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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really struggled with this, started off ok, but it felt like there was too much going on, but not in an interesting or exciting way. With the countdown to the end of the world there should have been tension, but it didn’t feel at all tense. Maybe because I didn’t like or care about any of the characters so didn’t care if they all died or not!!
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a fun read. I always enjoy a good whodunit, and Stuart Turton’s work is always a nice option when it comes to murder mysteries with a twist! Still, I think this was probably my least favourite of his books, as it felt a bit more difficult to follow than the previous two.
The atmosphere of the novel was strong, and I enjoyed the post-apocalyptic setting. Understanding the story behind this setting was nice, but I was not as convinced by the murder mystery. There were a lot of subplots going on, related to the murder, and it was not easy to keep up. Also, the reveal was a bit underwhelming, compared to all the build-up.
The set of characters was vast, but I particularly enjoyed following Emory and Clara. The elders were not so easy to love, purposefully so, and I think that contributed to my experience with the novel, given their overall relevance to the plot. Abi, our narrator, was extremely unreliable, and their voice was really annoying, for some reason.
Overall, this was still entertaining, just not as much as I was expecting after two great experiences with the previous books! Maybe I just wasn’t in the right mindset for a complex story, or maybe it’s just the story itself. Either way, I will be waiting for the next book.
The atmosphere of the novel was strong, and I enjoyed the post-apocalyptic setting. Understanding the story behind this setting was nice, but I was not as convinced by the murder mystery. There were a lot of subplots going on, related to the murder, and it was not easy to keep up. Also, the reveal was a bit underwhelming, compared to all the build-up.
The set of characters was vast, but I particularly enjoyed following Emory and Clara. The elders were not so easy to love, purposefully so, and I think that contributed to my experience with the novel, given their overall relevance to the plot. Abi, our narrator, was extremely unreliable, and their voice was really annoying, for some reason.
Overall, this was still entertaining, just not as much as I was expecting after two great experiences with the previous books! Maybe I just wasn’t in the right mindset for a complex story, or maybe it’s just the story itself. Either way, I will be waiting for the next book.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really cool premise with the murder mystery + end-of-the-world setup, and the world-building is definitely creative. But the mystery felt all over the place, the pacing dragged, and I struggled to keep track of (or care about) the characters. Some twists were obvious, others just felt unbelievable, and I never really connected with anyone enough to feel the stakes. Interesting ideas, just not the payoff I was hoping for.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
*Slight spoilers, proceed with caution*
What I liked:
- Creative worldbuilding with swift, efficient descriptions
- Writing style - very poignant, tight, fast-paced - love it!
- Mysteries upon mysteries upon mysteries
- Abi as a character, and the way she was used to tell the story
- Underlying philosophical questions about human nature - What does it mean to be a human? Are we, as a species, truly doomed?
What I didn‘t like:
- There is a big reveal about 1/3 into the book, and people‘s reactions fell too flat for me to take them seriously afterwards. In general, characters felt a bit one-dimensional
- Overly pessimistic depiction of humans. It made a lot of sense for Turton‘s first novel, but literally every human character being an evil mastermind and having murderous intent is a bit much.
Overall, Evelyn Hardcastle remains my absolute favorite work of his, but this was still a fun ride!
What I liked:
- Creative worldbuilding with swift, efficient descriptions
- Writing style - very poignant, tight, fast-paced - love it!
- Mysteries upon mysteries upon mysteries
- Abi as a character, and the way she was used to tell the story
- Underlying philosophical questions about human nature - What does it mean to be a human? Are we, as a species, truly doomed?
What I didn‘t like:
- There is a big reveal about 1/3 into the book, and people‘s reactions fell too flat for me to take them seriously afterwards. In general, characters felt a bit one-dimensional
- Overly pessimistic depiction of humans. It made a lot of sense for Turton‘s first novel, but literally every human character being an evil mastermind and having murderous intent is a bit much.
Overall, Evelyn Hardcastle remains my absolute favorite work of his, but this was still a fun ride!
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated