The Impossible Girl by Lydia Kang

The Impossible Girl by Lydia Kang

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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.