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shaunie991's review
3.0
Oufff, this was a tough read. It started dramatically with an excessive amount of swearing. It didn’t really work well as an audiobook because the narrators sounded way too similar. The characters started to blend together until you started to forget who’s who.
I was able to get through it until about 84%, at which point I completely lost interest and just listened to the last 16% for the sake of finishing it.
This book would likely be a 4 star in its physical form rather than the audiobook. It has promise, but as an audiobook, it wasn't for me..
TWs: Violence, death, abuse, stalking, excessive cursing/swearing, etc.
(I received this audiobook ALC via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you.)
I was able to get through it until about 84%, at which point I completely lost interest and just listened to the last 16% for the sake of finishing it.
This book would likely be a 4 star in its physical form rather than the audiobook. It has promise, but as an audiobook, it wasn't for me..
TWs: Violence, death, abuse, stalking, excessive cursing/swearing, etc.
(I received this audiobook ALC via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you.)
rainbowbookworm's review
2.0
I read this because I mistakenly thought it was queer. It was not.
I enjoyed the writing style, but the book was not for me.
I enjoyed the writing style, but the book was not for me.
tatterededges's review
3.0
This took awhile for me to really get into. It’s not my normal style, I like thrillers but usually take a pass on westerns and feminist lit can be really hit or miss so for something billed as a feminist western thriller could have gone either way.
The first half of the book felt too slow, the backstory’s of each of the three main characters, too long to come about. I was losing interest and thought about chucking it in several times before the even got off the bus.
I liked the rage, the violence was well placed and the post-apocalyptic feel of a covid ridden environment was a fitting backdrop.
The second half of the book picked up in pace and the characters became more three dimensional, although the motivations were still pretty abstract.
Overall the book fell flat. The ending was disappointing and the characters lives just felt like a waste. Like what was the point of it all??
The first half of the book felt too slow, the backstory’s of each of the three main characters, too long to come about. I was losing interest and thought about chucking it in several times before the even got off the bus.
I liked the rage, the violence was well placed and the post-apocalyptic feel of a covid ridden environment was a fitting backdrop.
The second half of the book picked up in pace and the characters became more three dimensional, although the motivations were still pretty abstract.
Overall the book fell flat. The ending was disappointing and the characters lives just felt like a waste. Like what was the point of it all??
jordynkw's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
hazelgirl21's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Confinement
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic and Death
spacewhombus's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Hmmm this was a solid middle rating for me. It follows the story of two female convicts, Florence (Florida) and Dios as they try to kind of run from the violence inside of them after being released from prison during the COVID pandemic. I saw a blurb that related this to Killing Eve, and I would say it definitely gave that vibe except without the romantic/erotic fascination, and set in the wild west of Los Angeles and Arizona during the pandemic when everything was eerily empty.
It starts inside a women's prison, where we see just how capable the women can be of violence, and how these ghosts of people you have hurt manifest themselves inside you, even if you try to run from it. Of course we also get a bleak picture of the prison system and misogyny experienced by the women inside.
Upon their release from prison, Florida is set on getting back to her life but with the encouragement of Dios, who is never far behind her, they engage in more violence which slowly comes to a peak in a showdown in front of a street mural painter.
I liked the inclusion of the perspective of Lobos, a female cop, as she struggled with wanting to regain her power and be capable of violence when faced with an abusive ex-husband.
This book kept me on my toes and it was a quick read, but if you are not a fan of mulitple perspectives and piecing a story together from different viewpoints, then maybe this isn't for you. It was a bit confusing at times and I never really felt for the characters. I don't think I would read this again, but then again I am not a fan of dark books normally.
Hmmm this was a solid middle rating for me. It follows the story of two female convicts, Florence (Florida) and Dios as they try to kind of run from the violence inside of them after being released from prison during the COVID pandemic. I saw a blurb that related this to Killing Eve, and I would say it definitely gave that vibe except without the romantic/erotic fascination, and set in the wild west of Los Angeles and Arizona during the pandemic when everything was eerily empty.
It starts inside a women's prison, where we see just how capable the women can be of violence, and how these ghosts of people you have hurt manifest themselves inside you, even if you try to run from it. Of course we also get a bleak picture of the prison system and misogyny experienced by the women inside.
Upon their release from prison, Florida is set on getting back to her life but with the encouragement of Dios, who is never far behind her, they engage in more violence which slowly comes to a peak in a showdown in front of a street mural painter.
I liked the inclusion of the perspective of Lobos, a female cop, as she struggled with wanting to regain her power and be capable of violence when faced with an abusive ex-husband.
This book kept me on my toes and it was a quick read, but if you are not a fan of mulitple perspectives and piecing a story together from different viewpoints, then maybe this isn't for you. It was a bit confusing at times and I never really felt for the characters. I don't think I would read this again, but then again I am not a fan of dark books normally.
hannahjsimpson's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Audiobook was amazing but I think that the actual story had a little bit too much going on for what was at it's core a very simple story. I wanted more of Kase and her medium tendencies. Less of Detective Lobos' story. And I wanted more on Dios. I didn't fully believe she'd go to the lengths she did with seemingly little motivation.
Would make a killer tv show.
Would make a killer tv show.
danubooks's review
4.0
When do you become the thing you’ve kept at bay?
The answer to this question is at the heart of the latest novel by Ivy Pochoda. It is the story of Florence Baum, a young white woman from a wealthy LA family, serving time in a women’s prison in Arizona in the midst of the COVID 19 pandemic and now known as Florida. The tale is also that of Diana Diosmary Sandoval, called DIos, a young woman of color from an impoverished background who was able to secure a scholarship to an elite East Coast university but who was convicted of a violent crime and imprisoned as well. Two women from very different backgrounds who have ended up in the same place, who might be very much alike or completely different. Their stories are told in alternating voices and chapters, sometimes by Dios, others by Florida, and occasionally by a fellow cellmate Kace (who may or may not be completely reliable, as she continually hears the voices of dead people in her mind and eventually has to yell out what the voices are telling her). Are Florida and Dios victims of outside forces, imprisoned by a careless justice system, or might they be deeply angry and violent people who just happen to be women (or both)? They are definitely not friends, and not even allies….and while one of them believes them to be the same at heart, the other does not. During a power blackout, violence erupts inside the prison and another of the inmates. Tina, is brutally beaten and killed. Tina had been Florida’s roommate….did Florida kill her? Or was it Dios? Things between the two women grow increasingly tense…..and then they find that they have both been chosen for an early release and probation as part of the prison’s efforts to lighten the population and prevent the rampant spread of COVID. They will have to spend two weeks in quarantine in a nearby hotel, and then can make plans to settle elsewhere for the rest of their probation. These are not women who are good at following rules, though, and soon one of them hits the road headed for the West Coast. The other follows on her heels, and violence is along for the ride.
At the beginning of the book, Kace tells the reader of a mural on a wall in LA , which all who view it swear has figures on it that move, that tells the end of the story of Florida and Dios….Dios standing at the end of a street with Florida marching towards her. A modern day High Noon, in an urban and feminist way. Between that beginning and the end of the novel, the reader learns slowly and in layers who each of these women are, what set them on the track to their criminal convictions, and why they are bound together. There is also the lawman, or in this case the law woman Detective Lobos, who is on their trail to bring them back into custody and stop the violent crimes they leave in their wake. Lobos has her own battles with past regrets and violence which may either hinder her ability to do her job or light the way for her to accomplish it. Are women capable of harboring such darkness and violence? If so, are they born with it or does it develop to deal with the cruelties and betrayals of which they have been victims? The story is gritty and bleak, with elements of a Western but it is more a psychological puzzle. Each character is flawed, and none can be relied upon for an honest appraisal of their own character. I found it an interesting if not exactly enjoyable read, well-written and nuanced. Readers who enjoy Cormac McCarthy might find something with which to connect here. Authors like Dennis Lehane, whose publishing imprint published an earlier Pochoda novel, and Michael Connelly are also fans of the writing, so those who enjoy their books may also want to give this a try. Thanks to MCD/Farrah Strauss and Giroux and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced reader’s copy of Sing Her Down.
The answer to this question is at the heart of the latest novel by Ivy Pochoda. It is the story of Florence Baum, a young white woman from a wealthy LA family, serving time in a women’s prison in Arizona in the midst of the COVID 19 pandemic and now known as Florida. The tale is also that of Diana Diosmary Sandoval, called DIos, a young woman of color from an impoverished background who was able to secure a scholarship to an elite East Coast university but who was convicted of a violent crime and imprisoned as well. Two women from very different backgrounds who have ended up in the same place, who might be very much alike or completely different. Their stories are told in alternating voices and chapters, sometimes by Dios, others by Florida, and occasionally by a fellow cellmate Kace (who may or may not be completely reliable, as she continually hears the voices of dead people in her mind and eventually has to yell out what the voices are telling her). Are Florida and Dios victims of outside forces, imprisoned by a careless justice system, or might they be deeply angry and violent people who just happen to be women (or both)? They are definitely not friends, and not even allies….and while one of them believes them to be the same at heart, the other does not. During a power blackout, violence erupts inside the prison and another of the inmates. Tina, is brutally beaten and killed. Tina had been Florida’s roommate….did Florida kill her? Or was it Dios? Things between the two women grow increasingly tense…..and then they find that they have both been chosen for an early release and probation as part of the prison’s efforts to lighten the population and prevent the rampant spread of COVID. They will have to spend two weeks in quarantine in a nearby hotel, and then can make plans to settle elsewhere for the rest of their probation. These are not women who are good at following rules, though, and soon one of them hits the road headed for the West Coast. The other follows on her heels, and violence is along for the ride.
At the beginning of the book, Kace tells the reader of a mural on a wall in LA , which all who view it swear has figures on it that move, that tells the end of the story of Florida and Dios….Dios standing at the end of a street with Florida marching towards her. A modern day High Noon, in an urban and feminist way. Between that beginning and the end of the novel, the reader learns slowly and in layers who each of these women are, what set them on the track to their criminal convictions, and why they are bound together. There is also the lawman, or in this case the law woman Detective Lobos, who is on their trail to bring them back into custody and stop the violent crimes they leave in their wake. Lobos has her own battles with past regrets and violence which may either hinder her ability to do her job or light the way for her to accomplish it. Are women capable of harboring such darkness and violence? If so, are they born with it or does it develop to deal with the cruelties and betrayals of which they have been victims? The story is gritty and bleak, with elements of a Western but it is more a psychological puzzle. Each character is flawed, and none can be relied upon for an honest appraisal of their own character. I found it an interesting if not exactly enjoyable read, well-written and nuanced. Readers who enjoy Cormac McCarthy might find something with which to connect here. Authors like Dennis Lehane, whose publishing imprint published an earlier Pochoda novel, and Michael Connelly are also fans of the writing, so those who enjoy their books may also want to give this a try. Thanks to MCD/Farrah Strauss and Giroux and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced reader’s copy of Sing Her Down.