts that knowledge into her writing which was evidenced in the details of dissection, anatomy, and so forth. Be prepared to read some gory, gross and unappetizing details. It is certainly a well-written book.

Cora is a character that captures my heart. She is strong, sassy, smart but deep down, she is just an ordinary girl who is trying hard to stay alive and not ended up as a specimen. Flint as her love interest in the story is endearing too. Yes, there is a little romance in this story but just enough to give more depth and personalities to the characters. Other supporting characters, especially Dr. Blackwell is likeable. I think the characters in this story are well-developed. They are delineated slowly and indirectly throughout the book which helps readers to connect with the characters in a deeper sense. Victims were given voices too. There were very short chapters (sort of like ephemera) about the victims, expressing their thoughts, feelings and emotions in their dying moments. I find this intriguing!

This is certainly a well-researched book - from the medical details to historical aspects. I learnt a new word - burking! It was coined from the Burke and Hare murders .

I enjoyed this historical fiction immensely! The blend of fact and fiction were both educational and entertaining. A book that motivates me to research more and do some further reading is definitely a keeper. Distinctive and intriguing plot with the perfect balance of plot and characters made The Impossible Girl an impossible book to put down.

***I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All views expressed in this review are my own and was not influenced by the author, publisher or any third party.***

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.

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.

I really enjoyed A Beautiful Poison and couldn't wait to start The Impossible Girl. Kang is wonderful at drawing out a good mystery and her bits of medical knowledge always add an element of interest. The setting and timeline of this story was great - I never knew about the resurectionists of this time period. I'd heard of the drama around Barnum's museum but wasn't aware there were more like it in the same city at the same time. I liked all of the characters in the book as well. I only wish more were fleshed out. There were a couple of big moments in the book, between characters, that seemed glossed over. It took me out of the story more than once. Even though this wasn't my favorite, I will still look forward to Kang's books. I'm still a fan.

At first I thought this book might be some sort of fan fiction - Impossible Girl and a person with two hearts, as a Doctor Who fan would think - as I’ve never read anything by Lydia Kang. All that has changed now, though. The Impossible Girl is a story about a medical improbability. Cora/Jacob is a girl who supposedly has two hearts. A medical anomaly that must be hidden at all cost to save Cora’s life.

Set in the 1800s when grave robbing was a real and lucrative profession, Cora has been raised knowing there would be a price on her head if anyone knew the truth about her. The novel begins at Cora’s birth and let’s us on that Cora will be raised as Jacob for as long as possible. We pick up later in the story when Cora and Jacob are now “siblings” in Manhattan.

I was mesmerized by this book. Lydia Kang has a real gift for scooping up your attention and holding it captive. Being a practicing doctor, there is an element of realism to all the gory and gooey details of grave robbing and 19th century medicine. You can definitely tell that she’s done her homework. While a bit crazy to think that Cora can get away with pretending to be a man of slight stature, I never had a doubt that Jacob was able to pull it off.

There were twists that were unexpected as well. A little bit of romance and a lot of terror for Cora. Good people going bad and bad people who were still unsavory but not villains. The details of the gritty, grimy world versus the upper echelon of Manhattan at this time were vivid. A patois known as “flash” is used quite liberally in the book, with translations. This apparently was the language of the criminals back in the day. It’s much easier to believe that Jacob is one of the crowd because of his ability to speak this dialect of the corrupt.

The Impossible Girl is a fun and fascinating read that I would strongly recommend. Having enjoyed this book so much, I intend to add all Kang’s books (including the YA novels) to my “want to read” list.

I was surprised by this book. I tend to stay away from historical fiction as it's not my cup of tea, but this book has a premise that after reading the synopsis I couldn't resist.
It's very easy to read and it offers a captivating story. I enjoyed how well the characters were written, and I especially enjoyed the story. The book gave me the impression that it was well-researched and planned to the smallest of details, as everything was coming together plot-wise. I do have a bit of an issue with the writing: the pacing made a huge turn mid book, and I feel like there were some paragraphs that weren't crucial to the story, and they took away from my overall impression of it. But I do believe that fans of historical fiction will enjoy this book.

