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A review by yush
Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The goods: I loved the plot of this story! I was drawn in and engaged throughout the novel.
I think that was substantially due to the amazing writing style. I found that each character had a distinct voice and enjoyed seeing them come to light.
I think the world in which the story was set was beautifully built and I throughly enjoyed exploring it.
The bads: the characters. From a purely relatability stand point, I found the characters hard to connect with. They seemed very 1-dimensional- with each having seemingly one personality trait that they centred their lives around. There was no reflection on how certain decisions went against their own morality etc.
This book was also a tough sell as the feminist read I thought it would be. While, on surface level it seems to preach girl power, the female characters were very much portrayed in a negative light. For example, the mothers of the main characters were all negligent (or abusive).
I think that was substantially due to the amazing writing style. I found that each character had a distinct voice and enjoyed seeing them come to light.
I think the world in which the story was set was beautifully built and I throughly enjoyed exploring it.
The bads: the characters. From a purely relatability stand point, I found the characters hard to connect with. They seemed very 1-dimensional- with each having seemingly one personality trait that they centred their lives around. There was no reflection on how certain decisions went against their own morality etc.
This book was also a tough sell as the feminist read I thought it would be. While, on surface level it seems to preach girl power, the female characters were very much portrayed in a negative light. For example, the mothers of the main characters were all negligent (or abusive).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Medical content, and Violence