What a fabulous book!! If this is the authors first adult fiction then I pray it isn’t her last; after all we don’t know how a certain two characters came to own a pub! (Trying to prevent spoilers!)
H is such a likeable heroine and I really was cheering her on from the sidelines throughout. The entire cast of characters were so full of life, of personality and opinions that for most you could find a redeeming feature. I like this as in reality I don’t believe that people are intrinsically evil. Roger though? The Jury is still out ;-)
The historical detail was very good and I like the fact that the author used the historic events as a back drop to H’s story but didn’t let them over power the narrative. This could so easily have turned into a ‘plague novel’ or ‘great fire novel’ but it remained firmly about H and her adventures. I did think the novel incredibly timely as I read it during the lockdown because of the Covid 19 pandemic. Many of the things H experienced or heard during the plague summer were things that I have seen or heard this spring.
I will be watching and waiting for Sarah Burton’s next novel, whether it be linked to these characters or something new entirely!

The Strange Adventures of H is a historical fiction novel following our main character H, from her childhood to adulthood, as she survives personal struggles and the reality of surviving in 17th century London.

I really liked the start of this book. It’s split into three parts, and the first one had me hooked. The prologue was gripping and had me wanting more, but the other two parts failed to keep me invested. I liked H as a main lead. Her growth from a naive ingenue to a streetwise woman was believable, and her narrative was the strongest part, and seeing her experience the plague, Fire of London, and so many other events during that time was fascinating. I also enjoyed seeing how women had to survive in that time, from the acts they were forced to do or the sacrifices they made in order to live.

The writing I was mixed about because I loved the attention to detail and the easy flow. It was atmospheric and painted a very vivid world of London, from the grime and You can get through it pretty quickly. However, what I didn’t like was how fast paced the story was. Things happened so quickly, and we just move on before we had time to process, so it was hard to stay engaged at times.

Another negative was there was too much story. The page count is meant to be 272 pages, and the only way this would make sense if the print was tiny. So much happened, and it could’ve benefited from certain scenes being focused on, because the whole story felt rushed, and at times went very absurd in some of the plot beats used.

Overall, I still enjoyed it, and would recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction. It could’ve benefited from better pacing, but it’s still a fun read.

Warning: very slight spoilers included in review.

The Strange Adventures of H is Sarah Burton’s debut novel for adults. Set in the mid 17th-century, the story is told by H, an orphan sent to live with her doting aunt in London. H’s life in London is happy until uncontrollable events take her away from the people she loves and the safety they provide. Friendless and destitute in a city ravaged by plague, H determines to do what she must to gain back the life she has lost. The story itself is separated into three segments, each named after a different identity adopted by H to help her cope at different times in her life. In ‘H’, H recounts the events that bring her to London and see her left penniless and alone. In ‘Doll’, a new H emerges, resolute and unfeeling, hardened to the realities of life on the streets. Finally, in ‘Halcyon’, H struggles against her conflicting identities; between her desire for revenge against those who have wronged her and her need for freedom and a fresh start. It’s definitely a rollercoaster of a novel, full to bursting with historical detail, plot twists, misadventures, tongue-in-cheek humour and unlikely friendships. While I’ve always endeavoured to kept my reviews spoiler-free, I feel it necessary at this point to forewarn any prospective readers that The Strange Adventures of H also contains very sexually explicit content and some distressing scenes of rape, suicide, child abuse and violence. This book will not be to everyone’s taste. But where it is shocking and at times brutal, it is equally beautiful and wholesome...the beating heart of this story is one of courage, determination and strength. So if you were drawn into the lives of the women in Hallie Rubenhold’s The Five, or enjoyed Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters, this one may be for you!

Many thanks to Sarah Burton, Legend Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, according to Goodreads the paperback edition of this book is a mere 272 pages. Either this is an egregious lie, or the font in that edition is too small for any human to read. This book was so long. And usually I’m the kind of person who wants books to be longer—I love it when a book fulfills all of its potential instead of cutting parts short! The Strange Adventures of H was a drag from start to finish (and still managed to rush the ending???).

