Scan barcode
legs_n_chins's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I think this was a very well done mystery-thriller. It kept up a good pace, rolling out all the information steadily without leaving me hanging or feeling like too much was dumped at once all of a sudden. It wasn’t exactly about trying to figure out the answer so much as how everything was connected and what exactly was happening, and I think the author did a good job with that. We know from the start there’s something sinister, but I liked how she gave it more depth and clarity as the story progressed. I liked the characters, though Theo felt a little less explored (and a little more fantastical - some suspension of disbelief required on my part, I felt) than Sydney, and I think even the side characters were really written well and given a lot of thought and care. The story itself was compelling and very freaky, especially with the interplay of the real lived experiences of black people in America. I also really liked the real pieces of history the author worked in, I thought that was very cool.
While I think it’s a very solid story with a good wrap up, I did feel that the final quarter of the book was a bit weaker. I felt like there were a few too many “gotcha” scenes that were tense for all of a few pages before smoothing out very quickly. I get why they happened, to help finish explaining things or tie a couple final events together, but they took me out of it a little because it felt like artificial tension made up just for an extra jolt in the last few scenes. A couple stylistic choices in the writing also didn’t always work for me, but I think that’s down to preference. Some word choices or phrasing took me out for a sentence or two, but very easily looked past as the writing style was overall very good and engaging.
Graphic: Gore, Police brutality, Racism, Death, Violence, and Gun violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Forced institutionalization, Sexual content, Medical content, and Domestic abuse
mdavis26's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Police brutality, Excrement, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Racism, and Sexual content
tallulahchanel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gore and Blood
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Sexual content and Xenophobia
brookebatesratesbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Kidnapping, Stalking, and Cursing
Moderate: Racism and Violence
Minor: Sexual content and Drug abuse
auntiesoshul's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Addiction, Grief, Gun violence, Death, Mental illness, Violence, Murder, Police brutality, Sexual content, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, and Racism
barefootbetsy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The history was fascinating and I have a new appreciation for how difficult (and horrifying) living with the remnants (and current iterations) of slavery and redlining and stolen land must be 😞
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Stalking, Torture, Violence, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Blood, Grief, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Toxic relationship, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual content, and Excrement
krys_kilz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Sexual content, Gun violence, Police brutality, Racism, Death, Death of parent, Medical trauma, and Grief
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Panic attacks/disorders, and Gaslighting
sophie1_xox's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I found this book intriguing. The concept was very interesting and I loved the complexity of the conspiracy but I feel like there was not enough depth to the plot. There was no real surprise aspect and without that, I really struggled with feeling gripped. Sydney was confusing as a character and some of the side characters motivations (looking at you ‘best friend/sister’) really didn’t make sense. Theo was also interesting and I enjoyed reading about how Sydney and Theo rationalised their differences whilst also remaining wary of each other. Though, this did make their romance seem unfounded. It was a fine read, I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it as much as I could have.
Characters
Starting with Sydney, I remember feeling that her paranoia was unjustified. Not that she was paranoid entirely but the extent of it confused me. Also, why didn’t she tell anyone about the Uber incident??? I understand why she didn’t tell the police but no one in her community that she felt safe with? I also feel like she didn’t really have any development. Other than falling in love with Theo, which she said herself was typical, I don’t really feel like there was any resolution to her character. If I’m being totally honest, I don’t really remember much…
Theo is very much in the same boat. A naïve white man who is blind as a bat. The amount that he disliked his girlfriend (whose name I can’t remember but think it might be Kim?) for him to spend SO LONG believing that she wasn’t racist? It was just unbelievable. I could relate to some aspects of his development, particularly where he tries to show support for BLM in very white people ways and I loved how Sydney dealt with that. Again, he wasn’t really memorable in other aspects. Though, my favourite bit is how he dealt with the man who seemed to attack him. That felt super realistic and when the conspiracy was revealed and he realised what he had done, it made me consider my own biases – which is always good when reading about an experience that is not one I know.
Plot
As I mentioned, the plot seemed predictable. Some of the characters motivations were questionable and it was unclear where it was going at times. I feel like the ending got simultaneously wrapped up conveniently and left so many strings disconnected. I did appreciate the ties with current topics such as gentrification and reading about it from a different perspective to my own really expanded my world view and helped me to see things from other viewpoints. There were definitely times when I related to characters or events that I wished I hadn’t and that knowledge is something that I hope to take away with me.
Overall
This book was fine. Standard plot, average characters, fine. I appreciated the expansion of current topics and the unique take on situations, however I do not feel that the experience of reading this was worth any more than 3 stars.
Graphic: Xenophobia, Racism, Medical trauma, and Violence
Moderate: Kidnapping and Sexual content
sagittariusreads_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Violence, Police brutality, Blood, and Racism
Moderate: Sexual content
tillysg1's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Hate crime, Sexual content, Police brutality, Racism, and Cursing
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Addiction, and Xenophobia
Minor: Deportation, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Bullying, Death, and Slavery
One short, but quite graphic sex scene (would be easy to skip if you prefer)