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tammyanntchou's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Blood
Moderate: Cursing, Alcohol, Death, Mental illness, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Suicide attempt, Car accident, Death of parent, Racism, Self harm, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Child death, and Sexual content
cc_shelflove's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is a book that I am going to be thinking about for a while. Paloma is a 30-year-old woman who was adopted at a young age from a Sri Lankan orphanage to the idyllic Californian family. Her dream would finally be fulfilled. She would come to America and live a life better than she could have ever imagined. Told in alternating timelines, the reader gets glimpses of Paloma's current dealings in California and her life at the orphanage. One thing the reader finds out quickly, though: Paloma is fucking nuts. The woman is batshit crazy! She is even more unhinged than Yellowface's June Hayward. I was hooked from the first chapter as she mixed an alcoholic beverage with her prescription medication. Sounds like a good idea, right? Bad things begin happening to those around Paloma, she thinks she has stalkers, she tries to dodge her therapist... the list goes on and on. She was a train wreck that I could not look away from. Did someone really follow her from Sri Lanka to seek revenge all these years later, or is Paloma simply losing it?
I will admit that in reading this book, I identified reasons why it might not be for everyone. We cannot believe much of Paloma's recollections due to her drinking habits (think The Girl on the Train). I personally love an unreliable narrator! 🥃 Additionally, the word 'fuck' appears seemingly on every page. This did not take away from the story for me, but I know it could be bothersome to some. If you want to read about a chick who swears a lot and loses her marbles, pick this up. The ending was soooooooooooooo worth it. 🤯
I will admit that in reading this book, I identified reasons why it might not be for everyone. We cannot believe much of Paloma's recollections due to her drinking habits (think The Girl on the Train). I personally love an unreliable narrator! 🥃 Additionally, the word 'fuck' appears seemingly on every page. This did not take away from the story for me, but I know it could be bothersome to some. If you want to read about a chick who swears a lot and loses her marbles, pick this up. The ending was soooooooooooooo worth it. 🤯
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Self harm, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, and Stalking
Minor: Miscarriage
amandalorianxo's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
OMG!! How creepy and twisted !! This was such a engaging scary read for the month of October ! Granted there are some trigger warnings such as assault and abuse that need to be looked up in case you are triggered by this. I loved the fresh take on the unreliable narrator ! Riley Sagar was right that this was original as far as storytelling goes. I didn’t see the ending at all. It was a little bit long and slow for my taste but it fits the narration style & helping put the pieces together without giving away too much all at once.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Torture
Moderate: Sexual assault and Vomit
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