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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
tense
medium-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
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I might come back to it- very interesting ideas about leftist organizing and data driven fascism, but I couldn’t handle it right now
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Starts as a slow burn and rises to a fever pitch. Shocking climax. Highly recommend, although it’s a bit tough to see where it’s going at the start or why we should care about a cast of unlikable characters.
After a Slow start full of character development, I almost DNF. About midway through, the tempo changes and it’s a real page turner.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5 ⭐️ wow. such an engaging read that pulls you along and then just shifts into another gear in the last third. I’m in awe of how psychologically/motivationally complex these characters are, and how good Catton is at writing dialogue — felt like they were real 21st century people talking to each other in a way I don’t think I’ve experienced in any other book. And I really love the Macbeth connection — much to think about.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The plot revved up just enough to get me over the fact that there are no likable characters. No doubt this was intentional, as Catton is highly skilled, but does it make for an enjoyable read? Catton goes out of her way to depict the do-gooders at the book's core as self-centered and corruptible--only to be outdone by a comically bad "Big Bad" who literally needs his back scratched to enjoy intimacy. This all culminates in a large "final event metaphor" that didn't feel tonally even or earned. Still, readable.