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carrietmills 's review for:
Call Your Daughter Home
by Deb Spera
This book seemed promising but failed to deliver. For 300+ pages, there was ultimately very little action and only moderate character development. Each chapter signaled a new character, and many chapters felt too short to feel impactful, instead coming off as an obligatory "check in." The last 15 pages are the most exciting, and they aren't worth the effort to reach them. The reveal is basic and underdeveloped. It isn't satisfying or meaningful, but feels artificial and short-lived. Context for secondary characters is minimal, so I felt a shred of emotion for Mary and yet not a tear for any other child, living or dead. Spera is disturbingly cavalier in referencing lynching as a concept, never giving the topic any space or weight, but instead dropping it in as an empty historical reference.
Overall, plot is basic and empty. Moderately strong start that never quite pans into something. Writing style is inviting, but nothing magical. Repeatedly jolted awake after accidentally passing out while reading. Pages are held together by book binding and tired cliches.
Overall, plot is basic and empty. Moderately strong start that never quite pans into something. Writing style is inviting, but nothing magical. Repeatedly jolted awake after accidentally passing out while reading. Pages are held together by book binding and tired cliches.