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A review by ria_shmia
Sister, Maiden, Monster by Lucy A. Snyder
2.0
I agree with what other reviewers have said: pandemic fiction is hard to do well, but at least I can say that “Sister, Maiden, Monster” gallantly tries. I don’t think it’s an inherent fault to base your fiction in a specific modern moment in time, like Covid or, in this case, post-Covid 2022, but it’s the writing and language that dates this book severely. Every perspective reads like I’m talking to a millennial who spends too much time on Twitter, meme references and all, the result of which had me cringing on several different occasions.
The heavy use of this meme-ified, sardonic, socially-aware voice that each of our three main characters have makes their personalities bleed into each other. They are all self proclaimed “nerds” with roughly the same thought processes and internet humor, you just get to decide as the story progresses if you want meek and shy edgy, or girlboss edgy. They don’t feel like real people to me.
The plot is also messy. I can’t say I disliked the culmination of ideas and imagery in the last few chapters - the “cleaving” was particularly gorey and intense, and the queer Madonna-whore themes I welcomed with open arms. But I simply didn’t like being stuck in these character’s heads, even while they described the wonderful horror of biblically accurate angels.
This could’ve been really good, the outline was there, but the execution left much to be desired.
2/5, I was eating sashimi as I started listened to the audiobook, so suffice to say I wouldn’t have survived this pandemic.
The heavy use of this meme-ified, sardonic, socially-aware voice that each of our three main characters have makes their personalities bleed into each other. They are all self proclaimed “nerds” with roughly the same thought processes and internet humor, you just get to decide as the story progresses if you want meek and shy edgy, or girlboss edgy. They don’t feel like real people to me.
The plot is also messy. I can’t say I disliked the culmination of ideas and imagery in the last few chapters - the “cleaving” was particularly gorey and intense, and the queer Madonna-whore themes I welcomed with open arms. But I simply didn’t like being stuck in these character’s heads, even while they described the wonderful horror of biblically accurate angels.
This could’ve been really good, the outline was there, but the execution left much to be desired.
2/5, I was eating sashimi as I started listened to the audiobook, so suffice to say I wouldn’t have survived this pandemic.