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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
As far as books that I bought simply because I liked the cover/title/quick blurb when I saw it in the store, I've certainly done worse before. Maybe I should've spent a little longer researching it though because this book wasn't at all what I was expecting to be, and that's entirely on me.
I was very into the first third or so of the book: a woman detective in noir Chicago scopes out crime scenes and dips into secret lesbian speakeasies with some loose magical elements floating around the fringes. But then the magic started getting impossible to ignore and went full-blown Constantine with angels vs. demons and Deus ex Machina scenes. Kinda wished the supernatural elements stayed subtle, but that's a personal preference. I also got the sense that the protagonist was just kind of swept along by events happening around her and only made a significant decision at the climax. A little more agency on her end would've been appreciated.
Still, at 130-ish pages, this was the correct length for this kind of story. If Goodreads allowed half-star increments, I'd probably put it at 2.5, but I'll round up because lesbians.
I was very into the first third or so of the book: a woman detective in noir Chicago scopes out crime scenes and dips into secret lesbian speakeasies with some loose magical elements floating around the fringes. But then the magic started getting impossible to ignore and went full-blown Constantine with angels vs. demons and Deus ex Machina scenes. Kinda wished the supernatural elements stayed subtle, but that's a personal preference. I also got the sense that the protagonist was just kind of swept along by events happening around her and only made a significant decision at the climax. A little more agency on her end would've been appreciated.
Still, at 130-ish pages, this was the correct length for this kind of story. If Goodreads allowed half-star increments, I'd probably put it at 2.5, but I'll round up because lesbians.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It went by so fast, I almost wished it had been longer so stuff didn't seem to be tossed in for the rush of finishing.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Violence, Lesbophobia
This reads like story arc from SPN, only fantastically sapphic and set in 1930s Chicago. The main character Helen sold her soul to save her brothers life and in the process is exiled the life she knows. Now she works as a detective in a Chicago and spends her free time with the love of her life Edith…who doesn’t know about Helen’s deal with the devil. When Helen is given a chance to reclaim her soul she throws herself at the slim possibility with everything she’s got. This novella is only about 120 pages and it kept me constantly guessing. The emotions between Helen and Edith are charged with such longing I couldn’t put the book down. This novella is all about the lengths people will go to for those they love, both is a romantic and familial sense. I love C.L. Polk’s works and this definitely did not disappoint.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It takes a lot of guts (and skill) to tell the readers up front that they know how the book will end, and keep that promise, but still allow the readers to hope and be fulfilled. Polk does this, and more, in a spectacularly deft and satisfying way. This book is written in a gritty, mystery-noir style that is frequently not my thing, but Polk has a humbleness and truth to their characters that makes it wonderful. Their hard-bitten detective still cares deeply, which makes her a very relatable and enjoyable narrator.
The ending was a little annoying however I see where the author wanted to go with it. I LOVED everything else though, the love between them was beautiful and the plot had me hooked from the get go.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes