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A review by gabsalott13
Pleasantville by Attica Locke
4.0
2022 update: I really enjoyed this a lot more the second time around!!! The end still was rushed, but I think it this may be a bit more of a necessity in the genre than I'm used to—there's not much left to tell in the mystery format after you solve the mystery, I guess. With the extra age/exposure to different topics in the world, I think I was able to understand a bit more of the political content, which makes the story smoother. Would recommend, but only after reading the first book in the series!
Original review (2018, I believe?): The end of this one arrived a bit too quickly for me...kinda felt run over by a train of content and plot twists that I couldn't fully process (the Empire similarities take their strongest form, then, in the last fifty pages or so.)
I really enjoyed the turn of A.G.'s character, or the switch to a certain suspect, but wasn't able to fully grapple with them on top of the random kidnapping, unfinished drama with Cynthia, and more.
Like always, Attica Locke shares so many salient details about Houston's political underpinnings that it's hard not to be a bit confused—there is so much great, real-life material to learn about. Learning about the electoral shifts in consolidated black voting power, as well as seeing some early-century examples of environmental racism in black middle-class communities, all makes this novel relevant beyond its genre. I can't wait to read whatever Attica Locke has coming next, and just hope it gives us a bit more time to unravel the decades-long mysteries at the end.
Original review (2018, I believe?): The end of this one arrived a bit too quickly for me...kinda felt run over by a train of content and plot twists that I couldn't fully process (the Empire similarities take their strongest form, then, in the last fifty pages or so.)
I really enjoyed the turn of A.G.'s character, or the switch to a certain suspect, but wasn't able to fully grapple with them on top of the random kidnapping, unfinished drama with Cynthia, and more.
Like always, Attica Locke shares so many salient details about Houston's political underpinnings that it's hard not to be a bit confused—there is so much great, real-life material to learn about. Learning about the electoral shifts in consolidated black voting power, as well as seeing some early-century examples of environmental racism in black middle-class communities, all makes this novel relevant beyond its genre. I can't wait to read whatever Attica Locke has coming next, and just hope it gives us a bit more time to unravel the decades-long mysteries at the end.