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4.3 AVERAGE
4.3 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
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
I really liked the premise and execution of this book! The radiation plot was super interesting and I was very invested in Valery figuring out what was going on. Also Valery with his panic attacks and weak bones omg love him as a character! Both he and Shenkov are definitely morally grey Valery has killed like 60 people pretty brutally (for good reasons) and was also convinced to work in a lab with Josef Mengele… Shenkov is a KGB officer who takes people out back and shoots them but I ultimately found them sympathetic and enjoyed their romance! I always kind of wish Pulley would explore the relationships a little more, but they get a mostly happy ending, if we accept that Anna got the kids out, so we take it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Confinement, Homophobia, Kidnapping
Minor: Miscarriage
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
This is now my favorite from Pulley so far and I wouldn't be surprised if it's in my top reads of the year. I was tense through the whole thing and the paranoia was palpable. It was like reading with an exposed nerve at times, made all better by the ending. It was also my first Pulley novel to not feature any kind of fantasy element - making it all the more unsettling that it wasn't necessarily all fiction either. Highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Murder
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness
Minor: Sexual assault
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
“Mr. Kolkhanov. I find that when the KGB are at their most hysterical is when there is something extremely serious to cover up. I don’t believe a word of it. You don’t seem like a man who could kill anyone to me.”
~
2022
“I’m not covering myself in glory here. But, I draw the line at letting him liquidise in a basement.”
~
2022
“I’m not covering myself in glory here. But, I draw the line at letting him liquidise in a basement.”
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Another fantastic Natasha Pulley novel. Raw and wry and powerful. Can't recommend it enough.
challenging
dark
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Beautifully written book that does an amazing job telling the horrors and dread of living a secret town in Soviet Russia and how the fear of failing or standing out effects everyone, as a simple phone call feels like life or death. 50% of the book is just about radiation, but it does a good job explaining it, and Valery is definitely the highlight of the book.
Personally was hard for me to love Valery and Shenkov's romantic plot. Not because it wasn't cute, but it feels like a Yaoi version of "I Fell in Love With my Mob Boss" in 60's Russia. Shenkov is a likebly character and his and Valery dynamic is enjoyable, but it felt weird when one feels comfortable hanging around the other guy who just set a house on fire with people inside it.