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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The book teetered on the edge of being too twisty (and fourth wall breaking) for its own good... But the selfish, messy characters and the havoc that they wreaked on each other's lives was a fun fishing line to untangle.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-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:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hot
hat
what
her
he
the
pluck
luck
fuck
hat
what
her
he
the
pluck
luck
fuck
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
tense
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:
Yes
I really enjoyed this author's book, Sundial, and I think I set myself up to be disappointed by Looking Glass Sound. I will preface by saying this is my first experience listening to an audiobook version of Catriona Ward's writing, and I wish my first experience with this novel was with a physical book.
So, I'll start with what I loved: the setting. Whistler Bay is ripe with gothic elements, from the generally dark and moody New England coast to Wilder's isolation in college, hallucinations and ghosts, witchcraft...I could go on. I was drawn in at the very beginning of the novel, as the author did such a nice job of building this environment and setting it up as the perfect place for a strange boy to grow into himself. Wilder starts to feel at home and "come out of his shell," as I believe his dad put it. We were ready for something bizarre, something life-altering to rock Wilder into young adulthood.
And then Polaroids of sleeping kids show up and the serial killer arc begins. Whoop de doo. This plotline had so much potential, and the "resolution" to it felt...easy? At this point, some of the prose started to feel melodramatic and unnecessary. Maybe even cringe? By the time we were in college and Sky is introduced, I was struggling to stay engaged with the book. I felt like the author was trying to spin this epic, intricate web but it felt forced. A lot of characters came off as underdeveloped: Harper (especially towards the end of the book) and Nate (his hair and ripped jorts were like 60% of his personality, which, real but also hello amateur photographer! Let's hear some more about that!), Gracie, etc.
I feel like I know Alton better than the aforementioned characters. Anyway, I have more to say but I have to go to work, haha. Maybe I will revisit this review later.
So, I'll start with what I loved: the setting. Whistler Bay is ripe with gothic elements, from the generally dark and moody New England coast to Wilder's isolation in college, hallucinations and ghosts, witchcraft...I could go on. I was drawn in at the very beginning of the novel, as the author did such a nice job of building this environment and setting it up as the perfect place for a strange boy to grow into himself. Wilder starts to feel at home and "come out of his shell," as I believe his dad put it. We were ready for something bizarre, something life-altering to rock Wilder into young adulthood.
And then Polaroids of sleeping kids show up and the serial killer arc begins. Whoop de doo. This plotline had so much potential, and the "resolution" to it felt...easy? At this point, some of the prose started to feel melodramatic and unnecessary. Maybe even cringe? By the time we were in college and Sky is introduced, I was struggling to stay engaged with the book. I felt like the author was trying to spin this epic, intricate web but it felt forced. A lot of characters came off as underdeveloped: Harper (especially towards the end of the book) and Nate (his hair and ripped jorts were like 60% of his personality, which, real but also hello amateur photographer! Let's hear some more about that!), Gracie, etc.
I feel like I know Alton better than the aforementioned characters. Anyway, I have more to say but I have to go to work, haha. Maybe I will revisit this review later.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Murder
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Blood, Kidnapping, Abortion, Abandonment, Alcohol
This book follows Wilder Harlow who has returned to the place of his childhood holidays to begin the last book he will ever write, the story of his childhood friends and the horror that has stalked him for the past few decades. But as he begins to see things no one else can Wilder begins to wonder if writing this book will be the last thing he ever does.
This was one of my most anticipated releases of this year and unfortunately I found it to be very disappointing and kind of boring. The first half of this book is very linear and straightforward with long chapters of extracts from Wilder's memoir as he details what happened to him in his childhood which I found to be incredibly boring and uninteresting. The second half was better as things began to get weird and I started to become more invested in this story. I also liked the major twists but nothing could really save this book for me. Ward's writing is lovely as always and I liked the atmosphere created. I will continue to pick up books from Ward but this one just wasn't really for me.
This was one of my most anticipated releases of this year and unfortunately I found it to be very disappointing and kind of boring. The first half of this book is very linear and straightforward with long chapters of extracts from Wilder's memoir as he details what happened to him in his childhood which I found to be incredibly boring and uninteresting. The second half was better as things began to get weird and I started to become more invested in this story. I also liked the major twists but nothing could really save this book for me. Ward's writing is lovely as always and I liked the atmosphere created. I will continue to pick up books from Ward but this one just wasn't really for me.