Cover Image: The Strange Adventures of H

The Strange Adventures of H

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"The plague seemed to encompass the city like a flood, impossible to stem. Unable to escape the rising tide, people's thoughts turned to how it had come about, what it signified, and who was to blame."

It's eery how familiar some parts of this story feel to what is happening right now in the world, I never thought I would be able to draw such a likeness to the times of the plague.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read, I think it is the best historical fiction book I have read in a long time. I really connected with the characters especially H and I wanted to go on her strange adventures with her.

Sarah Burton's writing really pulls you in from the beginning and it was a pleasure to read. The way the book was laid out into the three parts of H's life (H, Doll & Halycon) really encouraged engagement as we were introduced to new settings, characters, people to like and dislike. Needless to say from this debut novel I'm really excited to see what Sarah creates next.

Thank you to both Netgalley and Legend Press for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Thank you Legend Press and NetGalley for my e-ARC for review.

This book was a most descriptive tale of a young woman’s life in 1660’s London during the plague, bawdy house riots and other violence. It shows her amazing will to not only survive but find a way to live a life outside of the street. She was ingenious and brave. A really wonderful cast of characters and easy to follow storyline. Highly recommended read.

I just reviewed The Strange Adventures of H by Sarah Burton. #TheStrangeAdventuresofH #NetGalley

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I found this book very slow, with very little to differentiate it from others in the genre.

Characters were solid enough but not alive enough for me to invest much in,.

Scene setting was fine.

Overall I just couldn't get excited about reading this book, but it was good enough.

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Thanks to the publishers, and NetGalley, for providing me with a free eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I came across The Strange Adventures of H by Sarah Burton on NetGalley, and the first thing that stood out to me was the cover — it’s gorgeous! My black and white kindle really doesn’t do it justice. I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, so I looked at the description, and was intrigued. I enjoy a good historical fiction, so based on the description, I decided to give it a go. I would warn that this book deals with sexual assault, as well as prostitution, and it is very much an adult book. With the story of how I came to this book aside, let’s get right into my thoughts.

First off, the characters. I really fell for H, the narrator, and her sister, Evelyn. The other siblings in the novel were more minor characters, but H and Evelyn really shone. I also loved Aunt Madge, who the sisters go to stay with. The men of the novel were less likeable for me, though I have a soft spot for Godfrey, Joe, and Frederick. I thought the main characters were really well fleshed-out, and there was some great character development as well, particularly with the character of H. H’s — or Doll’s, as H is known for a large portion of the novel — were also great characters. A group of prostitutes, these girls come together as sisters to support one another, and bond over their shared experiences, with no questions asked about how one came to be in such a position. While I would have liked to hear more about the backgrounds of some of these women, I think it was right to not include it, and all I can say is I would read another story featuring almost any one of these other girls.

The writing style, as well, while quite simple, was something else I enjoyed. This was a very readable book, and I read it in three sittings, which is quite impressive for me as it’s not what I would call short. The simple style also seemed to make sense for the character of H, who came across as very pragmatic, and not prone to using flowery language. I also appreciated that the language used was very tailored to the setting, yet explanations were offered for slang words, or they were carefully used in a place that made their meaning clear. Having studied the Restoration period a little at University, I was already familiar with the great historical events the novel addresses, and I had to smile to see Nell Gwyn featured. Nell was a famous mistress of King Charles II, and I recommend you look her up if you’re interested in the period. Of course, the 1660s also features the plague, and the Great Fire of London, both of which occur during the course of the novel. It was interesting for me to read about these events from the perspective of someone living through them (although, of course, I know it’s only fiction) because I’ve only ever studied these events, which can sometimes lack that human perspective.

The description of the plague, in particular, was something that was scarily relevant to our current situation. While we’re hardly having to throw bodies into the street, some elements of the plague are still present: people locking themselves in their homes, being scared to go outside, and, very sadly, in some countries, there have also been mass graves, though perhaps not quite in the way depicted in The Strange Adventures of H.

I did have a couple of issues with this book, however. One is the pacing. I felt like the pacing started out really good, detailing H’s childhood, with the ominous presence of the future looming. However, around two thirds of the way through, it started to feel really rushed. This was the point where the opening scene was revisited. The return to this scene didn’t seem to be as important as I had assumed it would be, as I assumed it would be the climax, but no, the pacing dropped right back down again, and the book continued, only to speed up and rush to the ending. This stop and start kind of pacing made me feel as though this should perhaps have been split into separate books, rather than having what seemed to be more than one climax.

This brings us to my other issue with the book: the ending. I don’t think the choices made at the end made much sense, and there seemed to be far too many coincidences happening throughout the book. Everywhere H goes, she seems to bump into someone from her past, and while the book does actually acknowledge at one point the improbability of this, it still seemed a little too much to be believed. These chance encounters bring H to the ending of the book, which, as I said, I don’t buy into. Her actions seemed very out of character, and the emotions that were supposed to be present hadn’t been built up to, which made the ending seem hollow.

Overall, I would give The Strange Adventures of H 3.5 stars. I’d really recommend this book to fans of historical fiction, but as I said earlier, it’s certainly not a book for younger readers.

The Strange Adventures of H by Sarah Burton is published on May 1st.

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The Strange Adventures of H is a heartwrenching story that surprised and delighted me. Set in 1600's London, H is born into a poverty-stricken life, She is impacted by the plague, a terrible fire, and The Bawdy House Riots.

With all of these terrible events, I felt that the story still had a bit of an uplifting feel. H is quite positive, and I enjoyed her character's growth as the story progressed. She is a bounce-back kind of girl, and I enjoyed her attitude.

I would recommend this book to historical fiction readers that enjoy medieval time-frame stories.

I was provided an advanced reader's copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

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I didn't realise this entertaining novel about life in 17th Century London included the plague which seems reminiscent of our own times. H is born into a household of six sisters ruled by an overbearing minister father. When he dies H and Evelyn are sent to live with Aunt Madge who is kind and loving. Their fortunes change however when Madge leaves them in the care their cousin Roger and his unpleasant wife. This novel is by turning the page horrific and comedic and an extremly enjoyable read. My thanks to Sarah Burton, Legend Press and Netgalley for the ARC of this clever debut.

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this novel.

I loved this one! When H's father dies she and her older sisters are dispersed to the winds. Grace is cast off, pregnant and disgraced. Frances runs away to join the service. Evelyn stays with H, and they are shipped off to live with their Aunt Madge by their pious older sisters. Then, the real story begins. H is accosted and assaulted by her older cousin, then later turned out into the streets during the plague that ravaged London. Left to the only work an unmarried, disgraced girl can do in the 1600s, she survives on wit and her body.

H is empowering, and strong. Her character deals with internal battle of her profession and who she is personally, and along the way, makes friends that become her family. She learns who she truly is, and the difference between a good name and being truly good. The writing is involving and paced beautifully, and the characters are vivid and delightful. One of the best reads of the year so far!

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Even though I really liked this book I kept reading some other books in between. I think that all the things H went through seemed a bit too much as she faced desaster after desaster. Also there were some pages where all seemed a little dragged and it was difficult to focus, and so I wanted to relax my mind a bit. That's why it took me so long to finnish it.

The story is about H. A sweet girl who cares so much about her older sister, who was like a mother to her. After their father died they were sent to their aunt. There H meets her cousins, two hansome twins but very opposed to each other. From this point her life takes on a bad turn.
She is raped by one of the twins, the plague comes to London and takes her sister with it, she discovers that she's pregnant, she's thrown out in the street, survives the plague on her own mostly by stealing, she survives the fire, she becomes Doll - a prostitute, she loses both her baby twins at birth, etc.
After the death of Mother Cresswell and the fire that destroyed the bawdy house she becomes mistress Halcyon and fells in love with a beautiful boy, but still she has more obstacles to overcome.

In conclusion, I liked the book and the writing but it was way too long and everything that H went through was too much. At some point it annoyed me and I was constantly thinking what will be next, what is she going to face now.
And also keep in mind that she was 15-17 years old during these events!
Yes, those were terrible time to live in, but come on, too much is too much.
This felt like 3 books and not one book in 3 parts :)))

Also, if not for the ending with her marring Jasper and her confession of starting to love him (what!?? when did that happen???) I would have given 5 stars.

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This book had me in the first few pages with a hanging and The Strange Adventures of H only got better. This rollicking tale takes place place in 1660's England during the reign of Charles II. H, who is called H by her parents because they can't agree on a name, is one of six sisters to her father's chagrin and anger. A minister with no fatherly love for his brood, marries off his two older daughters to two mean and righteous men, runs off the next two into a hard world and dies of a heart attack. The youngest two, H and Evelyn, are packed off to an aunt in London. A mere young adolescent H then has a respite at her aunt's in London where she is treated lovingly and well.
This, however, would be a short and boring book indeed if it ended here and this is not a boring book. As I can't give everything away, H survives the Great Plague of London, The Great Fire of London (all very exciting), destitution, the stage and many other adventures with a surprising end. There was also murder and orphans thrown in for extra entertainment. As Godfrey was putty in Aunt Madge's hands I was a slave to this book to the end. Thankfully, the weather was stormy and the power was out so the interruptions were minimal. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for a review. Also to the author for an afternoon and evenings entertainment.

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Absolutely stunning novel that is atmospheric and authentic. The author, Ms. Burton did a great job immersing me in the 17th and 18th century London. I absolutely loved H and her resilience. The author did a fantastic job detailing the effects of the Great Fire and of course the Plague, which felt so timely right now during Coronavirus.

Thank you so much NetGalley for the chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.

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Thank you so much NetGalley, Legends Press and Sarah Burton for this e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.

This book was fantastic!! Let's start with the story structure: it is divided in three parts, as H's three major chapters of her life. Part one starts with the introduction of H as a child, her many sisters, and the loss of both parents, which leads to her and sister Evelyn being sent to her aunt who embraces both girls and allows them to learn and grow in a confortable and loving home. Unfortunately, one of aunt Madge's sons, Roger, is the complete opposite of his dear mother: a vile, misogynic, manipulative womanizer who takes advantage of H and leaves her sick and pregnant.
Part two starts after the Plague hits the streets of London in 1666 and kills an astronomical number of people, to include H's sister Evelyn. H has to fall back on her feet and so leaves aunt Madge's Cheapside house and decide to prostitue herself in order to survive. This lifestyle leads her to mature quickly and makes her love for money grow. Despite her love for money (even though H cannot be considered a greedy person), her kindness and empathy always prevails. Good people could see beyond the painted face, through her eye, that H, or Doll as she was called when a prostitute, has a good heart. This good heart put several amazing people on her path as well as villains. H was able to navigate through all her relationships with great elegance and wit, and I admire her for it.

I can say that H has joined my list of most favorite fictional characters, for her resilience, strength, intelligence, sensitivity made me get very attached to her and understand all the choices she has made.

I finish this novel last night and I can't stop thinking about it. Sarah Burton's writing is smart, daring, blunt, sexy, and honest. If you love historical fiction, debut novels, strong female protagonists, London settings, daring stories, or journeys, I cannot recommend this book to you strong enough.

If you read this book, do not hesitate to contact me privately to discuss it.

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This book is a pleasing read and I couldn’t be more satisfied with it. The experience of reading the story was entertaining and I couldn’t put it down once I started. The writing can be simple, but the plot is what grasped in.

This story follows a girl, named H, in the late 1700’s in London. The perspective of the story is basically her as an older woman talking to the reader. The story is split into important parts of her life. H talks about her early life, the life during and after the plague and the Great Fire of London. The book discusses the difficulties of being in the lower class and a single woman during those times. There are some topics that can be hard to read, such as sexual assault and suicide attempt, so a warning to other readers.

