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jemerevoltedoncnoussommes's review against another edition
3.0
Great read 2/3rds of the way. Then it becomes predictable and oddly sensationalistic. Gah.
jessicavampires's review against another edition
5.0
Riveting and refreshing. The effort that Harris clearly put into researching the inner workings of the Vatican and the process of electing a new Pope is impressive - having previously known very little about this subject, I learnt a great deal. The ending seems to be polarising among reviewers, but I though it was brave and raised some interesting questions.
awoods3's review against another edition
challenging
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
heatherfrances's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
thekinkykid's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
cascadiel's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
theorooney's review against another edition
4.0
Really nice and simple but interesting story. I knew nothing and had no interest in how pipes were elected, but it’s a great premise for a mystery drama. I do feel like it could’ve got bigger in scale but I do also like that it’s restricted to a single location and a fixed period of time. It also went in a different direction to where I was expecting it to go - I thought there would be a murder investigation and a coup - but I like that Harris didn’t go too mad.
The resolution had potential to be annoying but I actually enjoyed it. I didn’t expect it at all. Only real problem I had is that I don’t think the character of Tedesco is as well fleshed out as he could’ve been. I know he’s bad because he’s a traditionalist or whatever but I thought there would be something more sinister behind him, but that’s not a huge problem.
The resolution had potential to be annoying but I actually enjoyed it. I didn’t expect it at all. Only real problem I had is that I don’t think the character of Tedesco is as well fleshed out as he could’ve been. I know he’s bad because he’s a traditionalist or whatever but I thought there would be something more sinister behind him, but that’s not a huge problem.
dhasenkampf's review against another edition
3.5
I liked this story, but I didn't love it. The pacing was good, kept me flipping pages and wanting to know what would happen next. The setting and details were very well done. It was easy to picture where the characters were, and it was definitely set in a place I haven't read many books about. I thought the characters were interesting and believable. I think I would have given more stars if there was a different ending. I'm not even Catholic, but the ending made me uncomfortable and unsure what to even think.