I’m a huge fan of historical mysteries, especially one’s involving the early days of anatomy and the grave robbing that accompanied it, so it’s no surprise I enjoyed this one. While I thought Cora was smart and feisty and I really enjoyed seeing her show up the boys some of her choices and decisions didn’t quite fit with the how I thought Kang had set up her personality and seemed out of character or excessively aggressive for that time period. Flint was an interesting addition to the cast of characters but I never really felt like I understood him. I’m still a little confused about some of his plot in the story. I have mixed feelings about the rest of the characters, some I loved and wanted more of and some I was glad to see go! No one really seemed to be who they first appeared to be and I enjoyed those twists through out the book, I love it when characters surprise me.

I really enjoyed the details from the anatomists and Cora about the cases she brought in but I really wanted more of the medical side of the story than I ended up getting. The cases and decedents all sounded so interesting. I had hoped the story would follow them past the grave but it didn’t really. I did enjoy the small chapters from the decedent’s point of view, it helped break up the story and allowed me to connect more with those characters, it also added a slightly spooky aspect to the story which I thought helped the plot.

The ending packed a lot into a short period of time and while I thought Cora’s solution was incredibly creepy I feel like ending was a whirlwind that left me saying “what just happened”.

Fantastic read. Very cool Victorian storyline about a girl moonlighting as a body snatcher for cash under the guise of being her "brother" while things begin to get serious when those who desire unique bodies start believing a double hearted girl lives. There's so much more to this book, but you really need to read it yourself and find out the hard way like I did! Utterly loved this book.

"A heart doesn't have to stop beating to be dead." (Unknown)

Lydia Kang invites us into a small, ramshackled house on Long Island. It's January of 1830 and the frigid winter winds almost forecast the future existence of the tiny child born this day. Her mother is of the high societal name of Cutter.........cast out by her own family in shame. Her father is unknown. But rumors avail themselves to perhaps an Asian man working on the docks. The time period's ill-fated child will present herself with dual cultures and something that will transcend all cultures.........born with dual hearts.

September of 1850 finds this strange child grown into a young woman living in New York City. The unsuspecting brownstone in which she resides provides a refuge for Cora and her maid, Leah, who keeps a watchful eye on her. 1850 is a time of a wide-spreading cholera epidemic in the city in which anatomy professors and anatomical museums will pay a mighty price for specimens. Prevention of these diseases is at the core of dead body procurement. However, what brings in a higher bounty are those bodies that bear anatomical abnormalities. Those bodies usually are earmarked for the Grand Anatomical Museum and are in high demand.

Time, place, and circumstance present themselves ideally for a new line of work for Cora as a resurrectionist. Since it is highly unusual for a woman to be successful in that most dastardly of professions, Cora dresses in the costume of a male at night ........her "twin brother" now known as Jacob. Once again, duality is front row and center in this novel. But Cora becomes suspicious when these newly procured bodies seem to have been victims of murder instead. Will the highly guarded secret of her unusual internal organs place her in dire straights as well?

Lydia Kang is known for her creative and high interest storylines. I would suggest that you check out Beauitful Poison by this author as well. Her Author's Notes at the end of the novel are filled with tidbits of actual historical situations dealing with resurrectionists of the time period. As always, Kang has done her homework and it's apparent in the presentation of The Impossible Girl. She even includes Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, first woman physician, in a particularly interesting thread. The Impossible Girl may just open the door on a future story involving the most unusual Cora Cutter. Hope you're hearing that loud and clear, Lydia Kang.

I received a copy of The Impossible Girl through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Lake Union Publishers and to the talented Lydia Kang for the opportunity.

I am very happy I was able to read this book. At first, it was a little tricky for me to get into, but it quickly picks up and is a feisty, dark adventure that places you in the period and challenges the roles women played during that era. It is intriguing for those interested in the macabre, and want to see a strong, intelligent female character defy the odds and run her (morbid) business on her own terms, all while carefully guarding the secret of her unique anatomy that if let out, could place her on the dangerous receiving end of a hunt.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, I have tried reading this book on 2 separate occasions and during this 2nd attempt, I have only managed to make it halfway through so I'd rather stop here and state that this book just wasn't for me.
I wish the author, publisher, and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

I really enjoyed reading his book. It's set in Victorian America at about the same time as the greatest showman, so it was fun to read about a couple of references to the same era. I was a bit unsure about the book when reading the first chapter, but I'm really glad I carried on reading, as it drew me in, and I really couldn't wait to finish it off - I kept sneaking off for some quiet time so I could keep reading. Definitely recommended.

