Reviews tagging 'Gore'

Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley

1 review

menomica's review

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No
This book was bad. It was not good. It was not enjoyable. I wish to god I could’ve dnf’d it but I had to read it for class (Miller, you’re never seeing the gates of heaven).

I really don’t know where to start with the atrocities of this book but here are some highlights:

  • The writing itself was amateurish at best. It was so stilted and boring. Mosley does not know how to set a scene. Also why are you ending sentences in an action scene with exclamation marks, are you five? On a similar note: I know he’s black, but Mosley trying to transliterate AAVE dialogue was so cringey and horrible it gave off white person trying to sound hip vibes.
  • A lot of the «adult» themes in this book felt like they were put in just to get a reaction from the reader. Like why do we need all the detail about how Albright and Mouse kill people??
    Why did Teran have to have a pedophile? WHY did he have a child sex slave????
    What purpose did it serve for Daphne to be a victim of SA from her father? I get real life trauma doesn’t have a purpose, but here it felt like Mosley lazily trying to paint her as tainted and dangerous. 
  • In that same vain: the title of the book, and a line from the book
    Daphne Monet was death herself.
    would have you believe that Daphne was some kind of wicked temptress when she literally is just the victim of rape and domestic abuse. The hell and chaos in this book was not caused by her but by the litany of gross men who use her as a tool to flex their power and ego.
  • Speaking of men: my god this book has too many fucking characters. Why the fuck do I need to know the backstory of the fucking polish deli guy who’s literally there for like four fucking pages? Why the hell does he get a whole page of backstory? Shut the fuck up oh my god.

There are more gripes I have with this garbage fire of a book but this review is long enough and I’m tired. I genuinely hope I never have to read a book this stupid and worthless again for school. 
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