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A review by iasmy
Scorched Grace by Margot Douaihy
dark
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
0.0
I finished this book just to leave this review; otherwise, I would have DNFed it during the first chapter. I wasn’t surprised by how much I hated this book. I guess stereotypically violent nuns who think they aren’t the problem run in the Catholic Church.
The mystery is very cliché, and the characters are one-dimensional. The thought that enrages me throughout the book is the glorification of being in pain and suffering. Her fetish, because I am sure that our protagonist is at least partially into BDSM, is used to justify abusing kids.
Two of the more memorable incidents are making kids practice guitar until their fingers hurt so much that they complained to the principal. Even our masochist mother superior decided she went too far and punished her. The punishment was in fact enjoyed by our protagonist, who lamented that one of the kids who went to the principal was anonymous. I wonder why, since our protagonist is so nice and caring toward disabled kids and not at all ill equipped to dialog with them and out to get them.
Our lovely nun also beats a disabled foster kid to encourage him to tell the truth, and when he, rightfully so, wants to tell on her, she responds that nobody would believe him. I wonder why foster kids can’t get out of the system. Not to talk about the double standard, she was way gentler with the kid who has a family, was actually present during the first incident, and had bigger secrets. I wonder why that is.
The constant mention of pain and suffering as a good thing, backed up by church talk, was infuriating but not surprising, and the author seemed tune-deaf as to the consequences of her words. Our sadomasochistic protagonist should have gone to therapy instead of becoming a nun; she would also have learned to explore that part of her personality in a safe way without taking it on the kids.
What enrages mein the resolution is that even in acknowledging that one person got too far , our protagonist and author fail to recognize that the rhetoric and behavior throughout the book are a symptom that let the “mystery” happen, not an isolated incident or caused only by personal struggles. Even if our protagonist isn’t going to commit any murders in the future, the rhetoric that she is participating in is going to produce more people like that . The system is broken.
The mystery is very cliché, and the characters are one-dimensional. The thought that enrages me throughout the book is the glorification of being in pain and suffering. Her fetish, because I am sure that our protagonist is at least partially into BDSM, is used to justify abusing kids.
Two of the more memorable incidents are making kids practice guitar until their fingers hurt so much that they complained to the principal. Even our masochist mother superior decided she went too far and punished her. The punishment was in fact enjoyed by our protagonist, who lamented that one of the kids who went to the principal was anonymous. I wonder why, since our protagonist is so nice and caring toward disabled kids and not at all ill equipped to dialog with them and out to get them.
Our lovely nun also beats a disabled foster kid to encourage him to tell the truth, and when he, rightfully so, wants to tell on her, she responds that nobody would believe him. I wonder why foster kids can’t get out of the system. Not to talk about the double standard, she was way gentler with the kid who has a family, was actually present during the first incident, and had bigger secrets. I wonder why that is.
The constant mention of pain and suffering as a good thing, backed up by church talk, was infuriating but not surprising, and the author seemed tune-deaf as to the consequences of her words. Our sadomasochistic protagonist should have gone to therapy instead of becoming a nun; she would also have learned to explore that part of her personality in a safe way without taking it on the kids.
What enrages me
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Religious bigotry
Minor: Police brutality, Homophobia, and Animal death