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tattooedbibliophile 's review for:
Vespertine
by Margaret Rogerson
"Sometimes, if you want to save other people, you need to remember to save yourself first."
An autistic nun gets possessed by a revenant. THIS IS WHY I READ. Who comes up with this stuff? I didn't know I needed this book until I read the first chapter. As a person who struggles with neurodivergence I so rarely relate to a character SO HARD.
I think Margaret Rogerson handled the representation of neurodivergence SO WELL. And not in a "I am a white woman who stands on a soap box for things I don't understand" way, but a very careful, plot driven, intentional way that not only doesn't glorify the condition, but increases the reader's understanding of it, while making it wholly central to the plot and character development. It's not representation for representations sake.
Now onto plot. I was enthralled from the very first chapter. While the galley was one of the worst in terms of formatting I've received so close to a release date, it didn't distract me much (which is saying something because I usually cannot handle a ton of formatting errors and still maintain focus on the story.) The story was just that good. I was team Artemisia from the beginning, there was no question I HAD to stay to see what happened to her. To me that's the most important quality of a five-star read - do I care what will happen to the protagonist? Yes yes YES. I will be begging the publisher for the galley of book 2 as SOON as it is available because I'm so invested in this story.
My rating system:
1 star: DNF - VERY RARE that my brain allows me not to finish, I have to truly not give a crap or the book has to be so problematic that I think it shouldn't even be published.
2 stars: Did not enjoy but forced myself through
3 stars: probably a good book but not for me, will not read the sequel
4 stars: I enjoyed it, I'd read the sequel
5 stars: I loved it, I'm preordering the next one.
6 stars: I must own a hardcover preferably special edition, I've begged the publisher for a galley of the next one, I will be harassing everyone I know to also read it.
This book is a firm 6 stars!!!
An autistic nun gets possessed by a revenant. THIS IS WHY I READ. Who comes up with this stuff? I didn't know I needed this book until I read the first chapter. As a person who struggles with neurodivergence I so rarely relate to a character SO HARD.
I think Margaret Rogerson handled the representation of neurodivergence SO WELL. And not in a "I am a white woman who stands on a soap box for things I don't understand" way, but a very careful, plot driven, intentional way that not only doesn't glorify the condition, but increases the reader's understanding of it, while making it wholly central to the plot and character development. It's not representation for representations sake.
Now onto plot. I was enthralled from the very first chapter. While the galley was one of the worst in terms of formatting I've received so close to a release date, it didn't distract me much (which is saying something because I usually cannot handle a ton of formatting errors and still maintain focus on the story.) The story was just that good. I was team Artemisia from the beginning, there was no question I HAD to stay to see what happened to her. To me that's the most important quality of a five-star read - do I care what will happen to the protagonist? Yes yes YES. I will be begging the publisher for the galley of book 2 as SOON as it is available because I'm so invested in this story.
My rating system:
1 star: DNF - VERY RARE that my brain allows me not to finish, I have to truly not give a crap or the book has to be so problematic that I think it shouldn't even be published.
2 stars: Did not enjoy but forced myself through
3 stars: probably a good book but not for me, will not read the sequel
4 stars: I enjoyed it, I'd read the sequel
5 stars: I loved it, I'm preordering the next one.
6 stars: I must own a hardcover preferably special edition, I've begged the publisher for a galley of the next one, I will be harassing everyone I know to also read it.
This book is a firm 6 stars!!!