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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
Gah. It's hard to rate this novel.
The premise initially struck me as wacky and fun, and sometimes that's what it is.
Parts of it are really slow.
But not so far into the book, it blasts you unexpectedly with something very dark. Maybe that in itself is giving away too much, but wow was this a lot darker in the final analysis than I was expecting when I started it. That darkness balances out the wacky premise and the funny bits, and I think it justifies the slowness of much of the middle of the book in a way, too. You might see it as a bait and switch, but it's effective. There's some dark stuff here, but it's not without light. I've been in the mood for somewhat lighter fare lately, and given how slow this felt for a while I was leaning toward giving it three stars, but in the end I had to go ahead and give it four.
You might need a hug after. Just sayin'.
P.S. Yes, I know my reviews are often vague. I am loathe to spoil books; usually I think the best way to approach a book is to go in not knowing much more than what they give you on the back cover--and sometimes not even all of that.
The premise initially struck me as wacky and fun, and sometimes that's what it is.
Parts of it are really slow.
But not so far into the book, it blasts you unexpectedly with something very dark. Maybe that in itself is giving away too much, but wow was this a lot darker in the final analysis than I was expecting when I started it. That darkness balances out the wacky premise and the funny bits, and I think it justifies the slowness of much of the middle of the book in a way, too. You might see it as a bait and switch, but it's effective. There's some dark stuff here, but it's not without light. I've been in the mood for somewhat lighter fare lately, and given how slow this felt for a while I was leaning toward giving it three stars, but in the end I had to go ahead and give it four.
You might need a hug after. Just sayin'.
P.S. Yes, I know my reviews are often vague. I am loathe to spoil books; usually I think the best way to approach a book is to go in not knowing much more than what they give you on the back cover--and sometimes not even all of that.
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes