Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by lokasreads
Die for Me by Luke Jennings
adventurous
challenging
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Forgetting for a moment that I still don't quite understand how Eve and Villanelle got to the point of steamy couplings, I do enjoy the way their relationship is written in this third and final installment of the series. I was worried that the book would lean too much into a dynamic that could very well be described as abusive, but Eve sets boundaries and Villanelle makes compromises. Though I can't speak to the accuracy of the relationship dynamic with a person diagnosed with ASPD, it felt realistic enough and like it wasn't pure romanticization. I do, however, wish more time could have been devoted to watching the relationship evolve like this.
I disliked the sudden shift into first-person POV. I assume it might be so we're kept in the dark, as Eve is, to Villanelle's true feelings, but this could've been accomplished by keeping the third-person POV the previous books used. I also just plain missed the insight into Villanelle's mind. Those were some of the most entertaining chapters in previous books.
There was also an attempt at nonbinary representation that felt very dry, almost like the character's constant correction of name and pronouns was inserted as comic relief at the end of a section. I would've rather the book left out the nonbinary character entirely if they weren't going to get sensitivity readers for it.
Favorite line:
"You farting all the time doesn't help."
"It does help. It's fun. Watch. Squeeze asshole, little bubbles. Relax asshole, bigger bubbles."
"Awesome."
Okay, favorite line that's more serious:
There are times when she slides into an impenetrable silence, or pushes away from me, tense with anger at some imagined slight, but mostly she's skittish and tender. She's like a cat, yawning and stretching and purring, all lean muscle and sheathed claws.
I disliked the sudden shift into first-person POV. I assume it might be so we're kept in the dark, as Eve is, to Villanelle's true feelings, but this could've been accomplished by keeping the third-person POV the previous books used. I also just plain missed the insight into Villanelle's mind. Those were some of the most entertaining chapters in previous books.
There was also an attempt at nonbinary representation that felt very dry, almost like the character's constant correction of name and pronouns was inserted as comic relief at the end of a section. I would've rather the book left out the nonbinary character entirely if they weren't going to get sensitivity readers for it.
Favorite line:
"You farting all the time doesn't help."
"It does help. It's fun. Watch. Squeeze asshole, little bubbles. Relax asshole, bigger bubbles."
"Awesome."
Okay, favorite line that's more serious:
There are times when she slides into an impenetrable silence, or pushes away from me, tense with anger at some imagined slight, but mostly she's skittish and tender. She's like a cat, yawning and stretching and purring, all lean muscle and sheathed claws.