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delphine_'s review against another edition
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-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
3.0
Much like in the other book I read from Amanda Jayatissa, it seems like she can't help but ruin a really good book by going too far into the horrifying. I don't mean horror as in spooky, or disturbing existential dread - there's plenty of that in this book and it worked really well and I was entirely into it.
What I mean is this book made me discover I needed some trigger warnings I didn't know I needed. Some things never, never ever, need be this graphic. Or maybe they do if you really want true, unadulterated, experience of things that do happen in real life and that are just as revolting. They, maybe successfully, made me feel ill and violated and absolutely not okay. The way I see it, alluding to them is plenty. Especially as a device to make us understand how horrible someone's situation was.
Much like in You're Invited, it just seems gratuitous and too much.
I'm starting with what will unfortunately stay my main takeaway for this book that I otherwise really liked and that offered a fascinating take on another one of Jayatissa's tricks, but a positive one: the unreliable narrator. We watch Paloma sink helplessly into her vices, unable to stop her as she makes bad decisions, unable to help her as things unravel. Supernatural forces or too much to drink? The characters around her are no less mysterious and you'll find yourself, too, in a haze of distrust for everybody. I really enjoyed the read and the end still had me invested again as Jayatissa arfully kept things ambiguous until she wanted us to know. I loved predicting practically nothing that happened. Only one plot point, and I thought I was so smart for it.
I'm really sad about this one part that truly left a sour, ugly taste in my mind for a book I had no reason not to love. After all, there's a reason I picked up this book after reading another one from the author. But before I pick up another one, I'll dutifully read the trigger warnings and know that when it comes to Jayatissa, graphic means GRAPHIC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Stalking and Murder
Minor: Racism, Death of parent, and Death
amandaglowgetter's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Racism, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, and Bullying
Minor: Death of parent
alexandratheroux's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A difficult read due to the genuinely horrible personality of the unreliable narrator but I'm super glad I stuck it out because the last 3rd of the book was twisty as hell and very worth it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Violence, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, and Confinement
k_reaves's review
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Sexual violence, and Alcoholism
altoidtheshovel's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Abandonment
Minor: Sexual violence
katiebowers's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Listen, this book is all over the place and there is *a lot* of “telling” rather than showing, but I still somehow ended up glued to it by the end. I love an unreliable narrator, and ohhhh boy, Paloma, the story’s main character/lonely alcoholic/maybe murderer?, is one of the worst. Although I figured out the twist about halfway through the book, I was still surprised by parts of the final delivery of it. The book takes place in the U.S. and Sri Lanka, constantly jumping back and forth in both timeline and geography, covering ghosts, depression, betrayal and more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Murder, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, and Blood
Moderate: Grief
pugreads's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness
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