A review by thecriticalreader
Sign Here by Claudia Lux

dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I chose Sign Here as one of my Book of the Month Choices because I was intrigued by the author’s conception of hell. 
 
 
Plot: 3/5
The plot of Sign Here got very convoluted very quickly, but it kept pulling me along with its intrigue. I could not put it down. The book follows two loosely connected storylines: one is the story of Peyote, a damned soul who goes to Earth to get more humans to sign their souls away, and the other is the story of the Harrison family on summer vacation. The Harrison family plotline fits the domestic thriller mold, whereas Peyote’s storyline involves more fantasy elements. Peyote’s storyline was more interesting to follow because of the afterlife setting and his ability to jump through time and space, but its conclusion was on the weaker side because it did not connect that well to the Harrison storyline. Peyote’s relationship with his coworker Cal ended up being too confusing and disjointed from the main story to work with the novel as a whole. The Harrison storyline had a satisfying, if rather run-of-the-mill, domestic thriller conclusion. 
 
Characters: 3/5
I found the side characters in hell, such as the obnoxious egomaniac fratboy Trey and the micromanaging boss K, to be highly entertaining caricatures of douchebags most people know in real life. I wish that Lux had included more of such characters in the book. Peyote and Cal remained rather elusive, but this was by design: living in hell for millennia is meant to strip someone of their personal identity. It was interesting to see Peyote and Cal navigate their relationship when neither was sure if they could trust each other—or themselves. 
 
The characters in the Harrison storyline were interesting enough. They weren’t the most complex or fleshed-out characters I have ever read, but they had enough personality and motivation to keep the story going. 
 
Setting/Worldbuilding: 3.5/5
The setting of hell was deeply entertaining. I loved learning about all of the ways the upper levels of hell managed to make their occupants miserable: the bars only serve Jägermeister, the only music you have access to is music you hated while you were alive, puddles appear randomly and at varying depths, etc. I also thought the premise of “rising through the ranks” in hell to be interesting, as it became a self-perpetuating system of damnation. 
 
I wish that Lux had dug a little deeper into the Hell lore. I walked away with a lot of questions, some of which were based in curiosity and others which addressed potential plot holes. Is there a Heaven in this universe? How old does someone have to be to sign away their soul? (surely it would be easy to get a bunch of children to sign their souls away). Why does Hell have a loophole? The more I thought about the worldbuilding, the sloppier it seemed.
 
Themes: 3.5/5
The book’s central question was whether humanity and goodness can persevere in literal Hell. I enjoyed how creatively Lux addressed and answered the question. The domestic thriller portion of the book dealt with the standard domestic thriller themes of family secrets and revenge. 
 
Writing Style: 3.5/5
I enjoyed Lux’s writing style. It was easy to read and kept me on the edge of my seat. 
 
Conclusion:
The creative premise of Sign Here and its fun, page-turning execution made it an enjoyable read in the moment. Upon more intense reflection, however, weaknesses in the worldbuilding and plot start to show. 
 
Other Points:
·      Some people have complained that Sign Here feels like two completely separate books smashed into one. I did not mind this while I was reading it, but I have to agree with them.
·      One of the main characters engages in the sexualization of a fourteen-year-old child, which became extremely uncomfortable. I think the author tried to frame it as more of a weird coping mechanism than blatant pedophilia, but that didn’t really help much—especially since the incident is sort of brushed off. 
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