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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
I was definitely invested in the main character's sense of loss and yearning to reconnect with her close friend. However, I was so frustrated with her unwillingness/inability to walk away from her bad habits when it was so clear she was becoming a shadow of herself. I suppose that was the intent of the author, so well done in that regard.
This book was a drug! I finished in a day because I couldn't stop. Most of the story, I wasn't sure if it was a ghost story or a crazy trip. It really could be seen either way by the reader but I have landed firmly on the side of ghosts. I needed to stay up and watch funny animal videos on TikTok in order to go to bed after this.
Eh. Their friend Silas was supposed to be compelling and charismatic but he just seemed like a dick the entire time. Situation in the basement was unsurprising. The book explored grief and addiction but the story didn’t entirely work for me.
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
One of my favorite authors and Clay does it again with this book!
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury
dark
sad
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
This is a wild af book. I liked it but I wouldn't put it among my favorites. Definitely memorable though! I think the story itself had a lot of thought put into it. There's this underlying message about addiction and how we can never bury our history. The setting of Richmond was pretty perfect since it's one of the most history-rich cities in the US. There's some talk about the wreckage of confederate statues and the dark history of the US. I would say that was the part that intrigued me most. I think discussions about our dark history and the bodies we've buried is important because there will always be ghosts. To be honest, addiction is a thing so distant from me that I couldn't really relate to what was happening. So, I didn't feel much attachment to the experiences of Erin as she succumbed to a full out addiction. I also didn't particularly like any of the characters. But I kinda liked the grotesque parts of the book. I also liked the ending and that bit of a twist at the end, although I wouldn't say it was a huge one.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
medium-paced
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes