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A review by existentialhell
Lights Out by Navessa Allen
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
The sex is good and the first half has some fun humor, but the book's twice as long as it needs to be because everything is told rather than shown. And I mean *everything*. It's excruciating listening to Alli and Josh try to outwit readers looking for plotholes and problematic behavior in their stalker romance.
On that note: for all its marketing as a depraved and unrepentant spiral, the story really wants to make sure you know we're morally allowed to like our two MCs. It basically abandons the "dark" pretense by the halfway point,and while the subject matter it deals in is still bleak, the lack of any proven stakes leaves the whole plot feeling hollow. Which is a shame, because the conceit is so fun! I wish the author had leaned more rather than constantly reminding us that our masked stalker fantasy MMC is really a nice dude and all the rest.
Also, it's kink written from a bafflingly vanilla perspective. And not Alli's POV, which is consistent enough with her characterization. But the entire novel constantly tells us how depraved and fucked up and taboo our MCs' desires are — I guess in an attempt to titillate readers with no kink experience — and it gets old real fast. Bizarrely puritanical sensibilities in our dubcon BDSM romance.
My rec: Find a supercut of the audiobook's best and funniest moments. The VAs do a phenomenal job and the bits of humor make me hope that the author finds a great editor to help them tighten up their voice in future projects.
On that note: for all its marketing as a depraved and unrepentant spiral, the story really wants to make sure you know we're morally allowed to like our two MCs. It basically abandons the "dark" pretense by the halfway point,and while the subject matter it deals in is still bleak, the lack of any proven stakes leaves the whole plot feeling hollow. Which is a shame, because the conceit is so fun! I wish the author had leaned more rather than constantly reminding us that our masked stalker fantasy MMC is really a nice dude and all the rest.
Also, it's kink written from a bafflingly vanilla perspective. And not Alli's POV, which is consistent enough with her characterization. But the entire novel constantly tells us how depraved and fucked up and taboo our MCs' desires are — I guess in an attempt to titillate readers with no kink experience — and it gets old real fast. Bizarrely puritanical sensibilities in our dubcon BDSM romance.
My rec: Find a supercut of the audiobook's best and funniest moments. The VAs do a phenomenal job and the bits of humor make me hope that the author finds a great editor to help them tighten up their voice in future projects.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Medical content, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Sexual harassment