shelbyfayy 's review for:

Threads That Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou

3.0

dark mysterious tense slow-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: No

---

I waited a long time to write a review on this book, because I’m still not really sure how I feel about it. The writing overall was well done, but I had such a hard time getting and/or staying interested in it. The magic system is so unique, the different lesser known Greek gods’ descendants and their powers are really cool, and the overall premise of a dystopian society on the brink of social collapse really appealed to me. I was super stoked by the plot twist at the end that I hadn’t seen coming until a few pages prior—that’s pretty rare for me. I enjoyed several well-written quotes, particularly as Io describes her eldest sister’s habitual gaslighting. And yet… something fell flat. I’m still not sure what, all I know is that I could NOT stay present in this novel for the life of me. I’d read three pages and find myself daydreaming about something completely different. If I put the book down for hours at a time, I didn’t wonder about the characters or how the story would progress at all. I felt no connection to any of the characters, nor did I feel any chemistry between the MCs. Maybe it’s a me problem. The book’s definitely not bad by any means. I really don’t know.