A review by gardensnail
City of Strife by Claudie Arseneault

lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Beautiful work. I'm continually impressed at how the author manages to write from 6+ viewpoints (in what is a relatively short book) all while keeping the plot going. The large cast of characters are easy to learn and all individually fascinating. Lots of queer representation here. The setting is pretty basic (big city, geographically divided socioeconomic hierarchy, oligarchy) but the main focus is the characters. 

There's a lot of found family here: a lot to say about welcoming individuals, and how we all carry individual scars from our pasts. It was a really refreshing read, though I personally feel it could've benefited from just a little more spice. But I don't think that's what the book is about or who the 'intended' audience is. 
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