A review by betweentheshelves
Small Favors by Erin A. Craig

dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

 Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte for an advanced copy of this to review! House of Salt and Sorrows was such a creepy, atmospheric retelling, and I couldn't wait to read it. Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to my expectations. Which makes me sad, because look at that cover! It is gorgeous!

The strongest aspect of this book is the way Craig creates this creepy atmosphere in the book. You can feel that something sinister is happening, but you don't really know what it is. You're drawn into this town that's extremely isolated, with these people that aren't quite what they seem. It feels a horror movie atmosphere and this was my favorite thing about the book.

As far as character goes, they're well fleshed out and interact well with the setting. I just didn't necessarily like any of them. Ellerie is probably the most likeable, but even then, there was just something that made it difficult to connect with her. Maybe it was the setting, maybe it was something else. I can't really put my finger on it, but it made the book hard to get into for me.

Also the plot. I'm not necessarily a plot reader, but I had a really difficult time seeing where this was going. Or seeing the point, really. By the end, I didn't really see the motivation behind the monstrous creatures. I wanted this to be expanded more, because this aspect of the plot fell flat for me.

Overall, I don't think this book was necessarily for me. If you like novels that really focus on creating a creepy, spooky atmosphere, this one might be for you! Keep an eye out for it when it comes out on July 27th. 
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Oh I wanted to like this more than I did. Review to come on Thursday!
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