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pich's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.25
i regret having not read this in a shorter amount of time, because had i done so, i definitely would’ve rated it higher solely for the fact that when i would go to read it, the plot would get only slightly jumbled. but nonetheless, i adored this book, definitely a lot more than i had originally thought. the writing creates a really eerie and unsettling yet somehow serene atmosphere, and i really liked the setting. my only complaint is that i would’ve liked maybe a bit more backstory and history on some of the older island boys that passed—maybe what they did specifically in the war, their experiences with the sluagh, etc..
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, War, Body horror, Blood, Death, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Sexism and Gore
ka_cam's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I felt like this book had a lot of potential to be a moving reflection on postwar trauma (and war trauma) along with massive cultural and tech changes impacting a small community and their spiritual life/ancestral connection, and/or a spooky mystery, but kind of failed to land either. The characters were just a bit deeper than cliches and I found it hard to track who was from on and off the island (esp when it came to Iain, Caroline, and her mother knowing or not knowing each other and others from the past). Some of the repetition (everything was violet or lilac, sometimes whole sentences repeated) ended up being jarring rather than evocative. The premise of both the characters and the plot was intriguing but failed to deliver for me. I like historical fiction but am not a particular fan of UK or WWII/surrounding years settings, so maybe others with that special interest would be more intrigued. Still, it kept me reading til the end so 3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, War, and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent, Gore, and Child death
Minor: Sexism, Gun violence, and Medical content
Content warning: bird swarms and bird attacks
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