In all, this a fast paced historical fiction. I learned quite a bit of that era. The characters were very likable (well some...). I do recommend it to others who want to read about this time era. Thank you to Netgalley for the copy in exchange of an honest review.

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Atmospheric and intriguing, I loved every moment of it. The author has a rare talent that is brought to the forefront in this beauty of a novel. Recommended.

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Really enjoyed this book. Reading about the plague in London at this particular time really resounded how life has changed. Although I didn't particularly like the character H, I did want things to work out happily for her. Although slightly slow in parts I'm glad I had the chance to read this book and will actively look for this author again.

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The Strange Adventures of H is a compelling and well researched novel following the eponymous protagonist H, as her life spins wildly out of her control from a regular upbringing to the harsh and unforgiving streets of London. While at times the novel is sort of hard to believe and there are a lot of chance meetings and blasts from the past, I was entertained the entire time so I’m okay with a little creative license.

I also liked that there was a through line of friendship and found family throughout the novel. It was great to see the sense of connection and the genuine care between H and her companions and how they would do anything for each other, especially when other characters in the novel are far more mercenary. I think this is one of the novels greatest strengths, the characters that we get to know as if they are real and how genuine they are. I felt for H, for her aunt Madge, Janey, Godfrey and Frederick to name just a few!

I’ve read a considerable amount of novels set in similar time periods with similar storylines but what sets this one apart the sort of ending we are given. Usually with a ‘fallen from grace’ storyline, especially in this time period, there’s not a whole lot of hope or something positive to glean but I actually liked the fact that we get a quite uplifting ending where loose ends are tied up and H gets what she deserves. As dark as the story gets at times and it does get pretty grim, the latter half of the novel and ending makes up for it.

Overall, I quite enjoyed reading this book and while it’s more of a one time read, I would still really recommend it for fans of historical fiction and period writing which is entertaining at all times.

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4.75 stars

Why is NO ONE talking about The Strange Adventures of H? Not only is the cover absolutely STUNNING, but the story itself is just *lovingly stares into the distance* perfect. We follow H as she grows up into a strong woman who manages to navigate 17th century England. Not only is it timely as it covers the Plague of London 1666, but it also features revenge plots, family reunions, death, and more angst. All this has propelled Sarah Burton's novel to become my favorite historical fiction story ever.

Before continuing on, I must put a trigger warning for rape and suicide. They are quite prevalent in some areas of the novel.

The story is so wholesome. It made me laugh and cry. A great strength of the novel is the character-work. I genuinely loved Evelyn, Aunt Madge, Godfrey, Janey, Charlie and more. I also hated Sylvia, Roger, Diana and all the people that wronged H. A big theme that is explored is greed and how money affects people/relationships. I think Sarah Burton handles this theme extremely well. She thoroughly examines characters that value money over life in a way that is engaging as all these characters are like real people. I really admire how close you get to the characters. You know how they talk, how they make their decisions, and you can just picture them living alongside you. I love that.

The plot is separated into three segments. H struggles with her mental health and decides to take on plenty identities: first she goes as "H", then as "Doll", then as "Halcyon". All three areas of the plot were heavily investing as they examined different ways of life a woman could lead in 1666 London. Each section gives us a new villain, a new group of allies, and more tension. It keeps your attention all the way through!

There were only two scenes that keep me from giving The Strange Adventures of H a 5 star rating. In my opinion, the prologue is unnecessary. It doesn't really add to anything, and spoils one of the most epic moments in the book. The other scene is quite spoilery, so... (view spoiler on original review; linked below)

Overall, I NEED more people to be talking about this novel. It is truly amazing. If you are looking for a fast-paced, original historical fiction story, this book is for you.

Original review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3272678923

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(Thank you Netgalley and Legend Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review!)

