Rating: 
Summary: Terrible
Review: I enjoyed Sarah Waters other books very much and thought they were well-written, clever, compelling stories. This book is not only disappointing by comparison but it is hopelessly trite, silly, preposterous and boring by any measure. It is hard to imagine that such a gifted author would turn out something like this. Some friend or editor should have saved her from this embarrassment.
Rating: 
Summary: Mesmerizing
Review: I picked this book up on a whim, never having heard of the author before. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down! I stayed up for three nights straight and gulped it down- the characters are solid and real, the plot surpasses the promise of good twists, the love story is affecting and gorgeously portrayed, the villain is slick, twisted and infuriating... I immediately went and got her other two books and am in the middle of Affinity. Sarah Waters is the kind of writer I have not experienced in years- her words transport you to another place and time and truly you don't want to come back to your world when you are done with her novels. I can't wait for her future novels.
Rating: 
Summary: No Honor Among Thieves
Review: This is a dark Victorian drama that revolves around the lives of two young women, Sue and Maud. These characters have their lives determined by circumstances out of their control, they are affected by greed and corruption from a very early age. It is a harrowing story to read, rich in suspense and hosts a cast of characters unlike any other book. Nothing in this story is at it seems. There are buried secrets, double crossing, greed, betrayal and amongst the ruins, there is love. This was an excellent read. I look forward to reading more by this wonderful author.
Rating:
Summary: Riveting!
Review: I could not put this book down. Once I got to know the characters, I was turning pages fast as I could. Mystery,
drama, romance... everything- and then some.
BUT NOT written like the normal book out there. This book
is a one of a kind experience.
I highly recommend it- it was a one day read for me, because I am a fast reader, and it is a page turner. It is a large book
though- I would guess a good weekend book. Wonderful for a rainy
day!
Rating:
Summary: Among Friends and Thieves
Review: Fingersmith is a good book filled with twists and surprises that keep the reader interested. Set in Victorian England, the story is about a family-like group of thieves, fingersmiths, that deal in everything from stolen goods to babies and a household involved in shady activities. In particular, the story is about how the lives of two innocent young women are affected by the greed and deception of those they depend on.
Susan is my favorite character. I feel sympathetic towards her and I like the way her character grows. Although reared by and among thieves, Susan maintains her trustworthy innocence until a very dirty trick is played on her and she becomes tough and determined.
Just as the plot becomes dull and predictable, Sarah Waters injects a twist or surprise that catches the reader off guard. One good lesson to be learned from this book is that a thief will lie and steal from anyone: family, friends, business associates, confidantes and enemies. We can learn from this because sometimes we think that a person we meet will never do us wrong and we think highly of him. By reading this book, we see that some people will step on and use anyone.
Rating:
Summary: A Thrillride in Petticoats
Review: Fingersmith is really a terrific read. People shouldn't be daunted by the 500 plus pages, they go by almost too fast. The constant plot twists leave the readers on their toes, not to mention the secrets of each of the characters. If you're bored with reading verbose Dickensian works about love and work, then try Fingersmith out, it gets down to the grit of being a villain.
Rating:
Summary: An awesome read
Review: Wow! What a fantastic book! I don't usually like "Victorian Murder Mysteries" (my Mom tends to pass them along to me) and I'm not really sure why I decided to start reading Fingersmith (given to me by a friend). I guess it was sitting on my nightstand when I needed a new book. However, Fingersmith is NOT a Victorian murder mystery, though there is a murder late in the book. In fact, it's a really difficult book to classify. It's set in Victorian England, but it's not anything you'd expect it to be. It's a crime novel/love story if anything. In the beginning of the book we meet a "family" of thieves. A friend of the "family" ("Gentleman" or Richard, depending on who is talking about him) concocts a scheme to bilk an heiress (Maude) out of her fortune (which she receives upon her marriage) and one of the main characters, Susan, goes to the country to serve as Maude's lady's maid in order to accomplish this goal. The plan is for Maude to fall in love with "Gentleman", he will marry her, then he will have her committed to a madhouse and take her money. Susan, of course, will get a cut for her role in the scheme. It all seems pretty straight forward (as long as it works), but the plot twists and turns like a roller coaster (including the upside down multiple loops!). I don't want to give ANY of the twists away, so it's hard to get more detailed or to go further into the story. The book is divided into three parts. The first part is from Susan's point of view through the commitment (so the scheme does work - or seems to). The second part is from Maude's point of view through the commitment. The final part is the story of what happens to both Susan and Maude from that point forward. To sum it up, while I don't feel like I can go into a lot of detail without giving too much away, I stayed up far to late reading this book for several nights. I've recommended it to both the book clubs I belong to. I'm planning to purchase and read Sarah Waters' first two novels after reading this one. I think it's a great book.
Rating:
Summary: An intriguing historical fiction
Review: This book will appeal to many sorts of people, among them; history nerds, neo-victorians, mystery buffs and those interested in books with lesbian themes. Waters manages to write in Victorian prose and dialect without being heavy-handed, which makes this book all the more fascinating. The characters are easy to sympathize with, and I guarantee you'll be wondering at their fate once you get about a third through the book. If you're looking for a book with unbelievable twists and unique characters, this is definitely worth buying.
Rating:
Summary: Not your usual Victorian lit
Review: Fingersmith is like a Jane Austen novel - if Jane Austen was a prostitute. This is a wonderful and spellbinding story. I was pleasantly surprised, as the book was given to me and I had never heard of the author before. The book slowly draws you in, until it becomes difficult to put down about half way through. It is impossible to be quite sure who the villains are, or where the characters stand with each other at any moment. The style of the book works well, with the narration switching between the two main characters. While reading, part of me wanted to solve the mystery and part of me just wanted to let it unfold.
Rating:
Summary: The BEST BOOK I ever read by the BEST AUTHOR !!
Review: Fingersmith is quite simply the best & most enjoyable book I have ever read. It is the story of Susan & Maud, two orphaned girls who live very different lives in Victorian England. However although they don't it, their fates are entwined beyond separation. The story takes you from the depths of despair to the heights of happiness & includes great tragedy, sadness & also love. But it doesn't stop there as Sarah Waters takes you through virtually every emotion possible & boy do you feel them. Too say anymore about the plot would be to destroy the immense enjoyment I experienced reading this book, for other people who are yet to read it. However I simply couldn't write this review & not say that this book also has the greatest plot twists I believe ever written. You just don't see them coming & they leave you astounded. Sarah Waters is undoubtedly the best new author around & this book should definitely have won the 2002 Booker Prize in Britain, for which it was nominated. She has the incredible talent of describing things, places or circumstances just enough, that your mind fills in the blanks & makes you believe you are there eperiencing the story, not reading it. You can almost see the smog hanging overhead, hear the chiming of the clock or feel the chracters emotions in moments of sadness or fear. I read this entire book (548 pages) in 5 days staying up till I almost fell asleep because you just can't put it down. I just had to know if a character was going to avoid a desperately horrible fate or was caught by one of the twists. I also agree with an earlier reviewer who said finishing this book isn't the end, it does affect you long after you've read it. Sarah Waters description is so good, that it gives you an idea of just how far families were willing to go in Victorian times to deal with their female relatives who they considered were ruined or had shamed them or had a mysteriously illness that they didn't understand, so it must be madness. If you haven't read this book yet, get out there & read it now, for I would have given it a 10 out of 5 if possible.
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