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readerette's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Keep with this one all the way to the end! Well written, engaging story about something of an anti-hero dealing with the kind of racist, backward behavior that feels wrong in a story set in the modern day (but sadly, isn't out of place). Eye-opening from a race perspective and also just a good story. While I like the surprise of the ending, it also felt slightly off-key given all the moralism associated to the badge of the Ranger throughout the story.
The n-word appears a number of times and a couple of other slurs come up once or twice--all contextually appropriate for the setting and characters. Just worth calling out to prepare yourself.
The n-word appears a number of times and a couple of other slurs come up once or twice--all contextually appropriate for the setting and characters. Just worth calling out to prepare yourself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Moderate: Animal death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Hate crime, Cursing, Infidelity, Murder, Violence, Alcoholism, Addiction, and Blood
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Vomit, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Infertility, and Rape
bibliozabs's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, and Murder
sarahaf712's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Racism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Murder, Gun violence, Hate crime, Death, Cursing, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexual content, Infidelity, and Grief
Minor: Vomit, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, and Police brutality
Content warning: police interrogation; Aryan Brotherhood; gang violence; murder crime scenes; autopsyquestingnotcoasting's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I found this really compelling. I liked the writing and found myself immediately immersed in the small town setting. The atmosphere is bleak and gritty and there's a lot more to the murder investigations than it first seems - past secrets, white supremacists and racial hatred all play a part. I liked that the story focused on the characters as much as the plot. The web of relationships between the people in the town was so interesting to untangle. Darren is a complicated character, with personal baggage to deal with as well as his cases but I was rooting for him and I'm looking forward to reading the next book. I don't read much crime which isn't Agatha Christie and this has reminded me that I'd enjoy it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, and Racism
ellethinks's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
This book reaffirmed that police-type procedurals don't work for me and this book was a miss.
I found the characters, mainly Darren and Randi really irritating and don't understand why there was so much forced proximity between them. The incorporation of romantic tension between them (while Darren has a wife that he claims to be happy with and misses) awkward and uncomfortable. If Darren, the protagonist, had been a random sleuth interested in these cases, and not a Texas Ranger, I would have found his actions in this book more believable.
The writing was nice and the audiobook was well done, but I can't say I enjoyed the rest of it.
Having not spent much time in the South and not having ever been to East Texas, I was having a hard time believing that this was actually set in the 2010s - is racism that overt there? Or was this intentionally hyperbolic?
I found the characters, mainly Darren and Randi really irritating and don't understand why there was so much forced proximity between them. The incorporation of romantic tension between them (while Darren has a wife that he claims to be happy with and misses) awkward and uncomfortable. If Darren, the protagonist, had been a random sleuth interested in these cases, and not a Texas Ranger, I would have found his actions in this book more believable.
The writing was nice and the audiobook was well done, but I can't say I enjoyed the rest of it.
Having not spent much time in the South and not having ever been to East Texas, I was having a hard time believing that this was actually set in the 2010s - is racism that overt there? Or was this intentionally hyperbolic?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Mass/school shootings, Hate crime, Gun violence, and Violence
abbie_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I was feeling slumpy towards the end of October, and I have this book to thank for pulling me out of that dreaded state! I spent 3 days reading it, which is a long time for me to take over a 300-page book, but it was good for me. I enjoyed diving headfirst into the mystery alongside Texas Ranger Darren Matthews - Locke paints such a vivid picture of Eastern Texas, I felt transported into the story.
.
These days when I read a crime or thriller novel, I prefer it when the author tackles something other than just the crime, such as gender violence or motherhood or what have you. With Bluebird, Bluebird, Locke seamlessly weaves in the racial tensions that run rampant in Eastern Texas alongside the double murder Matthews is investigating. The presence of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas in the small town and their grip on it is terrifying. If that weren't enough, she also includes some tantalising family secrets and drama in the story too. It sounds like a lot, but I think she wields all of the strands of the story deftly.
.
At no point did I have any idea where the story was headed or how it might be resolved. Every guess I had at a murderer or motive was quickly ground to dust under Locke's heel. I'm never particularly good at guessing the culprit anyway, but Locke was always at least two steps ahead of me - I had no chance. I was happy just to be along for the ride! Locke surprised and shocked me many times over.
.
I found Matthews such a compelling character. As a Black Texas Ranger, he faces challenges at work to put it mildly. His superiors actively warn him against getting involved in race crimes, yet don't hesitate to trundle him out at press conferences to prove they're taking matters of race seriously. Locke depicts his many battles of conscious and allegiances so convincingly that I forgave her for giving him a drinking problem. (I do realise it's a genuine issue for many, but I find it a tired crime fiction trope.)
.
That's my only gripe, this book kept me hooked at a time when my motivation to read was at a yearly low! I'm looking forward to getting my hands on Heaven, My Home!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Rape
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