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alexcarbonneau's review
5.0
There's beauty in tragedy
A story that is as heartbreaking as it is beautiful. Blackwell put a small cast of characters to life and gave them soul and heart throughout a bleak and gritty tale.
A story that is as heartbreaking as it is beautiful. Blackwell put a small cast of characters to life and gave them soul and heart throughout a bleak and gritty tale.
aliseaymcmahon's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
newsguy45's review
5.0
Sat down to start a new read, and boom a couple hours later I finished this gem. @CW_Blackwell grabs you on the first page and doesn't let go. No wasted words in this one. The story is going to stick with me for a bit. Another great one from @ShotgunHoney .
kpetras's review
dark
tense
5.0
Blackwell just keeps getting better.
I am not unfamiliar with Blackwell's writing, having been lucky enough to have received an ARC copy of Song of the Red Squire, and picked up his poetry collection River Street Rhapsody last year.
But Hard Mountain Clay hooked me in and wouldn't let me go. The characters were believable and well thought out, the villains (for there were multiple) incredibly, immensely frustrating, leading to an ending that both spoke to Maisy's ingenuity and the hard truth that sometimes, there may not be a savior coming over the horizon.
My only (slight) critique would be the epilogue seemed a little rushed- I wanted to learn more about how Maisy and Ben got to where they were, but, maybe that's a story for another time. As far as this novella goes, the pacing was well done, and the tension mounted beautifully, leading to a deserved, bittersweet ending. Definitely recommend as a short & sweet(?) read.
I am not unfamiliar with Blackwell's writing, having been lucky enough to have received an ARC copy of Song of the Red Squire, and picked up his poetry collection River Street Rhapsody last year.
But Hard Mountain Clay hooked me in and wouldn't let me go. The characters were believable and well thought out, the villains (for there were multiple) incredibly, immensely frustrating, leading to an ending that both spoke to Maisy's ingenuity and the hard truth that sometimes, there may not be a savior coming over the horizon.
My only (slight) critique would be the epilogue seemed a little rushed- I wanted to learn more about how Maisy and Ben got to where they were, but, maybe that's a story for another time. As far as this novella goes, the pacing was well done, and the tension mounted beautifully, leading to a deserved, bittersweet ending. Definitely recommend as a short & sweet(?) read.
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