THE RESURRECTIONIST is in a very mannered writing style quite in accord with the period in which it is set [1828 Bath, England, and Edinburgh, Scotland: the era of infamous criminal "Resurrectionists" Burke & Hare!]. Although this type of subject lends itself irrevocably to Horror, this novel pursues a more lighthearted approach, leavened as it is with subtle humor and populated by a severely hapless protagonist, whose self-focus and determination lead him quickly into dangerous and disreputable paths.

this book surprised me!! it gave off Frankenstein vibes meets anatomy:a love story! I didn’t realize this was Dunlap debut book! I will definitely be reading more by this author!!

If this quote doesn’t sell you then idk what will!! :

“Yet I must insist that in the end, this is not a story about Death. It is perhaps a Life story, or even, yes, a Love story. It is the story of how I clawed my way from the decay of a crumbling legacy into the modern era of Reason and Science. It is the story of how I escaped the prison of archaic superstition to the freedom of enlightenment. It is the story of how a rose can blossom from even the bloodiest soil, of how light can grow from shadow, how love can grow from despair. “

🎵die 4 you by perfume genius & ill be good by james young

thank you NetGalley for the arc!!

I never thought I would enjoy a book about grave robbing so much!!

James wants to be a doctor and his family is just barely keeping him at oxford but he ditches the oxford life to join in on the exciting world of surgery.. To get into a much coveted program... he needs to pay but he strikes a deal with Nye and when everything goes tits up... He ends up a body snatcher... science comes at a price.

It was an interesting read. I finished it before christmas and it had to sit with me for a while. I couldn't decide if the writing was dry or whether it was cleverly done and I sided with it was done on purpose to make you think and I actually love it more now and I did when I finished.

I liked the way the characters all had an interest vibe to them and they shouldn't have worked well together but the writing was so well done that it made sense when it should not have.

Dang I am sold! I need more books like this.

4.5 stars

Thank you @kensingtonbooks for my gifted copy.

This was an entertaining close look into history at a time when bodysnatching was needed for doctors to learn how to treat people and cure certain diseases and conditions and was quite the flourishing business in Edinburgh right when James travels there to study medicine. He was quite the intricately written character with so many side, from promising young doctor in training, looking to pay his own way after his family loses their fortune, to budding bodysnatcher, diving into the darker world of death and returning alive and knowing what he wants his future to be. Hence, the resurrectionist tie-in.

I enjoyed most of the book, though sometimes the proper english felt a bit stilted, and while I loved the detail into the graveyard snatching, as well as the dissections and medical learnings, I was sad that the Burke and Hare part only was really in the last little bit of the book. I would not have minded more of that story. Though I really liked the relationship of James and Nye, which was a nice sweet touch to all the darkness. For a debut, it was well done and I did like this story.

I am rounding up from 3.5 because part of what I didn't love, is more of a personal issue than the fault of this book.

If you're a fan of Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone, or Murder Your Employer, then I think you'll love this one. It has the same sense of humor and writing style as the two aforementioned books. This was classified as both historical fiction and horror, and I'm just not getting the horror aspect. It is macabre and dark at times, but it's not giving me that gross, chilling factor that I've come to expect from horror.

I loved the relationships in this book and they were a bright spot in dark themes.

Thank you so much to Kensington Books and NetGalley for a free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

James Willoughby is excited to leave his pompous, social climbing family in London to pursue his dream of becoming a physician. In Edinburgh, he enrolls in the college and quickly finds that if he wants to get any practical experience (that is, learn anatomy not from a textbook but by dissecting human cadavers), he must join one of the private anatomy schools. After an interruption in finances, he joins a body snatching crew led by the dashing Nye, and finds himself ensconced in a dangerous yet exciting new life.

This book can only be described as rollicking fun. I was rooting for James and Nye, despite disagreeing with what they were doing, and the romance was so sweet. The friendships, the capers, the love story, and the cameos of actual historical figures within the narrative all combined to create a delightful reading experience. If you liked Anatomy: A Love Story, you will enjoy this book. And I think the way it ended left the possibility of a sequel open...

The Resurrectionist was fun and dark. I loved the seeing the relationship blossom, which I didn't expect. The writing was well done and the characters were flawed but lovable. While there were plenty of dead bodies, there wasn't really any gore, so I think this book would be suitable for many levels of readers. A dark and sordid tale, but filed with adventure and love and scalpels!

