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petrichorandcoffee's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It's hard to rate this book. It is very dark, often intense, and none of the characters are likeable. It is well-written, compelling, truly original, and unpredictable. The book made me uncomfortable, yet I had trouble putting it down and when I read it I felt completely absorbed even though I did not like any of the characters. I feel like there is a lot of meaning and eeriness, faith and cynicism shimmering above the story the whole time. It feels like a Bible story but also it feels completely blasphemous. The ending is not what I expected and I'm not sure what to make of it yet - I will have to let it simmer. Also it uses the n-word (not as a main point of the story but it is still used) and there are racist remarks made by a character and I'm not sure if the reader is intended to see that as the character being a bad person or if the reader is expected to be okay with the remarks. I think (and hope) the former. I appreciate what O'Connor does with shifting perspectives/POVs throughout (but in a more subtle way than explicitly shifting a 1st person narrative POV as it is always 3rd person). I would recommend this book. It is very strange, and unpleasant, and made me think. It feels like it has something powerful inside of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Murder
Moderate: Self harm
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