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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
I found this book to be so confusing that I could not finish it. I couldn't get a handle on the characters, because they sounded like young children but I don't think they actually were. I had liked another book by this author and would read her again, but this one was not for me.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It's taken me a couple days to write this review, which is good because there's a lot to think about! But there was also a lot I didn't like.
I found this really convoluted with the character and time changes, as we switched from one perspective to another. The book is extremely meta and I think it doesn't have the effect Ward was going for - because it takes so long to really get into the true groove of the story, it feels more like a gimmick.
It also took me reading other people's reviews to realize that when we first meet the characters, they're supposed to be teenagers, not kids. The voice was really juvenile and that continued into the characters' middle age.
My biggest issue with the book is probably the queer representation, which is hard to talk about without spoiling.There is a MLM relationship between Wilder and Sky, which is later revealed to be fictional, as with everything else that happened in the book until that point. I liked it at first, but the way the story went felt cheap. Two queer men bonding over their childhoods was genuine, but became a hack in the reveal that Pearl/Sky swapped her gender to make the story less recognizable. It was really disappointing because the queer characters were one of the only highlights for me, and it just kind of crumbled.
This is another book that I started and then had to restart because I felt like I didn't properly understand it, but that's actually just how the book is structured. I kind of knew I wouldn't like this, but getting into the actual issues I have with the story makes my aversion stronger.
I found this really convoluted with the character and time changes, as we switched from one perspective to another. The book is extremely meta and I think it doesn't have the effect Ward was going for - because it takes so long to really get into the true groove of the story, it feels more like a gimmick.
It also took me reading other people's reviews to realize that when we first meet the characters, they're supposed to be teenagers, not kids. The voice was really juvenile and that continued into the characters' middle age.
My biggest issue with the book is probably the queer representation, which is hard to talk about without spoiling.
This is another book that I started and then had to restart because I felt like I didn't properly understand it, but that's actually just how the book is structured. I kind of knew I wouldn't like this, but getting into the actual issues I have with the story makes my aversion stronger.
I'm honestly not sure wtf I read.
Rating: 3.5 stars...2.75 stars...Idk
-Breakdown-
•Characters: 3
•Writing: 2.75
•Plot/pacing: 2.5
•Setting/Atmosphere: 3.75
I received an ARC from Tor Nightfire. Thank you!
Rating: 3.5 stars...2.75 stars...Idk
-Breakdown-
•Characters: 3
•Writing: 2.75
•Plot/pacing: 2.5
•Setting/Atmosphere: 3.75
I received an ARC from Tor Nightfire. Thank you!
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated