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sreddous's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- 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
This is a heck of a complex story. Neil Gaiman does an astonishing job paying attention to detail and making every tiny little character arc/motivation/mistake/etc. pay off in the end.
I normally get annoyed both if a writer spoon-feeds too many details to me but also if a writer doesn't give enough details and "expects me to do too much of the work". Neil Gaiman has this perfect balance of beautiful writing with just enough details that an extremely-interesting "movie" plays in my head while I read. I don't know how he does it.
This book is funny, challenging, uncomfortable, in all the ways I wanted it to be. I felt so frustrated so often but in a way that made me deeply invested in what Fat Charlie was trying to smooth out. I was cheering for him and groaning from his mistakes, but that's just how immersive this all is. Natural dialogue, understandable motivations.
Good stuff!
I normally get annoyed both if a writer spoon-feeds too many details to me but also if a writer doesn't give enough details and "expects me to do too much of the work". Neil Gaiman has this perfect balance of beautiful writing with just enough details that an extremely-interesting "movie" plays in my head while I read. I don't know how he does it.
This book is funny, challenging, uncomfortable, in all the ways I wanted it to be. I felt so frustrated so often but in a way that made me deeply invested in what Fat Charlie was trying to smooth out. I was cheering for him and groaning from his mistakes, but that's just how immersive this all is. Natural dialogue, understandable motivations.
Good stuff!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Racism
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