This book wasn't what I expected but I did enjoy it.

I thought it would be a sweet historical romance/women's fiction book. Instead, it's a historical thriller/mystery. I found myself intensely disliking Cora Lee and I didn't find her terribly sympathetic. But, Kang is a gifted writer and I found myself wondering about the ending, which did surprise me.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was not one of my favorites. The cover of the book first caught my eye, but I just never got into the story. I really thought I would enjoy it. Cora has two hearts, but knows she needs to keep it a secret due to being a medical mystery. She seeks out others with abnormalities and sells their bodies after they die to the medical schools and freak shows. So pretty much she is a grave robber. Eventually a $500 reward is posted for anyone who can find the girl with two hearts.

The book would have been two stars but from the moment Cora learned the truth about Leah, I really enjoyed the book. Unfortunately this was pretty much towards the end. The biggest question is how did so many people not realize Jacob and Cora were the same person!!!???? Flint was able to figure it out and he just met Cora/Jacob. I never suspected who was behind the killing of all the people on Cora's list. That did take me by surprise, along with Leah's part in everything.

I do recommend the book. It just wasn't the right fit for me and someone else might love it. I didn't hate the book but it also wasn't one I couldn't put down and had to keep reading.

Thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and the author, Lydia Kang, for a free electronic ARC of this novel.

Cora Lee is one of the top resurrectionists in New York. Anatomists are desperate for cadavers and are willing to pay a pretty penny for the newly dead. Living a double life, she scouts her latest specimens as Cora by day and digs their bodies up by night as her identical twin brother, Jacob. There’s more to her profitable job than just money. Cora has a secret: she was born with two hearts. She wants to make sure that her finger is on the latest gossip among the resurrectionists so that she knows when they’re looking for her. Sadly, that time has come. Someone is murdering people with medical anomalies and Cora’s now a wanted woman.

This is my second book from Lydia Kang and she is absolutely brilliant. One of the things that I liked about “A Beautiful Poison” is that it’s well researched, and “The Impossible Girl” is no different. It’s clear that Kang did a lot of research into the era and the history of resurrectionists, or grave robbers, early on. It really set the tone and helped me feel like I was right beside Cora as the story unfolded. There’s even an extra bit of info about the era and the inspiration behind the story at the end of the book, which I love.

The story and its characters are extremely compelling, which left me wishing that I could binge it every time I had to put the book down. Cora is such a complex character who is fun to follow. Born with two hearts, she was raised as Jacob until her caretakers decided it was time for her family to believe he died. Once they made the move, she took on a new life as a resurrectionist until she made enough money to retire, move, and start over. Living a double life, Cora is able to move through society as a man and a woman. I thought it was interesting that Cora preferred to live as Jacob, but I understood her reasons. As a woman, she’s expected to be light of heart, not have complex interests, and eventually settle down. As a man, she can express herself however she wants, is free to have complex interests, and freely move through town until there’s a price on her head. In the mid-1800s, I don’t blame her for preferring to move among society as Jacob.

There are many fascinating characters throughout the story. Dr. Blackwell is a character that I wish we saw more of because she’s a doctor in this era, which is frowned upon. I love how her relationship with Cora unfolds and how she eventually became immersed in her predicament. Cora’s cousin, Suzette Cutter, surprised me once we got to know her. Cora’s team of resurrectionists are a fun bunch who truly care for her as much as she cares for them. Then there’s Cora’s self-made family, Charlotte, Leah, and Alexander, who seemingly love her both too much and not enough in their own ways. There isn’t a single character that doesn’t leave an impression.

I cannot praise this book enough. It has fascinating characters, a compelling mystery, and an overall wonderful story that has left me a big fan. I’m a mystery buff and I love the way that Kang writes her mysteries. She stunned me with a major reveal yet again! I called some things and figured out some plot elements before they were fully revealed, but I definitely did not see the big twist coming. One of my favorite things to do is reread a story that left me blindsided, so I’m excited to reread this in the future.

I really wanted to like this book because of the blurb, but it wasn't for me. Nothing was wrong with it - the storyline is intriguing, the characters well drawn and engaging, but I had a difficult time following all the points of view, esp. when some of the characters only appeared once.

