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lilifane's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
WTF did I just read?
I was really expecting something totally different but was pleasantly surprised by this book.
The writing is so beautiful, lush, sensual and the atmosphere it creates reminded me immensely of The Starless Sea (which might be my favorite book of all times, so I was pretty biased once I noticed the similarities). They have some plot points, themes and imagery in common, but it's mostly the vibes I'm talking about. Mainly, the no plot just vibes attitude.
I did enjoy the plot, it felt like a dark fairy tale, and it went darker places than I expected. There were pacing issues, though, and a lot of conveniences and weird character decisions. Speaking of the characters, since the focus is mostly on the vibes and the fairy tale story structure, the characters were not as flashed out as I usually like. Especially Violet, the protagonist, felt one dimensional. Secondary characters like Penelope and Aleksander were way more memorable than Violet, and their motivations were more nuanced and intriguing.
But again, the way the atmosphere and the vibes were making me feel... I was longing for this feeling since I've read The Starless Sea for the first time. And it's really hard to find, so I'm just happy to have experienced it again with this book. And despite it not being a perfect book, I loved it with all my heart.
I was really expecting something totally different but was pleasantly surprised by this book.
The writing is so beautiful, lush, sensual and the atmosphere it creates reminded me immensely of The Starless Sea (which might be my favorite book of all times, so I was pretty biased once I noticed the similarities). They have some plot points, themes and imagery in common, but it's mostly the vibes I'm talking about. Mainly, the no plot just vibes attitude.
I did enjoy the plot, it felt like a dark fairy tale, and it went darker places than I expected. There were pacing issues, though, and a lot of conveniences and weird character decisions. Speaking of the characters, since the focus is mostly on the vibes and the fairy tale story structure, the characters were not as flashed out as I usually like. Especially Violet, the protagonist, felt one dimensional. Secondary characters like Penelope and Aleksander were way more memorable than Violet, and their motivations were more nuanced and intriguing.
But again, the way the atmosphere and the vibes were making me feel... I was longing for this feeling since I've read The Starless Sea for the first time. And it's really hard to find, so I'm just happy to have experienced it again with this book. And despite it not being a perfect book, I loved it with all my heart.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Gore, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Sexual content
anntharai's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I'd first like to thank Netgalley, the publishers, and of course the author Georgia Summers for early access to the audiobook.
This book drew me in almost instantly, the way Summers writes is lyrical and dark - half the time I felt like I was listening to an epic poem rather than narrative prose and I think that suits the story perfectly.
With deeply complex characters who make engaging choices that are undeniably exactly what that person would do and a storyline that requires real attention I wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone looking for an engaging and deep story.
The narrator did a phenomenal job, Kitty Parker's voice is mesmerising and ill definitely be listening to more by her. Bonus points for being speedup-able for my fellow ADHD girlies, she's measured and well paced with enough emotion to feel connected but not so much that it overwhelms.
This book drew me in almost instantly, the way Summers writes is lyrical and dark - half the time I felt like I was listening to an epic poem rather than narrative prose and I think that suits the story perfectly.
With deeply complex characters who make engaging choices that are undeniably exactly what that person would do and a storyline that requires real attention I wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone looking for an engaging and deep story.
The narrator did a phenomenal job, Kitty Parker's voice is mesmerising and ill definitely be listening to more by her. Bonus points for being speedup-able for my fellow ADHD girlies, she's measured and well paced with enough emotion to feel connected but not so much that it overwhelms.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment