Scan barcode
jbt1234's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
It feels weird to be reviewing a book written by a woman who personally taught me a bunch of what I know about writing. I was lucky enough to be one of Hayley Scrivenor's many students at the University of Wollongong (whether she remembers me or not!), taught by all of the same people who taught her.
I was so excited to see this name on the bookshelf, and I grabbed it immediately! But what I also learned at UOW, particularly from one Shady Cosgrove, is that criticism only makes us stronger writers, so here it goes!
Interestingly enough, I found this book really shone after the mystery was done, in the last 15% we see the impact of all these events on all these characters. How they've changed, how they've learned or tried to escape. It might be that contemporary mystery isn't my usual genre of choice, but something about the narrative itself lacked a certain quality to make it super gripping in the lead up to the emotional resolution. I was invested in the people more than the story.
The way Dirt Town is written is unique and captivating, with beautiful Australian metaphor and imagery and a snapshot of the child psyche that's hard to pull off. The alternation between First Person, Third Person, and Collective pronouns was unique, if a little jarring at first. It felt like a late-night crime special on TV, told from Ronnie's perspective, and I quite enjoyed that once I got used to it.
I don't want it to seem like I think the plot was boring, or banal, it just wasn't quite as gripping as I think I was expecting a mystery to be. The beauty of this book lies in its characters, the machinations of a small Australian town, and the impact one missing little girl can have on a community.
I'm extremely proud to have learned from the author of this wonderful work, and I hope to see more from Hayley soon!
PS: A lot of my TBR at the moment is queer literature, and I really expected this to be a break. I was wrong, and this book has wonderful, contemporary, normalised queer representation and it was a wonderful surprise.
I was so excited to see this name on the bookshelf, and I grabbed it immediately! But what I also learned at UOW, particularly from one Shady Cosgrove, is that criticism only makes us stronger writers, so here it goes!
Interestingly enough, I found this book really shone after the mystery was done, in the last 15% we see the impact of all these events on all these characters. How they've changed, how they've learned or tried to escape. It might be that contemporary mystery isn't my usual genre of choice, but something about the narrative itself lacked a certain quality to make it super gripping in the lead up to the emotional resolution. I was invested in the people more than the story.
The way Dirt Town is written is unique and captivating, with beautiful Australian metaphor and imagery and a snapshot of the child psyche that's hard to pull off. The alternation between First Person, Third Person, and Collective pronouns was unique, if a little jarring at first. It felt like a late-night crime special on TV, told from Ronnie's perspective, and I quite enjoyed that once I got used to it.
I don't want it to seem like I think the plot was boring, or banal, it just wasn't quite as gripping as I think I was expecting a mystery to be. The beauty of this book lies in its characters, the machinations of a small Australian town, and the impact one missing little girl can have on a community.
I'm extremely proud to have learned from the author of this wonderful work, and I hope to see more from Hayley soon!
PS: A lot of my TBR at the moment is queer literature, and I really expected this to be a break. I was wrong, and this book has wonderful, contemporary, normalised queer representation and it was a wonderful surprise.
Content Warnings
Minor: Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Homophobia, and Rape
booksbytheglass's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
this one was not for me … but I appreciated it greatly!
there was a lot that I wanted to love about this one: the missing (kidnapped probably murdered) person, the small town suspicions, the sketchy family, I could go on and on
however, the writing of the plot was not it for me. the dialogue was few and far between, with the switching POVs telling their side of the story rather than in conversational writing.
I would have loved it more if the mystery held more of an impact and allowed the reader to figure it out for themselves. instead, the story was unfolded bit by bit and spoon fed to the readers 😅
not to mention the kids who were friends with missing child esther had the WORST memories and literally could not understand that withholding information was life or death for their “friend”
I WAS SO IRRITATED THE ENTIRE TIME 🥴
overall, it had great potential, but the writing wasn’t the correct style to fit the themes of the book, in my opinion.
thank you to netgalley and flatiron books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
rating: 2 stars
wine pairing: brazil sauvignon blanc
there was a lot that I wanted to love about this one: the missing (kidnapped probably murdered) person, the small town suspicions, the sketchy family, I could go on and on
however, the writing of the plot was not it for me. the dialogue was few and far between, with the switching POVs telling their side of the story rather than in conversational writing.
I would have loved it more if the mystery held more of an impact and allowed the reader to figure it out for themselves. instead, the story was unfolded bit by bit and spoon fed to the readers 😅
not to mention the kids who were friends with missing child esther had the WORST memories and literally could not understand that withholding information was life or death for their “friend”
I WAS SO IRRITATED THE ENTIRE TIME 🥴
overall, it had great potential, but the writing wasn’t the correct style to fit the themes of the book, in my opinion.
thank you to netgalley and flatiron books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
rating: 2 stars
wine pairing: brazil sauvignon blanc
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Child death
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Physical abuse
kellyung's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Death, Rape, Kidnapping, Violence, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Mental illness, Animal death, Addiction, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Blood, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Homophobia, Ableism, and Incest
More...