I as so excited when I received an ARC of this book. I loved A Beautiful Poison and this one didn't disappoint either. I love how stubborn and strong Cora is. Even the villains were likable. LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!

Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC.

I'm always on the lookout for some macabre historical fiction and when offered the chance to review this book, my expectations reached the gothic spires.
I wasn't disappointed.

Come, let's enter the morbid world of graverobbers.

It's 1850 and the New York resurrectionists are digging up freshly buried bodies to sell to the medical schools. The ones with the most fascinating anomalies fetch the best price, so there's quite an industry in following the sick and departed. Doctors are lending a helping hand. There is also a list with parts most wanted by the anatomical museum.
The robbers have their work cut out for them.

Our main character, Cora, carries a secret that might destroy her. In order to survive she leads a double life as Jacob, resurrectionist. She's a fierce lady by day and a tough guy on the nightly digs.
That is, until rumors start spreading about a girl with two hearts, with a bounty of $500 quickly becoming the most sought after person in town.
Cora has to get hold of her childhood doctor's diaries, to stop the rumors and prevent her life from being ripped apart. The race is on.
The story continues at great pace with quite a few surprises keeping the excitement going. Eventually there's a well crafted twist leading up to a wonderful finale.

The book is filled with indepth characters, the good, the bad and the ugly. Vivid writing of lush mansions, dirty alleyways and earthy graveyards throughout.
I thorougly enjoyed the chapters where the dead have their say. The anomalies are just too delicious and, despite their sad tidings, had me laugh out loud.

The Impossible Girl is an amazing read, fast paced and entertaining from the start. Highly recommended.

The Impossible Girl follows Cora, a girl born with two hearts, as she navigates her life with a target on her back. As a resurrectionist (grave robber!), she has one foot in the door with the medical community, but must always be looking over her shoulder, living cautiously, as her very existence (deemed impossible by her two hearts) is in danger. Cora is valuable alive, but she might be more valuable dead.

This novel is a wonderful balance of plot and character development; Kang's characters are flawed, but not overly so, and the plot was paced perfectly. I was so completely engrossed in this novel while I read it that I often found myself reacting verbally to the events and the characters choices. Cora is a strong woman, and progressive for this time period, claiming her body is her own and she can and will do with it what SHE chooses to do. It's a message women can relate to even now, though doubtful are at risk of being killed because of a medical anomaly, and will have readers cheering on Cora and her independent spirit. She's surrounded by a cast of characters who are likable and hateful in their own respects. These characters will not only come off the page and surprise you, but they will stay with you after you have turned the final page of this book.

Though many people may pick this book up purely for the beautiful cover, they will find themselves completely drawn in by the story Kang tells. This novel fits the description of "genre bending" - historical fiction, mystery, thriller, and even science fiction fans will enjoy this novel because it has a little bit of all of those elements. I've never read anything that had the genre-diversity that this novel did.

The Impossible Girl was a unique mystery novel. I had not read much before about resurrectionists (graverobbers). It was a fascinating subject in itself, before the added novelty of a female resurrectionist and her own medical anomaly. Cora and her band of merry morbid robbers were definitely a new kind of protagonist. She was strong enough for a man but made to be a woman. The novel's mystery is based on the seemingly widespread practice of robbing graves to steal bodies with unique medical diagnoses to sell as medical research subjects. Potter's Field was fine for run-of-the-mill bodies, but to get rare cadavers, robbing graves was the answer, apparently. Cora got into the profession because she, herself had a condition that would make her body sought after by nefarious anatomists who were not content to wait for subjects to die in their own time. By being in the profession, she had a good basis for learning if anyone had knowledge of her having two hearts and if anyone was after her immediately. Of course, there is all sorts of double crossing and family drama to sweeten to pot.

The Impossible Girl was at once old-fashioned and very modern in a way that blends very well. The cover was to-die-for gorgeous! I couldn't put the book down until I knew what was going to happen. There was enough romance and humor to balance out the dark subject matter. There was enough realistic history to make me want to go read more about this subject and time period. Well done all around.

Thank you to Lydia Kang, Lake Union Press and NetGalley for my advance ecopy of The Impossible Girl in exchange for an honest review. I will be adding Lydia Kang to my list of go-to-authors immediately.

I found this book to be an enjoyable, suspenseful read. I ended up reading it in less than a day.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own