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chelseakasten's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Overall, I did enjoy this book, although that enjoyment was really limited to the main narrative of the murders in Lark. I felt like it really could have used some more editing to refine the core of the story and to streamline some of the distractions. There were also just weird mistakes throughout. Like, in one scene it says that Darren and another character leave the bathroom, and then literally the next paragraph is about them talking to each other while “looking in the mirror over the sink.” I thought they left the bathroom?! There were a number of instances like this that made me have to go back a few pages and reread because I was confused.
The Lark narrative is book-ended by a separate narrative that is meant to set the stage for Darren’s current predicament - a suspended Black Texas Ranger who has historically been tasked with investigating the Aryan Brotherhood’s drug trade while being asked to ignore their racial hate crimes. I didn’t dislike this entirely, as it sets a good background, but it introduced a lot of unnecessary characters and ultimately created some confusion for me. I also did not like how it was used to wrap up the book. There was a better ending (not necessarily nice, just more appropriate) in there somewhere.
The third narrative of the book was Darren’s complicated relationships with family members. There were way too many peripheral characters here that really muddied the waters. (Naomi, for example, was distracting. Even the mother really didn’t add much.)
The Lark narrative is book-ended by a separate narrative that is meant to set the stage for Darren’s current predicament - a suspended Black Texas Ranger who has historically been tasked with investigating the Aryan Brotherhood’s drug trade while being asked to ignore their racial hate crimes. I didn’t dislike this entirely, as it sets a good background, but it introduced a lot of unnecessary characters and ultimately created some confusion for me. I also did not like how it was used to wrap up the book. There was a better ending (not necessarily nice, just more appropriate) in there somewhere.
The third narrative of the book was Darren’s complicated relationships with family members. There were way too many peripheral characters here that really muddied the waters. (Naomi, for example, was distracting. Even the mother really didn’t add much.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Moderate: Death of parent and Murder
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
hazelgirl21's review
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Gun violence, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent
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