A review by katieb1034
The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This book is a testament to the extent of Beukes' research when writing different characters from a multitude of backgrounds, but there are so many bizarre decisions the author made when writing this story -- not the least of which is to write a homeless Black drug addict (a character who is only loosely related to the story) who speaks in what I assume is the white writer's estimation of AAVE. Overall, the time travel is interesting, the characters are diverse,
and the ending is satisfying in that everyone you want to win wins.
However, the story lacks any true theme that could make it actually resonant, and the more fantastical elements only serve to make the horror fall flat. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings