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drewsbooknook's review
i loved the story and the concept. but the writing style and tempo of the book was not for me. it was very slow and i found myself distracted while reading more often than not.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Transphobia
micropunk's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I have a hard time figuring out how I feel about this book. The main character is really well written and I enjoyed reading her grappling with her thoughts and actions and the pain and grief that motivated it throughout the novel. However, there were a few points in which Char's identity as a Black Indigenous woman are handled with the grace of a toddler running with scissors.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Transphobia, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Torture, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Stalking, Drug use, Kidnapping, Hate crime, and Homophobia
mx_avella's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia
tlaynejones's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
4.0
I wasn’t sure at first, primarily because my expectations for this story were all wrong. I was expecting a fast paced vengeance based genre novel, this is not that. Instead this is a quirky, gentle, deeply emotional examination of grief. Hall has packed so much into this story of a woman struggling to come to terms with the brutal hate filled murder of her wife, an out Black Trans woman. I felt Hall was able to balance the weight of such heaviness and cruelty with the quirky banality of life that endures during a crisis. I found the relentlessness of the MC’s (irrational?) thinking well written and relatable, and her grief, when it finally softens, so moving that I cried.
There is quite a bit of religion/spirituality/Christianity in this story. It’s scattered throughout, and never reaches a point where I felt I was being proselytised to, but enough that I noticed, and wondered, why so much? The inclusion does encompass the anti queer hate that Christianity fosters, so it’s not all ‘pro’ religion. (I have since looked up the author, and discovered she is a Christian author)
Also, I’m not comfortable with the way the depiction of the murdered Black trans wife was written into the story. On one hand it makes sense that a truly beloved spouse may become idealised and almost angelic in grief. However, on the other hand, the only Black character in the story being brutalised and murdered, and that murder being the device from which all the white characters learn and grow makes me pretty uncomfortable. This is too close to the ‘magical negro’ trope. I wonder if the choice to make the murdered character a Black trans woman was an attempt to recognise and shine light on the real life murder rates of trans women of colour? I don’t know. But I did feel icky about some of this (I don’t want to explain specifics because of spoilers).
There was a lot to love about this novel. There are complexities and choices that are so understanding and others that are quite surprising. But there are also some issues. I would recommend, with the above caveats, and a big CW for anti queer hate and violence.
There is quite a bit of religion/spirituality/Christianity in this story. It’s scattered throughout, and never reaches a point where I felt I was being proselytised to, but enough that I noticed, and wondered, why so much? The inclusion does encompass the anti queer hate that Christianity fosters, so it’s not all ‘pro’ religion. (I have since looked up the author, and discovered she is a Christian author)
Also, I’m not comfortable with the way the depiction of the murdered Black trans wife was written into the story. On one hand it makes sense that a truly beloved spouse may become idealised and almost angelic in grief. However, on the other hand, the only Black character in the story being brutalised and murdered, and that murder being the device from which all the white characters learn and grow makes me pretty uncomfortable. This is too close to the ‘magical negro’ trope. I wonder if the choice to make the murdered character a Black trans woman was an attempt to recognise and shine light on the real life murder rates of trans women of colour? I don’t know. But I did feel icky about some of this (I don’t want to explain specifics because of spoilers).
There was a lot to love about this novel. There are complexities and choices that are so understanding and others that are quite surprising. But there are also some issues. I would recommend, with the above caveats, and a big CW for anti queer hate and violence.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Hate crime, Grief, Murder, Violence, Transphobia, Sexual violence, and Misogyny
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Blood, and Mental illness
conniption_fitz's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
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