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A review by otherworlds
The Devil Crept In by Ania Ahlborn
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Okay, I read this because I loved Brother, but this did not measure up. I found it to be a slog for such a short book, and I'm gonna go into why that is.
1. Stevie had such a strong narrative voice, and Rosie was quite the opposite. If you're going to shift between POVs, they have to be equally interesting or else... well.
2. The monster was over-explained to death. This story was truly unnerving me until the first Rosie/Otto section, in which the mystery was lost and so was my fear.
3. Otto's narrative played into ableist tropes.
4. The ending was anticlimactic.
5. The overall pacing was off.
I'm disappointed because there was potential here. There was an effectively eerie mood in the opening segment, Stevie was a great protagonist, and I know Ahlborn can do better than this.
2. The monster was over-explained to death. This story was truly unnerving me until the first Rosie/Otto section, in which the mystery was lost and so was my fear.
3. Otto's narrative played into ableist tropes.
4. The ending was anticlimactic.
5. The overall pacing was off.
I'm disappointed because there was potential here. There was an effectively eerie mood in the opening segment, Stevie was a great protagonist, and I know Ahlborn can do better than this.