This was reminiscent of Anatomy, but Gay 🤌🏻 slow burn to a big ending. If you enjoy a good morbid period piece this one is for you. It was delightfully dark, gothic, and romantic.

4.5 stars

James Willoughby was eager to pursue his dream of becoming a surgeon in Edinburgh, the heart of medical advancement. But financial strain forced him to take an unexpected job with Aneurin (Nye) MacKinnon—one that dragged him into the dark, shadowy underbelly of the industry.

While the subject is dark and macabre, the book is light and amusing. It’s fascinating learning about the underground business and the personnel involved.

It was nice seeing how James evolved and pushed himself outside his comfort zone. Nye was my favorite with his enchanting personality and useful skill sets.

The Resurrectionist is a story of aspiration and self-discovery. It would appeal to readers who enjoy historical fiction in dark academia setting.

If you’re in the mood for an atmospheric queer historical fiction, dark academic comedy (I just made that up), true crime mash up, this one is for you my friends. It’s 1828 Edinburgh, Scotland, when we encounter James Willoughby, who has more than disappointed his posh family by abandoning his Oxford studies in order to become a surgeon. He enrolls at university, only to discover he will not have the one thing he was willing to sacrifice everything for - the chance to work on a human cadaver. It is only the private and pioneering surgeries of Surgeon’s Square that will allow the “desecration.” But what’s a man to do? How about team up with the handsome and brilliant dissectionist Aneurin “Nye” Mackinnon, who offers him a place in renowned Dr. Malstrom’s surgery, if only he will assist in the acquisition of their demonstration subjects?

Inspired by the criminal case of Burke and Hare, The Resurrectionist has family drama, forbidden love, gore, body snatchers, and deadly rival gangs. Dive into the real world that revolutionized medical science, where life was truly stranger than fiction.


Many thanks to the author @AReaWrites, @KensingtonBooks, and @NetGalley for the pleasure of reading this eArc.

I love a queer gothic horror read, especially one based on a part of history I find fascinating. This did not disappoint and was entertaining and well-written, covering a lot of ground. I would recommend it to others who enjoy this genre. Thank you for the advanced copy read!

This had a very slow start and I made it about 55% before DNFing this book. The writing was beautiful, I’m just a mood reader with a short attention span so I need super fast paced stories to grab me.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with The Resurrectionist but what I found was a remarkably cozy, historical coming of age story, despite the gruesome nature of the characters’ work.

I really enjoyed the main character’s voice. They felt very chipper and jaunty and earnest, endearing themselves to the reader. I think their voice is what gave the story so much of its cozy feel.

The relationships built over the course of the novel felt earned through the storyline and the ending ramped up remarkably to give a strong finish.

Overall a fun time.

3.75 out of 5

Very hard to tell that this is a debut work, because it is wonderful. The time setting, the characters, the initial place of the story. So good. Also the cover of the book is so unique

This book is interesting in the true crime nature, but I found it really hard to get into. It was a good blend of fact and fiction and the actual writing of the story was good, if not slow and a little draggy in parts. I found the romance between James and Nye adorable and I loved that it was a queer aspect brought into what would have been a rather dangerous time for this to happen.

Thank you to the author for a chance to review.

We are set in 1828 with James as the protagonist, a wealthy man who, after the death of his father, decides to go to Edinburgh to study and become a surgeon, even against the wishes and economic situation of his family.
And it is just here that he meets Aneurin "Nye", the assistant of a prestigious teacher, with whom he will partner to advance his studies although other interests will arise later (if you know what I mean).
My biggest surprise with this book is that a large part of this story is inspired by real events, the way it mixes the story of James and Nye with the central intrigue was incredible.
Furthermore, the way in which we get to know its protagonists is very intimate that it is easy to get attached to them.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

This debut novel was a beautiful journey part historical fiction and part true crime, mixed deliciously with a healthy dose of dark humor;

We follow our main character, James, who has opted to ditch his life of high privilege at Oxford University to instead follow his dream of becoming a doctor in Edinburgh. He arrives in Edinburgh only to learn that the REAL opportunity he's been searching for lays within the private sector of medical schools. At these private medical schools, the students are afforded the ability work on actual human cadavers. James loses his family stipend, and doesn't know how he will pay for this endeavor, so he meets Nye and strikes up a deal. This deal is to join Nye's crew of "body snatchers" to stock the school with cadavers, and in exchange James can gain access to the medical training that he's dreamed of!

