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3.44 AVERAGE
3.44 AVERAGE
Sucks you in from the start, a bit graphic at times ( silence of the lambs)
Combo of thriller, slow burn mystery & politico
Combo of thriller, slow burn mystery & politico
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I found this book incredibly interesting. The plot and the central mystery stayed engaging throughout and there was always new information to keep the theories coming without it becoming overwhelming. There was a lot going on but everything came together in the end. I expected certain plots to get resolved separately but they came together well making the final resolution beyond satisfying.
The characters in this book feel so human. They are 3-dimensional and emotional. The main character, Riley, is somewhat a generic detective (workaholic, slight alcoholic, no close friends outside of her partner) but she doesn't feel boring. She's got a dramatic past that slowly gets revealed and interesting family dynamics that go beyond the usual. The more you learn about these characters the more their behaviour and relationships make sense.
That's true for everything in this book. There's characters and plot points that become more nuanced the more you learn about them. This can also be an issue: there are sections in this book that are very information heavy which sometimes pop you out of the narrative. It's not super interesting information but it is necessary to understanding the plot. It's a lot about how corporations and farms work and interacts.
Personally I could get through it and learning the information made the ending make more sense for me (as someone who grew up far away from iowan farms it was completely new information for me) but I feel like there was a better way to convey it than long paragraphs. This is largely contained to the start of the book so it's part of the set up and doesn't disrupt the more interesting or intense moments.
For a debut novel it's a great start and I can't wait to read the 2nd edition to the Riley Fisher series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Murder
Moderate: Drug abuse, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual violence, Medical trauma
Erin Young is incredibly creative when it comes to plot lines. I read this one out of order, having read an ARC of Original Sins earlier this year and not knowing it was the sequel. You can definitely tell her writing has matured by the second book. This one was so so good for the last 100 pages but took a while to build up and there were so many different characters I got mixed up at times. There also were some colloquialisms that are very English and not used by Americans - probably not noticeable to anyone who’s not a language/culture nerd and definitely not a significant factor in the reading experience.
As with Original Sins, it kept me guessing until the very end, highly recommend and I can’t wait to see what Riley Fisher gets up to next!
As with Original Sins, it kept me guessing until the very end, highly recommend and I can’t wait to see what Riley Fisher gets up to next!
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
Man, this was… a book. Listen, the premise was great, and I even liked the climax of the story. However, holy moly, this was such a confusing book to keep up with. I felt like I needed to pull a Charlie Day and make a board with red strings connecting everyone. It all makes sense in the end, but it’s hard to keep up with where Erin Young is going. Also, the pace can be SUPER slow going at times, to the point that I listened to the last 25% at 2.25 speed just to finish it. I’m honestly not sure if I want to give book two a shot
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
Read half of it. Could not keep my attention. Nothing special here.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book had lots of twists and turns! I didn't know what to expect when I started listening (because listening to books still counts as reading!). I liked Riley, and I am hoping to read the rest of her series.