I think this book just wasn’t my cup of tea. For one thing, it wasn’t what I was expecting. From the title, I thought that this would have, well, more strange adventures—a little bit of everyday magic, a little more strangeness, but H’s adventures were anything but. They were relatively straightforward adventures. After H, an orphaned child being raised by her aunt, is thrown out of her cousins house at the height of the bubonic plague, she takes to the streets of London, penniless and pregnant (due to unwanted advances by her cousin). She turns to prostitution to make her living. This is roughly what the hook of the book is, but these events don’t even happen until a third of the way through the book! You have to slog through her entire backstory before even reaching the defining moment, and that was the most interesting part. It goes downhill from there.

The biggest problem that I faced in this book is that I just didn’t care about H. Her character fell flat, which makes the entire book a struggle since it is written as her faux-memoir. In the first third of the book, she is painfully naive, and the reader can muster up some sympathy for her as she faces up against her pervy cousin and his catty wife. When she is thrown out, though, all of that innocence falls away, and we find ourselves with a very dry, matter-of-fact narrator. She goes through the motions, and the author relies heavily on telling rather than showing. I just never got a good sense of character from H.

As a result, her actions don’t really carry any weight. Why should the reader care about whether she’s ruining her, or anyone else’s, reputation? Why should we want her to overcome her struggles, when it hardly feels like she is struggling at all? Equally, we can’t follow the other character’s motivations either. The romance came completely out of nowhere, and then got pushed to the side again and again until the very end of the book. The ending wraps up with a neat little bow on top, and it really feels like through her entire life, H never faces consequences for anything bad she’s done, including murder.

Ah, the murder. This is not a spoiler, because the book is framed by a prologue in which H chillingly describes the hanging of a man who has been deemed guilty of murder. The reader is then informed that H is watching this execution despite the fact she knows the man to be innocent of this crime, “for [she] had tied [the victim] up and Kat had beat her with the poker.” It’s a very promising introduction to the story, and leads us to believe that the story will be about H’s fall from grace and how she became a criminal, and yet when we finally get to the murder it’s horrifically anticlimactic. H goes from 0 to murder in less than a page, and then she basically has no fallout after the fact. It was barely a blip on the radar, and it only acted as the turning point for H to get a bunch of money and move into her own house.

I don’t want to say that this book is unequivocally bad and that no one should pick it up. If you’re a fan of historical fiction and are looking to read a book where the women have a bit more agency, then you might enjoy this book. For me, however, reading this book was a chore and a bore.

I loved this book! I do like a good historical fiction book and this one hit the nail on the head. H's life is a complete rollercoaster and the whole story all happens before she's in her early twenties. I loved reading about the plague and the Great Fire of London and Sarah Burton did a fantastic job describing these events and the effects it had on people's lives. In H's life there's tragedy, loss and uncertain times, but there's also love, friendship and independency. I liked how some characters from her early days came back to her a few years later and all had different effects on her life. I'm not ashamed to admit that I shed a couple of tears reading the last few pages of the book too, as I was so happy with the ending! A brilliant read!

Told in three distinct parts, this novel tells the life of H, a 17th century woman orphaned as a child and sent to live with her aunt in London. The prologue takes us to a public execution in London witnessed by H and her friend Kat. The remainder of the book tells of H’s life up to and beyond the point of the execution, and why it was a significant event.
Part one of the book is the story of H’s childhood and her relocation to her aunt in London following the death of her father. Soon after the plague decimates London, followed by the Great Fire, H survives both of these events and finding herself homeless and destitute, makes a living the only way she can.
Part two follows H through her profession, and with many a hilarious and heartwarming scene, there are often moments of sadness, violence and gender inequality all too common of the day.
Part three takes us through to then end of the novel, and with no further spoilers, it is a satisfactory end.
I do love historic fiction, and although my preferred areas of history fall a little later in time, 17th century London is absolutely fascinating. Burton creates amazing atmosphere, especially in relation to the plague and the Great Fire, the language is appropriate and H’s story is a series of adventures, boisterous and bawdy, with twists and turns throughout.
An easy 4 stars. I think this book will do well.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Sarah Burton and Legends Press for the chance to read and review this.

I’ve always been a fan of historical fiction, so I was pleased to receive an advanced copy of “The Strange Adventures of H” by Sarah Burton (via Netgalley) in exchange for an honest review.

The story is narrated by H (just H, nothing else), a young, naive, and sheltered young girl as she grows into womanhood in 1600’s London. The opening scene of a hanging immediately “ropes” the reader in, and the memoir-esque narration style makes this congenial for lovers of coming-of-age tales. Plague hits London, and H is left homeless and pregnant with no income. She does what she must to survive, and in the process loses her sense of self, her innocence, and her family. Many unbelievable events unfold as H learns what it is to love and trust again, and to accept yourself after doing what you must to persevere in one of the harshest times to be an unmarried, impoverished woman in Europe.

This is Sarah Burton’s first foray into adult fiction, and with her background of writing for history publications I hope to see more of her work in this genre. The narration is authentic, in that the reader is left to make inferences from the “respectable” language expected of women at the time, yet it has that strange quality of being clear as day. This is a hard thing for a writer to execute well, but Burton manages to make it look easy. My favorite reading experiences are when an author trusts their audience enough to let them connect the dots.

On that note, the historical aspect of this book was very well researched and brought to light events that, as an American, I had no knowledge of. H takes us through the Great Plague of London (1665-1666), the Great Fire of London (September 1666) and then the Bawdy House Riots of 1668. I of course went through the rabbit holes that googling brought me down, and relished this amazing new hyperfocus in quarantine boredom.

The societal commentary is both obvious and jarring. In today's society, we have this fringe knowledge of how hard it was to be a woman in that time, but Burton manages to bring it to life in the disturbing circumstances H finds herself in. This book definitely needs a few trigger warnings for rape and domestic violence, because unfortunately it was as common then (if not more so) as it is now. Thankfully, she manages to convey these things in a principled and frank way, and not as a detail-heavy ploy to gain readers.

Readers will find a universal character in H; a woman who has experienced pain, loss, love, and happiness; a woman who isn’t afraid to avenge a wrong when necessary, or care for those in need. H is a woman we have all been at one time or another. A survivor. As a reader, I found myself viewing H as a friend to share a cup of tea and swap stories with, flaws and all. This has been an amazingly comforting story considering the times we are currently in, and I can’t recommend it enough. Thank you, Sarah Burton, for writing for all of us survivors.

The Strange Adventures of H is a historical coming of age story following our protagonist ‘H’ as she traverses a difficult 17th century London. Born to a time that features the plague, the Great Fire of London and the Shrove Tuesday riots, ‘H’ must also contend with being orphaned young and separated from all but one of her sisters. When her circumstances lead to a life on the streets, H must grow up quickly and use all her wits to lead the independent life she’s always dreamed of.

For the most part I found this a very quick and enjoyable read. It’s certainly atmospheric, with some wonderful descriptions of everyday life in London during a particularly tumultuous time. The streets feel gritty and grimy, rife with desperation and death, and I think the author did a really good job of projecting this image into my imagination. I could really picture the streets that H walks down, and the various people she might meet. The paragraphs relating to the plague felt eerily similar to current times, and I think this helped make the overall atmosphere of the story feel very real during this section. I also liked that this didn’t seem to take itself too seriously – at times the plot borders on the farcical, and feels very reminiscent of Moll Flanders in its sometimes absurd turn of events. It was almost as though there was a cheeky wink given to the reader at certain points in the text to reassure that they know the plot is ridiculous, but to just go along with it.

I also liked H as a main character, as she comes across as resourceful (if incredibly naïve at the start) with a warm heart. Yes, she’s rather stereotypical of the genre (the ‘tart with a heart’ trope is incredibly prevalent here) but this didn’t put me off wanting to know more about her life. I also liked that her name is ‘H’, a rather ambiguous title that allows her to define her life by the subsequent alias she invents for herself. We have the innocent H, the flirty Doll and the wild and free Halcyon. It was an inventive way to give the character (and the reader) the freedom to invent a different personality to suit the namesake.