I loved the progression and development of the relationship between Nye and James. I also found the history of the medical history to be rich and fascinating.

The only downfall, in my opinion, was the pacing of this book. At times I found that the story was dragging along - while at other points in the story I was sitting on the edge of my seat and couldn't get enough. So this warrants a 3-star review from me.

Overall, I absolutely would recommend this book to anyone who has any interest in how the medical industry essentially was built.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the chance to read this wonderful debut novel in exchange for an honest review!

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this e-arc! 3/5 stars, a gothic inspired read that fell a little flat for me

despite the obvious gothic themes, I actually felt like this book wasn't that dark? there were definitely gorey elements to it and aspects of the plot that are dark - there's no getting around the gravedigging - but these were written in an almost comical, campy kind of way. it felt like dunlap was trying to put the reader to ease in an effort not to spook them from these darker topics but the lack of full dedication to the gothic themes made this feel comical instead. this, in combination with the way the characters spoke and james' inner dialogue at times made this feel more ya-esque as opposed to adult. and while the writing was solid and poetic, it felt almost corny and too over the top, which definitely made this feel like a ya book which isn't what I was expecting from something with such heavy handed gothic imagery. james teetered between annoying and endearing to me - I definitely have a soft spot for main characters who are struggling and feel alone, and dunlap does a great job of really letting us feel james' deeper emotions, but his naivety and gullibility was grating at times. nye as a character was interesting but somewhat underdeveloped, likely due to the limitations of first person pov. overall, an interesting and unique read but not something I'd necessarily recommend.

I did not know that this was based off a true story when I started reading it, what a rabbit whole it sent me down learning all about the body snatchers, Burke and Hare, and how the horrible events brought in positive change. My favorite part was discovering which characters were fiction and which ones where based on real people. I right out squealed when I was learning about the victims only to recognize the name of someone who had just gone missing in the book. I love when a book inspires me to learn, not only did this book do that but it offered a unique experience. The way that the lives of the fictional characters and those based on truth weaved together in a way that makes you imagine what it really could have been like to be alive during these murders.

Dark, morbid, and delicious–this part historical fiction, part dark comedy, part true crime, and part journey of queer self-discovery made *The Ressurectionist* one of the most unique stories I read this past year and an excellent debut novel.

Set alongside the development of medicine in 19th-century Scotland, we meet our main character James Willoughby who has left behind a life of privilege and a boring future in Oxford to pursue his dream to be a doctor in Edinburgh. Upon his arrival, he learns that the real medical training is happening at the private medical schools popping up all around the city that offer students the chance to work on real cadavers. Despite his posh appearance, as the third son of a struggling noble family, James doesn’t know how he will afford one of the private schools until he meets the mysterious and intriguing Aneurin “Nye” MacKinnon, an assistant and dissections at one of the best private schools. Nye strikes up a deal with James—join his crew of body snatchers to procure bodies for the school, and in exchange, gain access to the medical training he’s dreamed of. As James is taken in by this dangerous world and his relationship with grows Nye becomes something he never expected. But when a new gang comes to Edinburgh and other bodysnatchers start turning up dead, James’ new life suddenly has life-or-death stakes.

>> ❤️ What I loved: The setting and vibes were strong, with some great gothic and gory details that let me sink into the story. James and Nye were great protagonists and their sweet dynamic was something that I couldn’t get enough of! All of the medical history woven into this story was really engaging and fascinating to follow alongside the plot.
>> 💔 What I didn’t love: There were some minor issues with pacing for me, and I think our major antagonists could have been introduced earlier on in the plot. While I understand some reasons for it, there was a distinct lack of any female characters in this story which left me a wondering.

I highly recommend *The Ressurectionist* to fans of historical fiction, gothic fiction, and dark academia. I hope there’s more like this to come from A. Rae Dunlap in the future!

**Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 (4-4.5)**

**Acknowledgments & Disclaimers**
✨ Thank you to NetGalley, A. Rae Dunlap, and Kensington Publishing, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book.
✨ All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
✨ My reviews and ratings strive to evaluate books within their own age-demographic and genre.