The Strange Adventures of H by Sarah Burton pulled me right in. I had not heard of this author but when I looked her up, I saw that she is an established author of children's books as well as a professor. I figured this meant she could write well and tell a good story! Very true.
The main character, H, is a child when the book starts and grows up in London during the bubonic plague in 1665 and also the great fire a few years later. I did not realize that a terrible, flu plague was a large part of this book when I chose to read it in early April 2020 while staying home and watching the world struggle with the pandemic of Covid-19. But, when I got to the part where the plague was spreading across London, it was so interesting and creepily parallel to our current time that I just kept reading.
While it is a coming of age story and H is a child during much of the book, it is definitely an adult book. (TW for rape, child abuse, assault) H has to survive on the streets of London after the plague causes her to be separated from everyone she knows and loves. She becomes a prostitute. The relationships between the girls in the house, and between H and her patrons, were well done and I was reminded of Frog Music by Emma Donoghue, which is another excellent historical fiction novel centered around the street life of San Francisco in the 1870s. Neither book glorifies prostitution, but they also do not demonize it. They see the humanity in the people who are living their lives that way during those times.
H has mental strength and self-confidence, but she struggles with self-acceptance. A theme in the book is self-forgiveness as well.
The characters are great and the family drama is intriguing. Also - as I suspected, Sarah Burton can write! I felt like I was reading a diary written in the 1660s and I even looked up a few words (a cup of sack turned out to be a glass of wine!), yet the whole time it was flawless and fast-paced. I really felt the sadness and desperation of London being wiped out by the plague and the fire. I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it.

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*Many thanks to Sarah Burton, Legend Press and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
I found this debut novel by Ms Burton quite interesting and very much in the sentiment of the 17th and 18th centuries literary classics. The title, 'strange adventures of H', hiding the actual name of the female protagonist, feels like we are reading an actual memoir written by a woman who honestly describes her adventures and misfortunes, and eventually fortunes. H, the narrator, tell us about her childhood and her adolescence years, and what kind of life she led until she was rewarded in later years. Brought up far away from London, orphaned although with several elder sisters, H finds herself under the care of an aunt and considers herself both happy and lucky until she is seduced by a cousin and finds herself pregnant. She flees home and faces the 17th London reality.
I enjoy reading novels by Defoe, Richardson, Smollett or Fielding, so this novel was truly up my street. Two tragic events, the Great Fire of London and the Great Plague that struck in 1666 are depicted very well and with terrific care and thorough research on the side of Ms Burton. The characters are believable and so are their actions, and although the end of the novel was somehow predictble, it did not spoil the pelasure of reading.

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Set in the 1660s in London, the story follows the life of H following the death of her father. The Plague and the Great Fire impact on her life and she finds herself struggling to survive. It is her close circle of friends that provide the warmth and support to help her thrive.
The book started out at a great pace, with a strong sense of Restoration London. Unfortunately the pace slackened as the story progressed but it did pick up again towards the end. Most of the time, the story was a little too predictable and the ending was rather contrived. The characters were mostly likeable although I didn't particularly like H herself.
Overall it was a reasonably entertaining story.

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What an unexpected surprise this book was!
I have to say I did not see it coming when I requested to review this title. I fell for the cover and a story in London more than anything however the story catapulted itself to stratosphere after the first few chapters. T
he extraordinary plot twists, the story, the narration, the characters: I absolutely loved them!
I would not image living in London in 1660s. Our protagonist, born and raised in a poverty-stricken environment that lacks fortune encounters first the plague, then the Great Fire and as if that not enough, experienced first hand The Bawdy House Riots (Shrove Tuesday) within a 3-year period. The soul-crashing life she leads, how her adventures turn out create a most amazing story! My brain short-circuited after the first half; the surprises, twists and turns never end in her story. The misadventures continue within the style of “L’homme propose, le Dieu dispose,” (as Frenchie would say), God laughing at the plans she makes by creating obstacles every step of the way. A beautiful, creative piece of literature for fiction lovers and one of the greatest examples of historical fiction of the year.

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