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A review by harrowhcrk
The Curse That Binds Us by Katie Hayoz, Katie Hayoz
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Rating: 4.25/5 stars
Every year on Redd’s birthday, a box appears, one she knows holds the answers to who she is, the answers her mother keeps from her. Every year, her mother hides the box before Redd can open it—until her 18th birthday.
This book was so incredibly well written, I am in awe. There are three point of views, and all three have such distinct voices; Redd and John and Eleanor all feel so completely their own characters, with even the writing style between the three adopting its own flavor. I’m sometimes iffy about multiple first person POV books, but this is honestly one of the best written ones I have ever read.
Plot wise, the pacing of The Curse That Binds Us is outstanding. The tension increases so fluidly throughout the story, and everything is revealed at a time that makes complete sense and that delivers such a strong punch. Redd trying to find the answers to who she really is drives the story, and John’s moral struggles mixed with Eleanor’s recollection of the past guide this along. I was constantly hooked, reading attentively waiting for the next new juicy detail to come to light.
One issue I have with a lot of books is how often the main character is the last to reach a conclusion that’s long been made clear to the reader; here, though, Redd made the connections quickly enough, and in a timeline that made complete sense with the plot. The only real reason my rating drops a bit is how frustrated I grew with how Redd reacted to these reveals. However!! This is something that is just a downfall of being someone who reviews based on emotions, because no matter how annoyed I could get, I always understood exactly why Redd reacted how she did. It was all consistent with her character, and all an understandable response based on what she’d experienced until that point.
All this to say, even the very few parts that bugged me were incredibly well done. I can’t recommend this book enough; and I can’t wait for the next installment!!!
Rating: 4.25/5 stars
Every year on Redd’s birthday, a box appears, one she knows holds the answers to who she is, the answers her mother keeps from her. Every year, her mother hides the box before Redd can open it—until her 18th birthday.
This book was so incredibly well written, I am in awe. There are three point of views, and all three have such distinct voices; Redd and John and Eleanor all feel so completely their own characters, with even the writing style between the three adopting its own flavor. I’m sometimes iffy about multiple first person POV books, but this is honestly one of the best written ones I have ever read.
Plot wise, the pacing of The Curse That Binds Us is outstanding. The tension increases so fluidly throughout the story, and everything is revealed at a time that makes complete sense and that delivers such a strong punch. Redd trying to find the answers to who she really is drives the story, and John’s moral struggles mixed with Eleanor’s recollection of the past guide this along. I was constantly hooked, reading attentively waiting for the next new juicy detail to come to light.
One issue I have with a lot of books is how often the main character is the last to reach a conclusion that’s long been made clear to the reader; here, though, Redd made the connections quickly enough, and in a timeline that made complete sense with the plot. The only real reason my rating drops a bit is how frustrated I grew with how Redd reacted to these reveals. However!! This is something that is just a downfall of being someone who reviews based on emotions, because no matter how annoyed I could get, I always understood exactly why Redd reacted how she did. It was all consistent with her character, and all an understandable response based on what she’d experienced until that point.
All this to say, even the very few parts that bugged me were incredibly well done. I can’t recommend this book enough; and I can’t wait for the next installment!!!