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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Just overall a mess of ideas. Some of the ideas were fun, most were not.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Suicide
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Tor for the review copy of Glass Houses by Madeline Ashby. I was intrigued by the premise and tone of this book, with its strong setup and focus on examining male-dominated spaces, such as the tech industry, and addressing misogyny and the treatment of women and marginalized people in these environments.
I was particularly invested at the start, drawn to what seemed like a strong atmospheric read with a remote island setting and the promise of seeing obnoxious tech bros face the consequences of their behavior. The exploration of a woman as the chief emotion manager was also compelling (we can delve into the gender dynamics of that role another time—why do we always expect women to handle emotion-focused work?). However, the sci-fi thriller elements didn’t quite connect with me, perhaps because I’m not the ideal or target reader for this genre.
While the plot twists and developments were creative and occasionally thought-provoking, I found that many plot points didn’t come together as well as I’d hoped. My main challenge with connecting to the story stemmed from the writing—the style felt flat to me, and the pacing kept me from fully engaging with the narrative.
I was particularly invested at the start, drawn to what seemed like a strong atmospheric read with a remote island setting and the promise of seeing obnoxious tech bros face the consequences of their behavior. The exploration of a woman as the chief emotion manager was also compelling (we can delve into the gender dynamics of that role another time—why do we always expect women to handle emotion-focused work?). However, the sci-fi thriller elements didn’t quite connect with me, perhaps because I’m not the ideal or target reader for this genre.
While the plot twists and developments were creative and occasionally thought-provoking, I found that many plot points didn’t come together as well as I’d hoped. My main challenge with connecting to the story stemmed from the writing—the style felt flat to me, and the pacing kept me from fully engaging with the narrative.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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:
Yes
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-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:
Yes
i had a great time w this book. perfect beach read if quite dark, but the darkness is pure schadenfreude. loved the main character and the way the mysteries unfold, and also love the love interest.