Reviews

I liked this much more when I listened to the audio (who knew this would work so well on audio?) My long, meandering review is here.

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Earlier review from when I couldn't get through it:
I read the first two chapters (43 pages) and just can't get past her writing. At first I thought the descriptions were impressive. She used some good imagery, for instance:

"Youths walking home screamed jungle cries and sprinted past one another like feral carnivores, running together toward some invisible, felled big-game carcass just outside the boundaries of school property."

But it started feeling so forced. "...caffeinated ponytail"? "...face the color of sunburned meat"? Does meat sunburn? Does this mean cooked meat with a pink sheen, or raw meat....well, what would raw meat look like sunburned? I really shouldn't have to spend time trying to figure this out - just say that the guy's face is sunburned. There's no need to make everything a simile.

The main character is fairly two-dimensional but I would have stuck with it to find out if she was developed more if I could stand to read the writing. I wanted to like this. It's so unusual and taboo - I like taboo! I get tired of reading about middle-class people with the same problems we all have. I read an interview with the author in which she said really interesting things about female pedophiles and how they and their male victims are treated, and it really made me want to read this.

Others really love her writing, so if you're interested give it a try - don't let my review put you off.

awashi3's review against another edition

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dark sad medium-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

3.0

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