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A review by pewter
Sodom Road Exit by Amber Dawn
3.0
I wasn't sure what to expect from the first few chapters of Sodom Road Exit. Now, it's a tough read - trigger warnings all over this book would be appropriate, and the first chapters had me worried that I was just not in the right headspace for this type of adventure. However, the characters felt real (specifically, the dialogue really sold it for me) and the plot felt promising (and queer) enough that it kept me in the game.
Especially near the beginning, the chapters occasionally feel like a series of rapid short stories - an encounter here, an encounter there, building to a point but rather separate; this makes for some slow moments where I was a little skeptical. That being said, Dawn does not treat her readers like they're stupid - it's crisp writing that needs attention, and rewards with nice parallels between the main plot and the protagonists other struggles, especially as the book comes to a close. The occasional narrative-swapping could be reminiscent of Fried Green Tomatoes, but ghostly. It works alright.
As for the characters, we have a small but interesting crew to work with. The protagonist, Star, was a love-hate relationship. Her decisions and character developed over the course of the book, and her narration is what shows this best, and as an artist I loved her references. Occasionally we have a background character that enters and exits and has no weight on the plot, but the rest are emotional and generally well-rounded. My only complaint may be that everyone seems to take the supernatural goings-on in stride; personally I would imagine less suspension of disbelief in real life, but I'm not reading this book for classic "skeptic-turned-believer" arcs, so it works. I'm rooting for the cast, and their motivations make sense.
All in all, it was a good read that ended too soon - I would've taken a bit more of the adventurous beginnings throughout the entire story. If you're looking for a queer story (and you're prepared/in the headspace for some DARK territory), then this will do you just fine.
Especially near the beginning, the chapters occasionally feel like a series of rapid short stories - an encounter here, an encounter there, building to a point but rather separate; this makes for some slow moments where I was a little skeptical. That being said, Dawn does not treat her readers like they're stupid - it's crisp writing that needs attention, and rewards with nice parallels between the main plot and the protagonists other struggles, especially as the book comes to a close. The occasional narrative-swapping could be reminiscent of Fried Green Tomatoes, but ghostly. It works alright.
As for the characters, we have a small but interesting crew to work with. The protagonist, Star, was a love-hate relationship. Her decisions and character developed over the course of the book, and her narration is what shows this best, and as an artist I loved her references. Occasionally we have a background character that enters and exits and has no weight on the plot, but the rest are emotional and generally well-rounded. My only complaint may be that everyone seems to take the supernatural goings-on in stride; personally I would imagine less suspension of disbelief in real life, but I'm not reading this book for classic "skeptic-turned-believer" arcs, so it works. I'm rooting for the cast, and their motivations make sense.
All in all, it was a good read that ended too soon - I would've taken a bit more of the adventurous beginnings throughout the entire story. If you're looking for a queer story (and you're prepared/in the headspace for some DARK territory), then this will do you just fine.