However, I did encounter a lot of issues with the story itself. The main one being that I thought that the plot felt very rushed. There is a lot of telling and no showing of certain critical scenes, and as such we miss a lot of the action as we instead hear about scenes via ‘H’ recounting her story. As a result, large chunks of H’s history is never shown, and we miss seeing a lot of her character growth play out on the page. The overall timescale and age of H is a little muddled too. I believe her age is only really mentioned once throughout the book, right at the start when she goes to live with her Aunt at 12 or 13, and we are never given a definite timescale of events after this. This meant by the end of the novel I was unsure what age H was – she could have been anything from 16 to 36.

The writing style is also incredibly off putting at times, told in a way that makes it difficult to remain engaged with the story. The sentence structures feel overly long and convoluted, and at times I struggled to get past this and enjoy the story for what it was. I understand that the idea was to perhaps make the reader believe that H really is a character of her time, retelling her story to a friend or lover, but I just didn’t like it at all and feel that the same sentiment could have been achieved just by developing the character of H more. I’ve read plenty of historical novels where more ‘modern’ speech is applied and I’ve still felt fully immersed in the world. This, in comparison, just kept throwing me out of the story.

That said, this was a rip roaring historical read that never gets too dark or too deep. Go in expecting something absurd and nonsensical and you’ll have a good time with H and her friends.

I liked the premise of the story, but found it difficult to read. At times, it felt like one run-on sentence. I get that it’s the narrator telling her story, but it made it hard to stay engaged.

This book tells the story of H, it begins with her being sent to live in London after the passing of her Father and continues into her eventful adulthood.

H's story covers her account of the plague which so famously ripped through London, the detail of which can almost allow the reader to imagine they were there. It also focuses on the great fire another well known part of London's history - no shortage of historical detail here!

Dealing with some dark themes, it wasn't what I would call an easy read, but I found that it was written tactfully. H was a likeable character who goes through some horrific things.

I enjoyed the book, but found it to be a little slow at times, however it was well written and I found myself reading until the end.

The Strange Adventures of H is a roller-coaster of emotions.

Dealing with themes of isolation during and after the great plague makes this a particularity poignant read at date of release (May 2020).

<b>The book isn't out to be grotesque, which it could easily have been dealing with such dark themes.</b>
It was not at all what I expected in the best way. Especially when things are difficult in our real lives it can be a pleasure to be surprised with something you wouldn't necessarily seek out.

I adore H, and the narration was wonderful after my initial stumbling over the language used. Until about the 20% mark I was reading a little slower, but after that the story and dialect smoothed out and sped up and became very satisfying.

One of the major plot points is disclosed in the summary of the book - which I am pleased I had not seen! Without the knowledge of this I had quite a heartfelt build up to it.

A menagerie of dark themes are broached which I could list as warnings (which would be spoilery of course). However the tact and tone used here is such that it should not be overwhelming for the reader to encounter them. One of these themes is one which is particularly unsettling and often a deal-breaker for me in a novel, but that was not the case here.

This isn't a literary masterpiece, but it's enjoyable to read and <i>genuinely touched my heart</i>. I'll be looking forward to more adult fiction by Sarah Burton.

[This eARC was generously given to me via NetGalley & Legends Press in exchange for an honest review.]

Thank you to legend press
Sarah Burtons debut novel has eery similarities to current times, a plague that encompasses all and unable to stem the tide.
This great historical read draws you in and I felt connected with H and would love to join her on her adventures.
The book is sectioned into 3 parts and each setting introduced you to new characters and settings (H, Doll and Halcyon)
This really gives you the opportunity to engage with these characters and more people to like (and dislike!)
A great debut and will definitely be looking out for more of Burton's work in the future.

First of all, many thanks to Netgalley for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Secondly, if you're looking for a historical novel who leads you through the ups and downs of XVIIth century London, you're in for a treat. In 1665-66 : the plague. In 1666 : the great fire. In 1668 : the Shrove tuesday riots. And these are just the historical parts : before all this, H loses her father, she's estranged from her sisters (except Evelyn), she goes to London and discovers a new way of living. Most of all, she discovers the playhouses, such disreputable places, but so fascinating ! She's just a young girl, still a child at the beginning, but she grows into a young woman along the story, in a rough way, but showing strength and resilience.

