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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-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
My original perception of the story was off. I was under the impression that this was going to be more plot driven and action packed than it was. It’s very much a character driven story, and had I known that or been able to assume that from the blurb, I think I would’ve been higher on it.
At first, keeping track of the perspectives wasn’t that difficult, but then the author kept adding in new people and abandoning others. It definitely got confusing sometimes. Additionally, it switches between first person and third person limited. The pov doesn’t bother me as I have no true preference, but it added to my confusion because in one chapter, the person would be saying “I” and then all of a sudden, we’re calling that same person by their name. I was like “wait, who is this again?” multiple times.
I think the concept and the themes discussed are very interesting, and I wish we’d stuck with some of the characters longer to explore them. A few of these themes include: police brutality, family bonds + relationships, substance misuse, what makes someone a “monster”, and faith in a higher power. There’s a constant battle between personal demons and very tangible ones, which I didn’t expect. It also does a good job of depicting a multitude of queer relationships and identities in a way that didn’t feel performative or like it was pandering to an audience.
Ultimately, if you like character driven stories, I’d recommend this, but you really have to focus. I’m interested in some of the author’s other works, but this was a decent start.
I was going to try to finish this book just to say I did, but then I realized that life is too short and fleeting to spend on a book in which I am not at all invested. I made it half-way through and still did not know or care about any of the characters, during which nothing much happened (one would think that characters being unwillingly sacrificed would make an impact, but no, one would be wrong to believe it).
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I just could not get into it. I liked the premise, and I gave it an extended chance because it was a slow-burning read with a known challenging narrative style.
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
I think the concept could have been good, but the execution was not. Too many characters, pacing problems, the when and where are hard to keep track of, and just overall unenjoyable.
Side note, the audiobook's voice actor was amazing in bringing life to the narrator.
Side note, the audiobook's voice actor was amazing in bringing life to the narrator.
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
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
Read this for research on my own book, and for that I feel like the themes are incredible.
I am very biased since I read this with a very specific reason in mind.
I am very biased since I read this with a very specific reason in mind.