Reviews

Penance by Eliza Clark

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jennyfromtheloch's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

frantomlimb's review against another edition

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challenging dark fast-paced

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

5.0

frantomlimb's review against another edition

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5.0

I started reading this when I woke up this morning and just finished it now around 11 at night. I haven't read an entire book in one day in years but this was just so compelling I couldn't stop. I read her book Boy Parts earlier this year and also loved that so was so excited to hear she had a new book coming out so soon and this one did not disappoint.

To the satire on true crime podcasts and the minutiae on several specific types of Internet drama and fandoms Clark understands pop culture and the way people talk on the Internet so clearly and her writing is just so insightful. I felt myself in so many of the characters little quirks that it gave me chills with how similar it was to my own life, staying up in the middle of the night to play The Sims hit particularly hard.

I also loved all the lore she created about this little town, beyond Virginia Andrews I don't really read much "family saga" type things but all the little vignettes about the towns history like the deadly waterpark, the mad uncle with the crossbow who shoots seagulls, the arsons, it was just all very fascinating and it almost made me understand how people can get into big fantasy novels filled with intricate worldbuilding in a weird way.

I almost regret reading this so quickly because I'm worried I didn't give myself enough time to really let it sink in and think about the story properly but it's just such an enthralling read that I needed to know what happened.

maxihyde's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

4.75

The book is a ROUGH read, not something I would usually pick. But Eliza Clarke is a genius!! This is incredibly well thought out and executed, amazing characterization and some of the best incorporation of tech/social media in a contemporary novel I’ve seen. Insane it’s not a real story, feels scarily fleshed out