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A review by vaguely_pink
River Woman, River Demon by Jennifer Givhan
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
I really wanted to like this. A whodunnit thriller with witches? Sign me up. I read it via the Libby/Overdrive Together We Read campaign in part because the description suggests that it's "perfect for fans of Mexican Gothic."
This was nothing like Mexican Gothic.
First off, none of these characters are likeable. (Except perhaps the children, who also seem to perfect to be real.) Which like, whatever, that's kind of par for the course with thrillers. The issue is that it seems like the author wants us to like Eva. But I just did not. I don't necessarily agree with the many reviews that slam her for being a terrible mother (poor woman is being gaslit and traumatized, that would make it hard to parent), but she still isn't a particularly strong character outside of her parenting skills.
I also felt like the tone was just all over the place. One moment I'd be reading some really lovely, literary prose and the next she's calling Santa Muerte a bad bitch. I found it jarring and had trouble staying engaged.
It also simply just drags. Part of what keeps a thriller going is how the mystery unravels chapter by chapter, but Eva is not trying to solve the mystery, so the whole second act just slogs. I almost DNFed at around 35-40%, but decided to give it a bit longer. I skimmed tons of the middle chapters, but was interested enough as the loose ends started to tie up to finish. Eva never really tries to solve anything, the evidence just lands in her lap and she pieces it together. It's an interesting twist, albeit a little predictable. But it honestly was not worth the slog.
All in all, River Woman River Demon has such and a m a z i n g concept, but it's very poorly executed, which is disappointing. I don't necessarily regret reading and finishing it, but I wouldn't do it again. What the author has to say about racial injustice, especially in the legal system, in this book is important, but it was not an effective vehicle for it. Proceed with caution, and definitely check trigger warnings if you decide to give this book a go.
This was nothing like Mexican Gothic.
First off, none of these characters are likeable. (Except perhaps the children, who also seem to perfect to be real.) Which like, whatever, that's kind of par for the course with thrillers. The issue is that it seems like the author wants us to like Eva. But I just did not. I don't necessarily agree with the many reviews that slam her for being a terrible mother (poor woman is being gaslit and traumatized, that would make it hard to parent), but she still isn't a particularly strong character outside of her parenting skills.
I also felt like the tone was just all over the place. One moment I'd be reading some really lovely, literary prose and the next she's calling Santa Muerte a bad bitch. I found it jarring and had trouble staying engaged.
It also simply just drags. Part of what keeps a thriller going is how the mystery unravels chapter by chapter, but Eva is not trying to solve the mystery, so the whole second act just slogs. I almost DNFed at around 35-40%, but decided to give it a bit longer. I skimmed tons of the middle chapters, but was interested enough as the loose ends started to tie up to finish. Eva never really tries to solve anything, the evidence just lands in her lap and she pieces it together. It's an interesting twist, albeit a little predictable. But it honestly was not worth the slog.
All in all, River Woman River Demon has such and a m a z i n g concept, but it's very poorly executed, which is disappointing. I don't necessarily regret reading and finishing it, but I wouldn't do it again. What the author has to say about racial injustice, especially in the legal system, in this book is important, but it was not an effective vehicle for it. Proceed with caution, and definitely check trigger warnings if you decide to give this book a go.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Infidelity, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Body horror, Cursing, Gore, Racism, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, and Alcohol
Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Medical content, Stalking, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail