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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
3.5 Stars - Over all it was good book, just a bad deliverance. The message and context were there - the presentation was not.
The message and context were there - the presentation was not. This was told in two person POV with each person being in two different timelines. I would have been ok with one or the other, but not both and I think a lot of stuff was missed when it kept switching back and forth between the past and the present.
The past (Louie's POV) dealt with alcoholism, self-destructive tendencies, abandonment/neglect, and mental health issues wrapped together with wonderfully written descriptions of origin stories and native lore. It was also where the vast majority of the essence of horror resided in this book and where the majority of the book took place.
The present (Noemi's POV) dealt with suicidal ideation, mental health issues, overcoming past traumas and self -doubt. That was it, it really had nothing in common with the rest of the book. There were no horror elements, no tie ins (other than having the same people) to Louie's past POV, and kind of just felt like filler, I could have done without. On it's own it would have been a great short story discussing how the past and the present could cause damage to a person, but had not real affect on the story.
I understand that real horror is what people live with every day, but, I would have liked to see more horror, as it was touted as one and a thriller which fell flat for me. I think it would have been better as a fiction books with slices of paranormal in it.
I say all this, yet it didn't curb my enjoyment of the book. I really did enjoy most of this book for the fact that it was so freaking real and so sad, and there were times where I just wanted to give the characters a hug.
The message and context were there - the presentation was not. This was told in two person POV with each person being in two different timelines. I would have been ok with one or the other, but not both and I think a lot of stuff was missed when it kept switching back and forth between the past and the present.
The past (Louie's POV) dealt with alcoholism, self-destructive tendencies, abandonment/neglect, and mental health issues wrapped together with wonderfully written descriptions of origin stories and native lore. It was also where the vast majority of the essence of horror resided in this book and where the majority of the book took place.
The present (Noemi's POV) dealt with suicidal ideation, mental health issues, overcoming past traumas and self -doubt. That was it, it really had nothing in common with the rest of the book. There were no horror elements, no tie ins (other than having the same people) to Louie's past POV, and kind of just felt like filler, I could have done without. On it's own it would have been a great short story discussing how the past and the present could cause damage to a person, but had not real affect on the story.
I understand that real horror is what people live with every day, but, I would have liked to see more horror, as it was touted as one and a thriller which fell flat for me. I think it would have been better as a fiction books with slices of paranormal in it.
I say all this, yet it didn't curb my enjoyment of the book. I really did enjoy most of this book for the fact that it was so freaking real and so sad, and there were times where I just wanted to give the characters a hug.
DNF at page 173 / 46%. I was halfway through and nothing had really happened so I was bored. I’ll try another one from this author later.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
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
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
This book was well written and focused on some complex, dark topics. Check the trigger warnings before reading. I felt that the author explored these topics well and they were naturally woven into the story. It was not quite what I was expecting. I was expecting more creepy, supernatural horror but it focused more on real-life issues. It was slower paced, and a lot of the action happened near the end. It has dual narrators, Noemi in the present day and her uncle, Louie, in the past. The most time was spent with Louie and that story did not feel entirely connected to Noemi's. However, both narratives were compelling in different ways; switching off between them left the reader wanting to learn more about the other. I would recommend this book for those who like slower-paced novels, layered stories with dual timelines, and character-driven narratives. I really liked the ending as I felt it tied up everything in a satisfying way and the most action happened near the end of the book.
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I didn't enjoy this at all. The plot wasn't engaging, and the narration was absolutely terrible.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-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