There are many characters in this story with their particular flaws but also their particular kindnesses. I feared this would be about despair, loneliness and misery - and they figure in it - but it was also a story of solidarity, of learning to value yourself. It is not to be taken too seriously (two coincidences were a lot, but why not, the author explains it, yet three coincidences...), but it's mentioned in the title, "adventures" ! It was a very entertaining read and I will not forget Mother Cresswell soon.

I also enjoyed the fact that there are lgbt characters - Frances's story should probably be a very interesting one and the end of the novel hints that she may tell her own, one day. I hope she will, I'll read it happily.

The prologue was absolutely gripping. H is a young girl, destitute and trying to survive during horrible times. I loved the prolog so much and was so excited to read a gripping historical novel. The novel quickly stopped holding my interest and was a disappointment.

H is a young girl who is orphaned, sent to live--along with one of her sisters--with her aunt until the plague comes to London in the 1600s. H is left on her own, pregnant due to a rapist cousin and totally destitute and she must fend for herself in an incredibly tumultuous time. I loved the character of H--a true survivor, trying to figure out how to move on and how to live with virtually no options. She is able to figure and finagle and manipulate and charm better than just about any fictional character I've met. She's clever, witty, and very good at planning, but they don't always happen the way she wants them to.

The descriptions of London during the plague were a little too on the nose in the COVID-19 era, but also brought forth some exceptional parallels: everything shut down, the rich escaping to their country estates, and the poor just trying to survive. It was utterly fascinating to read these chapters while seeing their modern day equivalencies play out on our streets and in our news. I realize Burton didn't plan it, but it certainly worked for me.

I really enjoyed the beginning of the book and watching H learn how to live with her aunt and sister. Not a fan of the rape trope, and even less of a fan of the happy hooker story line. So many people turn to prostitution because they have no other options and do not enjoy it, and it just rang false that Burton's H would be the exception (along with all her fellow hookers).

I found The Strange Adventures of H to be reminiscent of books like Moll Flanders and even Les Mis (now Fantine's a prime example of not a happy hooker). I enjoyed seeing characters appear and reappear, their story lines intertwine, and I am a sucker for a happy ending. This book was wonderful escapism, and not remotely rooted in reality. A pregnant orphaned teenage prostitute doesn't get the happy ending--but I'm glad H did.

This book is amazing. It’s a fast-paced historical fiction that follows H from her childhood through her adolescence and into her adulthood. Including her loves and family and the separation between her and her siblings. The book also includes the struggles that people coped with during the great fire of London and the plague. It was written so beautifully it was like you were there in the street watching the plague doctors putting the planks up against the doors of the “plagued”

I did find some pages hard to read, purely because of what H was going through. I was wishing her well all the way through, I had hoped H would have got together with Charlie, so much happened in in the law few chapters I was sucked into the novel.

Overall, this book had everything for me, love, despair and family. It was brilliant

Well written and engaging. I really liked H as a character and greatly enjoyed reading her story. An interesting fictional account of the horrors of the plague, (I suspect drawing heavily on Defoe's narrative) and the great fire.

I am not quite sure how I first stumbled across this title, but I really liked it! Set in 17th century London, H narrates this story of her young life. Born in the countryside, the last of eight children, circumstances soon send H and her sister, Evelyn, to live with their aunt in London. H witnesses a plague, a great fire and learns to survive all on her own. This is largely a story of family, acceptance and doing what's right. H may not be the first character with her career to have a heart of gold - and while there are some other familiar aspects to the story, this really didn't detract me from enjoying it at all. The characters do come to life and it's altogether an engaging read.

It's especially interesting to read the plague section while currently still under the shelter-in-place order with everything but the most essential businesses closed. Of course, the precautions and measures are not quite the same, but I really like the parallels, and the natural social distancing that a contagious disease brings. I did expect something more of a central romance - and while I did like the ending, I guess I was left wanting a bit more. I will definitely be keeping my eye out to see if the story of Frankie and Grace is written - the book feels authentically researched and the style nicely compliments the time period.

This book was a mix of emotions...
H story was so sad but at the same time we can actually see how she's a feminist !
It was a bit too dragged in some parts, we had dead moments but the final made me cry!
We have friendship, love, hate, betrayal, family, loss...
I can say that Jasper truly is a darling !
3.5⭐
Thank you Netgalley for this arc ! 💛

"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.