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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really liked this book. I loved Stella. She’s an excellent main character. The plot was a little slow at times and the switching of timelines threw off the building of suspense. The ending was jarring in how abrupt it was. Despite all those things, I enjoyed this book a lot. The best of the book was definitely in the journey.
This book was beautifully written. I have a great appreciation when an author can write other genders they do not identity as well. I’m not always a fan when stories switch back and forth from past to present every chapter but this was done in a way that didn’t irritate me other than sometimes wanting to know more but the chapter had ended. The book ends with a lot of mystery still to it which is kind of something that happens often with Daryl Gregory’s books. Most of his books carry a theme of dysfunctional and messed up families and this was no exception. I really enjoyed how the book showed just how limiting and destructive religion can be, how people can warp ideas and what others say to fit their own wants and needs, and how religion has justified the subjugation of women. I recommend this book if you’re good with the weird and deep thinking.
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
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
Wow. What a book. I'm a bit lost for words to be honest.
Corruption, religion, cult mentality, secrets, family history and a horrifying Lovecraftian monster.
More mysterious than scary, but if you enjoy piecing together a story then this will definitely scratch that itch.
This story was truly excellent and told in such a masterful way. I loved the jumps between the past and present and the way they each answer questions (or create more questions) about the other timeline. It really kept me guessing. I found myself pondering the plot even when I wasn't reading it, realising how things linked together and guessing what might happen next.
The characters are extremely believable and unique. It's so refreshing to read a book about genuinely powerful women without it feeling forced.
My only criticism, and it's so minor it barely even registers, is I think the word fuck was overused. I have no problem at all with swearing in books but at one point there was an extended "Fuuuuuuck!" and it just made me cringe. It always comes across a bit amateur in otherwise excellent books. But that's genuinely the only criticism I have. I loved this book so much. It really does deserve five stars.
Corruption, religion, cult mentality, secrets, family history and a horrifying Lovecraftian monster.
More mysterious than scary, but if you enjoy piecing together a story then this will definitely scratch that itch.
This story was truly excellent and told in such a masterful way. I loved the jumps between the past and present and the way they each answer questions (or create more questions) about the other timeline. It really kept me guessing. I found myself pondering the plot even when I wasn't reading it, realising how things linked together and guessing what might happen next.
The characters are extremely believable and unique. It's so refreshing to read a book about genuinely powerful women without it feeling forced.
My only criticism, and it's so minor it barely even registers, is I think the word fuck was overused. I have no problem at all with swearing in books but at one point there was an extended "Fuuuuuuck!" and it just made me cringe. It always comes across a bit amateur in otherwise excellent books. But that's genuinely the only criticism I have. I loved this book so much. It really does deserve five stars.
mysterious
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:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I don't quite remember how I learned of this book, but mysteries gods in the Appalachian mountains sounded right up my alley. And in a lot of ways, this book delivered; I loved the mystery of the family cult and the way the past and present intersected. My rating is influenced by a couple things: one, I think Gregory could have pushed the prose a bit more, and two, I think the wants of the god and the themes of the cult could have played off each other a little better. Thus, this book gets 3 stars from me.
WRITING: Gregory's prose is fine, but not especially to my tastes. It's easy to understand and fairly quick, but I thought it leaned a bit too heavily on telling. It's not the most egregious example I've seen, but when it comes to genres like southern Gothic and horror, I'm really looking for a strong sense of atmosphere. Personally, I thought the prose relied too much on character dialogue and stating emotions rather than showing them.
PLOT: The plot of this book follows a girl named Stella Wallace in two timelines: one in which she is 9 years old and comes to live with her grandmother, Motty. The other follows Stella when she's in her twenties and returns to Motty's house after hearing of her death. In both timelines, Stella must reckon with her family's strange religion and her role as the so-called "revelator."
There were a lot of things I liked about the plot. I enjoyed the mystery of the religion (which feels a bit like a cult) and what Stella's role was in the hierarchy. I also liked the themes that Gregory plays with, such as men acting as authorities or mediators, writing down and providing commentary on women's stories and not allowing the women to read the testimony of anyone still living. I also loved the way Gregory explored the theology of both Christianity and the family religion; Stella asked some very pointed questions, and it revealed a lot about the nature of devotion and power within religious organizations.
I do think, however, that some of the themes could have been pushed a bit so that everything commingled better towards the end. Without giving anything away, I will say that I think Gregory didn't explore the goals of the God as well as he could have and those goals didn't quite line up with the themes established prior. So while the horror aspect of the plot was fine, I think it could have come together much better to say something about gender and religion or something.
CHARACTERS: Stella, our protagonist, is fairly compelling because she has a stubborn, independent streak. Her grandmother, Motty, doesn't treat her very well, so when Stella acts out, it's easy to be on her side. She also is fiercely loyal to people she cares about (such as Abby, Merle, Alfonse, and even Sunny), so if you're a fan of found families, you'll probably like the relationships in this book. I do think Stella's personal arc was a bit underdeveloped; I'm not sure if Gregory was trying to play with the themes of "I'm a monster," but it seems to be the predominant narrative and I honestly don't think Stella exhibits enough self-loathing to really grapple with that in a meaningful way.
Supporting characters were great in that it was clear what they were there to do and they complimented Stella's story nicely. Motty, Stella's grandmother, was interesting in that I was never quite sure if she was trying to help Stella or was jealous of her. Abby, Stella's surrogate father, was charming and his admiration for Stella was endearing. Sunny was also kind of fun in that her origins are unclear and she is way too similar to Stella to think there isn't something going on with her.
Antagonists such as the members of the family "church" were interesting because they exhibited some of the main pitfalls of some organized religions today. The rigid gender hierarchy and the power afforded to men was compelling and I liked the way Gregory explored that through the control of the various books (testaments of past female revelators).
I do think the god could have been shaped a bit more so that when it is revealed what its goal actually is, it would have dovetailed nicely with the themes of the church. As it stands, I didn't exactly find the god horrifying since none of the things that are revealed about it are particularly explored in Stella's narrative. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'm being a bit vague, but hopefully you'll understand if you read the book.
TL;DR: Revelator is interesting for the way it explores sexism and hierarchy in religion while also questioning the way power is structured. However, it could have been stronger with more atmospheric prose and themes that intersected more closely.
WRITING: Gregory's prose is fine, but not especially to my tastes. It's easy to understand and fairly quick, but I thought it leaned a bit too heavily on telling. It's not the most egregious example I've seen, but when it comes to genres like southern Gothic and horror, I'm really looking for a strong sense of atmosphere. Personally, I thought the prose relied too much on character dialogue and stating emotions rather than showing them.
PLOT: The plot of this book follows a girl named Stella Wallace in two timelines: one in which she is 9 years old and comes to live with her grandmother, Motty. The other follows Stella when she's in her twenties and returns to Motty's house after hearing of her death. In both timelines, Stella must reckon with her family's strange religion and her role as the so-called "revelator."
There were a lot of things I liked about the plot. I enjoyed the mystery of the religion (which feels a bit like a cult) and what Stella's role was in the hierarchy. I also liked the themes that Gregory plays with, such as men acting as authorities or mediators, writing down and providing commentary on women's stories and not allowing the women to read the testimony of anyone still living. I also loved the way Gregory explored the theology of both Christianity and the family religion; Stella asked some very pointed questions, and it revealed a lot about the nature of devotion and power within religious organizations.
I do think, however, that some of the themes could have been pushed a bit so that everything commingled better towards the end. Without giving anything away, I will say that I think Gregory didn't explore the goals of the God as well as he could have and those goals didn't quite line up with the themes established prior. So while the horror aspect of the plot was fine, I think it could have come together much better to say something about gender and religion or something.
CHARACTERS: Stella, our protagonist, is fairly compelling because she has a stubborn, independent streak. Her grandmother, Motty, doesn't treat her very well, so when Stella acts out, it's easy to be on her side. She also is fiercely loyal to people she cares about (such as Abby, Merle, Alfonse, and even Sunny), so if you're a fan of found families, you'll probably like the relationships in this book. I do think Stella's personal arc was a bit underdeveloped; I'm not sure if Gregory was trying to play with the themes of "I'm a monster," but it seems to be the predominant narrative and I honestly don't think Stella exhibits enough self-loathing to really grapple with that in a meaningful way.
Supporting characters were great in that it was clear what they were there to do and they complimented Stella's story nicely. Motty, Stella's grandmother, was interesting in that I was never quite sure if she was trying to help Stella or was jealous of her. Abby, Stella's surrogate father, was charming and his admiration for Stella was endearing. Sunny was also kind of fun in that her origins are unclear and she is way too similar to Stella to think there isn't something going on with her.
Antagonists such as the members of the family "church" were interesting because they exhibited some of the main pitfalls of some organized religions today. The rigid gender hierarchy and the power afforded to men was compelling and I liked the way Gregory explored that through the control of the various books (testaments of past female revelators).
I do think the god could have been shaped a bit more so that when it is revealed what its goal actually is, it would have dovetailed nicely with the themes of the church. As it stands, I didn't exactly find the god horrifying since none of the things that are revealed about it are particularly explored in Stella's narrative. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'm being a bit vague, but hopefully you'll understand if you read the book.
TL;DR: Revelator is interesting for the way it explores sexism and hierarchy in religion while also questioning the way power is structured. However, it could have been stronger with more atmospheric prose and themes that intersected more closely.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes