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maggie_the_ferocious_reader's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Death and Lesbophobia
Minor: Cancer
kldun's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Death, and Suicide
Moderate: Sexual assault and Terminal illness
yulia's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
However it just felt all over the place, especially closer to the end. There were some scenes that just lead nowhere.
I had mixed feeling on the main character, but there were barely any likeable characters in the book so by comparison she wasn't so bad.
Not a hard read, but if you like any joy in your stories, I would pass on this one.
Graphic: Homophobia, Hate crime, Violence, Police brutality, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Animal death
Minor: Addiction, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Self harm, and Medical content
micaelacccc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Death
Moderate: Homophobia and Lesbophobia
marywahlmeierbracciano's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Moderate: Grief, Cancer, Homophobia, Death of parent, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Alcohol, Religious bigotry, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Self harm, Drug use, Drug abuse, Addiction, Child abuse, Murder, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Alcoholism, Incest, and Medical content
grunbean's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
The idea of a queer nun detective is fresh, and I enjoyed that aspect of it. I think the religious trauma and exploration of what it’s like to grow up queer in these communities was interesting. But these didn’t really have much to do with the story of THIS book. A lot of the book didn’t have much to do with the story and mystery. I don’t know whether I’m not smart enough and I didn’t pick up on all the clues, or whether the answer to the mystery was shoe horned in at the end.
I found myself questioning the choices of the characters a lot. Not because they’re bad, but because their choices just didn’t make sense to me in the context.
Given that this is a series I feel like more time was spent on building up this world and characters for the series than on the story. It sort of felt like the author remembered there was a mystery to answer at the very end. It gave me whiplash, but not in the ‘oh my gosh I don’t know how I didn’t see this coming’ way. It was more of like ‘was I meant to see this coming’ way. If that makes sense.
There’s a lot of promise and the writing is beautiful in places. The author definitely has a flair for description. There’s a lot of promise, but it doesn’t deliver here. I will be picking up the next book in the series out of curiosity.
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Sexual content, Blood, Death of parent, Addiction, Alcohol, Animal death, Death, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Car accident, Rape, and Violence
jcnstntn's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, and Addiction
midnightcxreal's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Religious bigotry, Violence, Alcohol, Drug use, Drug abuse, Suicide, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Addiction, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Car accident, and Death
tarasoraptor's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Will come back to review in more detail if I can.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Alcohol, Classism, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Incest, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Drug use, Addiction, Bullying, Cancer, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Sexism, Self harm, Terminal illness, Cursing, Death, Police brutality, Murder, Rape, and Sexual harassment
ermw0's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Again, we are told that Sister Holiday knows her stuff and is effective. Even the actual investigators somewhat trust her. But I can see why they don't really, she's not very good at it.
Prince Dempsey - I don't even know where to begin with this character. His entire lawsuit and plot was dropped, so we have no resolution with that. I was annoyed with this since Sister Holliday spent so much time obsessing over him as a suspect. And then his random trial for a different crime (and car chase lol) felt like Prince was going to be a big player, but he was also duped by Sister Holiday and just a traumatized boy lashing out.
Rosemary - was a background character with slight tinges of suspicion but then veers suddenly into a "are we about to kiss rn" scenes with Sister Holiday? This felt shoehorned in, I wish they did more with her.
Nina - she didn't need to come to New Orleans at all. I actually liked her better as a memory, because the effect on Sister Holiday was so much more potent! Then you bring this character back for a tiny scene of zero consequence that could be removed from the book with no changes. Wish they kept her in the past.
Bernard - he was giving off a little creepy vibes towards the end by copying SH's neckerchief and getting the Judith tattoo and insisting SH get one too. It felt like this was building to something, but he's just there.
Sister Augustine - so she is the one who was setting the fires, accidentally killed John but did kill Sister T. I do not understand her motives at all and was confused and underwhelmed that she was the perpetrator? And then SH just lets her go? And then Sister Augustine accidentally (after trying to purposefully) lights herself on fire and dies? What? That ending was wild (not in a good way.)
There's so much more about this book I could write. I'm not sure if having this much to say and somewhat critique means I didn't enjoy the book, or I cared so much I wanted it to be as great as it can be. The book's interpretation on religion, especially as it applies to a queer woman, is very interesting and refreshing. I loved Sister Holiday as a character, I haven't read anyone like her before. I will definitely follow this series but I hope the sequel tightens up or at least continues the threads that were dropped off here.
Graphic: Homophobia, Murder, Death, Addiction, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Grief, Religious bigotry, Police brutality, Terminal illness, Infidelity, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape, Pregnancy, and Adult/minor relationship