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the_vegan_bookworm's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
This book is a really interesting exploration of grief and how we navigate life after loss. Jade's life is forever changed by the death of her twin sister Roze, and the novel is a piece of beautiful prose that looks at how this loss shapes her relationships going forward. The story explores both the perspective of Jade, as well as the other people in her life who love her. This has the effect of giving a full picture of the way that Jade affects people both past and present.
In a lot of ways, it reminded me of "You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty" by Akwaeke Emezi. Both books are deeply queer, and queerness is a central component of the protagonist's exploration of grief after traumatic loss. Both protagonists are also messy and cause accidental hurt through their chaotic relationships.
This being said, I didn't feel that "Jade Is a Twisted Green" was as fully developed as it could have been. The ending, for example, felt like it was trying to say something but that the message never really clarified. For me, the ending left me feeling a little underwhelmed and without closure. The multiple perspectives were also really interesting but sometimes items, such as past traumas for side characters, would appear in these other stories and never be meaningfully addressed. It left me feeling a bit of whiplash emotionally.
I think this book is still a great read, and I can't wait to see what else the author publishes going forward.
In a lot of ways, it reminded me of "You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty" by Akwaeke Emezi. Both books are deeply queer, and queerness is a central component of the protagonist's exploration of grief after traumatic loss. Both protagonists are also messy and cause accidental hurt through their chaotic relationships.
This being said, I didn't feel that "Jade Is a Twisted Green" was as fully developed as it could have been. The ending, for example, felt like it was trying to say something but that the message never really clarified. For me, the ending left me feeling a little underwhelmed and without closure. The multiple perspectives were also really interesting but sometimes items, such as past traumas for side characters, would appear in these other stories and never be meaningfully addressed. It left me feeling a bit of whiplash emotionally.
I think this book is still a great read, and I can't wait to see what else the author publishes going forward.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Alcohol, Grief, and Infidelity
Moderate: Child abuse, Suicide, and Pedophilia
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