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A review by vkitoria
The Retreat by Sarah Pearse
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
this was… bad. i had rated the sanatorium 3 stars because it at least had some compelling content but this second novel was a sharp turn for the worse.
i didn’t like the main characters when they were introduced in the debut but i REALLY hate them now. they’re poorly fleshed-out, none of their decisions make any sense, and the relationship between the main character and her boyfriend is just weird.
the writing here was also just terrible. lots of telling rather than showing, which is kind of like creative writing 101, right? a lot of parts felt like i was reading an unedited first draft.
as for the mystery, it was okay. not super well-explained and the final 50ish pages were all over the place. definitely not worth reading.
i didn’t like the main characters when they were introduced in the debut but i REALLY hate them now. they’re poorly fleshed-out, none of their decisions make any sense, and the relationship between the main character and her boyfriend is just weird.
the writing here was also just terrible. lots of telling rather than showing, which is kind of like creative writing 101, right? a lot of parts felt like i was reading an unedited first draft.
as for the mystery, it was okay. not super well-explained and the final 50ish pages were all over the place. definitely not worth reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder