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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
3.5 out of 5 stars.
There were many things to appreciate about this story. The nod to Hamlet, as a deceased father's ghost can not rest. A biracial character. Conversations about eugenics policies in the state of Washington.
There were many things to appreciate about this story. The nod to Hamlet, as a deceased father's ghost can not rest. A biracial character. Conversations about eugenics policies in the state of Washington.
This is really more like 2.5 stars. It was a really fast read, and there were some elements that I enjoyed--the time period felt accurate, for example, and I appreciate it drawing attention to some nasty parts of Oregon's past (which contribute even now to some nasty parts of Oregon's present). But it didn't have the sense of dread, and darkness, and drama that Hamlet has, and I was hoping for that, as much as I appreciate an attempt to retool it into a non-tragedy.
The thing that knocked this from three to two stars for me was my discomfort around the treatment of Joe, a gay boy who gets sent to jail for the death of Hanalee's father: Overall, the portrayal of Joe through Hanalee's perspective felt like it allowed Joe to be a pseudo-love-interest despite his orientation. I'd bet it wasn't intentional, but I still didn't like it.
The thing that knocked this from three to two stars for me was my discomfort around the treatment of Joe, a gay boy who gets sent to jail for the death of Hanalee's father:
Spoiler
There's a scene where Joe and Hanalee are forced to kiss at knifepoint, which was DEEPLY uncomfortable to begin with and was unnecessary. Later on, Joe offers to kiss Hanalee again because the coerced kiss was her first and he wanted to give her a "real" kiss. How does that make sense at all? They're quite physical with each other in the book, which on the one hand, yay platonic physical affection...except it didn't feel platonic on Hanalee's side. At the end, Hanalee considers asking Joe "what they mean to each other," which feels like twisting their friendship into a possibly romantic connection despite Joe's stated romantic and physical attraction to boys.
I have really come to love Cat Winters’ books. Partially I think because she writes about the history of Oregon (reading the ‘About the Author’ in this book, we’ve lived in Oregon about the same amount of time), but because her characters are relatable and real, and their stories are gripping. I love the twists and unexpected, and I really love the paranormal sneaking in. Knowing this was a rough adaptation of Hamlet, I was expecting different things and it was a pleasant surprise to have those expectations upended and the person I thought was bad turn out to be good. I liked the way the KKK was worked into the story, and also how people are not always what they seem. Hannalee is a strong character who fights for what is right in a world who isn’t always accepting of her. The relationship between her family is realistic. Really a very good book.
Actual Rating: 4.5*
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I will have a full review closer to the release date, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I liked that it was built out of the basic premise for Hamlet and that there were references to the play but it was entirely it's own story and one that needed to be told. I think the best part is that it was "accessible" to people because, even if you haven't read Hamlet, you know the general story line so you had a bit of an idea of what was going to happen. However, this story is so much more than just about Hanalee finding her father's killer and I highly recommend this one.
Books and Ladders | Queen of the Bookshelves | Books Are My Fandom | Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin'
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I will have a full review closer to the release date, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I liked that it was built out of the basic premise for Hamlet and that there were references to the play but it was entirely it's own story and one that needed to be told. I think the best part is that it was "accessible" to people because, even if you haven't read Hamlet, you know the general story line so you had a bit of an idea of what was going to happen. However, this story is so much more than just about Hanalee finding her father's killer and I highly recommend this one.
Books and Ladders | Queen of the Bookshelves | Books Are My Fandom | Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin'
This wasn't as good in my opinion as Cat Winters other books. It was still a good read with characters you cared about but they weren't as interesting as I had hoped.
It was good ? Well written, good characters, amazing setting. Just. Kinda. Boring.
It was important. Dealt with some important themes that I'll discuss in my review but. Idk. wasn't too great. ghosts were just...there
It was important. Dealt with some important themes that I'll discuss in my review but. Idk. wasn't too great. ghosts were just...there
Eh, I picked this one up, started it, and set it back down probably 5 times before I finally followed through. An okay historical fiction-ish book with some supernatural elements that I wish had just been left out because I felt they didn't add much to the story.
The pacing in the first half felt really off, and none of the characters were particularly memorable personality-wise, even if their identities were interesting.
"An army of blacks, Catholics, Jews, Japanese, and queers would scare the hell out of the fucking KKK."
Couldn't put it down. Beautiful, gripping, terrifying, enthralling. Hanalee is the biggest badass. I'm glad that this book exists, throwing a light on the worst parts of Oregon's history and white supremacist beginnings.
Couldn't put it down. Beautiful, gripping, terrifying, enthralling. Hanalee is the biggest badass. I'm glad that this book exists, throwing a light on the worst parts of Oregon's history and white supremacist beginnings.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
https://cdnbookworm.blogspot.com/2023/07/the-steep-and-thorny-way.html