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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
medium-paced
I enjoyed reading the individual chapters and letters and found myself looking forward to finding out how everyone was connected and what happened but I thought the entire book overall wasn’t that great and it felt like nothing happened. I definitely enjoyed it but probably one that wasn’t quite written for me.
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
sad
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
Station Eleven meets The Last of Us
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexual assault
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-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
A truly standout book, for its compelling storytelling, engaging characters, LGBTQ+ representation in many forms, and chilling foresight on where we are headed. I highly recommend this book! As well as the first one.
The reason it’s less than 5 stars comes down to two things about the ending that I couldn’t accept.
Both are related to Kelly Green and the letters. 1. I don’t understand why she sent letters ahead to a house where her husband had already cut her off from the family. Did she honestly believe Rick would see them and allow Orchid to read them? And 2. There is absolutely no way I can believe that, when Orchid found the box in Rick‘s closet, she would throw the letters out without even an ounce of curiosity. Why not peek at who they’re from? Why not keep them for later? These things and what subsequently happened to Kelly annoyed me deeply, because they weren’t believable. It’s such a great book, but because I can’t buy this part of the plot, it felt manufactured for drama, and broke my immersion.
The reason it’s less than 5 stars comes down to two things about the ending that I couldn’t accept.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deadnaming, Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent
Minor: Cancer, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Transphobia, Grief, Gaslighting
dark
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
adventurous
challenging
reflective
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
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
fast-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:
Complicated