Scan barcode
A review by mangomuncher
Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I really wanted to like it, and to an extent, I did. The writing itself is beautiful and that part made me want to keep reading, but the plot itself felt a little weak. The story itself was engaging, but the ending was unsatisfying and didn't live up to the promise of the alluring blurb.
There are certain minor details that I greatly disliked. The constant description of the two girls, Wink and Poppy, as being small and slender—childlike, in some instances—felt gratuitous. (We get it! They're skinny! You don't have to remind us every chapter!) Also, the choice to call Poppy's posse "the Yellows" (short for Yellow Peril, in reference to opium as an extension of Poppy) was incredibly poor taste and served as a jarring, painful reminder that the author is white. (Sidenote: I hate seeing skin described as "milky" or "creamy" but that's more of a personal gripe.)
I did find the book overall enjoyable—it conjured up some really vivid imagery with lovely prose—but it did fall flat at the end and I'm not sure I'd pick it up again.
There are certain minor details that I greatly disliked. The constant description of the two girls, Wink and Poppy, as being small and slender—childlike, in some instances—felt gratuitous. (We get it! They're skinny! You don't have to remind us every chapter!) Also, the choice to call Poppy's posse "the Yellows" (short for Yellow Peril, in reference to opium as an extension of Poppy) was incredibly poor taste and served as a jarring, painful reminder that the author is white. (Sidenote: I hate seeing skin described as "milky" or "creamy" but that's more of a personal gripe.)
I did find the book overall enjoyable—it conjured up some really vivid imagery with lovely prose—but it did fall flat at the end and I'm not sure I'd pick it up again.