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firefly99's review
1.0
First, this is a book I would never have chosen to read on my own, this was a book club book.
I had a really hard time with the writing style. I like the non-linear storytelling, but the detached voice the main character was written in really bothered me, especially for events so clearly meant to give an emotional reaction. It read more like a description of things that happened, more like a 3rd person narrative, rather than a description of how and why things happened, and how the character felt about those things, as is typical for a first person narrative. It made it really hard to make an emotional connection with the main character, which is something I find is important for me to enjoy a book. I felt sorry for some characters, but I didn't like any of them. It was definitely a commentary on capital punishment and the perils of chronic drug use, but other than that I find it hard to find any redeeming quality for me in this book.
I had a really hard time with the writing style. I like the non-linear storytelling, but the detached voice the main character was written in really bothered me, especially for events so clearly meant to give an emotional reaction. It read more like a description of things that happened, more like a 3rd person narrative, rather than a description of how and why things happened, and how the character felt about those things, as is typical for a first person narrative. It made it really hard to make an emotional connection with the main character, which is something I find is important for me to enjoy a book. I felt sorry for some characters, but I didn't like any of them. It was definitely a commentary on capital punishment and the perils of chronic drug use, but other than that I find it hard to find any redeeming quality for me in this book.
katmackie's review
2.0
I don't really know where to start, so this might be patchy, but I'll keep it as brief as possible. I was very disappointed by this novel. I was intrigued by the plot, but once I jumped into it I became mostly depressed by the protagonist. I grew to dislike her more and more as the novel progressed and then once I realized how it was going to conclude, I felt conned out of a thoughtful ending. Unless you're a totally oblivious reader, you will see what's going on before you reach the climax of this book. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. The overwhelming dirty atmosphere left me itchy and the lethargy I experienced from this stress bomb wasn't worth it in the least bit. I'm giving it two stars instead of one because Susan Musgrave is a good writer, and I do respect her abilities.
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