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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An intense read. Heavy content. Overall creepy vibes. I enjoyed it. Would recommend.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book was entertaining but also fatiguing to read. I had to take several breaks because there was so much going on all the time. I needed time to think in between.
There were moments of irony that I appreciated (like how there are neighbors coveting this house that is essentially cursed/haunted). There were several scenes of distress (like the consequences of Becka lying to Corey about who she is). There were instances of human nature that we've all been guilty (of like when Corey says something to Sean in the heat of the moment that he immediately regrets). There is a lot of mysterious WHAT is going on????? (like when Art Brunell committed an inexplicable crime). There are places in the book that make you want to cry (like when Angela finds out what happened to Onyx). This is what I mean - so much going on all the time, and these were just the small moments in between the big ones.
The book has strong character development for some characters more than others. Angela being at the center of it all is very well-developed, as would be expected. She has an inner strength that is worthy of all our respect. I knew this right away when near the beginning (so NOT a spoiler) it's revealed that she checked herself in for psychiatric care as she mourns her son's suicide, something she doesn't understand. It's not something she's ashamed of, though it's not like she's advertising it either. It's part of who she is, and it's what she needed to get to a functional place. She's in full control of every choice she makes, and she knows whom her inner circle is made up of. She knows she can trust them, and while that's a very tight circle, they prove themselves worthy through the end. So she's not afraid to lean on them for help. Nor does she spend an inordinate amount of time trying to guess at Myles' feelings, which I think a lot of people and characters would do, which would result in a lot of bad assumptions and bad communication and me getting pissed off that they are too prideful to ask the questions that need to be discussed (sorry about this run-on sentence, but I had to get it out!). And when it's time, she trusts herself and trusts Corey when Corey starts talking to her about the supernatural, which is not exactly something most parents would listen to seriously. Also, isn't it so great that she has such a fun and high-power career as a Hollywood agent? That rounds her out so perfectly.
I enjoyed the flashbacks to understand what happened to Corey and how we got to where we got for the book to be the book that it is. Thebacka is not kidding around! And though Corey was depicted exactly the way a teen might behave, I had great respect for his strength too. He was loyal, self-aware, protective, passionate, and unafraid to take action.
In the end, the book can be said it's about reconciliation, second chances, making the hard choices, liberation, gratitude, and family bonds. Be prepared to go down a twisty path, and be ready to celebrate when you get to the end, because the ending is worth celebrating.
PS, it was not lost on me that Angela's family name is Toussaint, leader of the Haitian liberation movement, nor that they live in a town named Sacajawea.
There were moments of irony that I appreciated (like how there are neighbors coveting this house that is essentially cursed/haunted). There were several scenes of distress (like the consequences of Becka lying to Corey about who she is). There were instances of human nature that we've all been guilty (of like when Corey says something to Sean in the heat of the moment that he immediately regrets). There is a lot of mysterious WHAT is going on????? (like when Art Brunell committed an inexplicable crime). There are places in the book that make you want to cry (like when Angela finds out what happened to Onyx). This is what I mean - so much going on all the time, and these were just the small moments in between the big ones.
The book has strong character development for some characters more than others. Angela being at the center of it all is very well-developed, as would be expected. She has an inner strength that is worthy of all our respect. I knew this right away when near the beginning (so NOT a spoiler) it's revealed that she checked herself in for psychiatric care as she mourns her son's suicide, something she doesn't understand. It's not something she's ashamed of, though it's not like she's advertising it either. It's part of who she is, and it's what she needed to get to a functional place. She's in full control of every choice she makes, and she knows whom her inner circle is made up of. She knows she can trust them, and while that's a very tight circle, they prove themselves worthy through the end. So she's not afraid to lean on them for help. Nor does she spend an inordinate amount of time trying to guess at Myles' feelings, which I think a lot of people and characters would do, which would result in a lot of bad assumptions and bad communication and me getting pissed off that they are too prideful to ask the questions that need to be discussed (sorry about this run-on sentence, but I had to get it out!). And when it's time, she trusts herself and trusts Corey when Corey starts talking to her about the supernatural, which is not exactly something most parents would listen to seriously. Also, isn't it so great that she has such a fun and high-power career as a Hollywood agent? That rounds her out so perfectly.
I enjoyed the flashbacks to understand what happened to Corey and how we got to where we got for the book to be the book that it is. Thebacka is not kidding around! And though Corey was depicted exactly the way a teen might behave, I had great respect for his strength too. He was loyal, self-aware, protective, passionate, and unafraid to take action.
In the end, the book can be said it's about reconciliation, second chances, making the hard choices, liberation, gratitude, and family bonds. Be prepared to go down a twisty path, and be ready to celebrate when you get to the end, because the ending is worth celebrating.
PS, it was not lost on me that Angela's family name is Toussaint, leader of the Haitian liberation movement, nor that they live in a town named Sacajawea.
This was a such a good read. It’s a slow burn, but it’s very dark and creepy, with well fleshed out and interesting characters and super rich mythology rooted in voodoo. I enjoyed this so much.
slow-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I'm feeling grateful for authors like Tananarive Due who write good quality horror. What a time to be alive - lol! It did need a smidge more editing though to pare it down. Looking forward to reading the Reformatory.