A review by tdnan
Extasia by Claire Legrand

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I had to stick it out for this one, because the main character just starts out so insufferable. It’s definitely the whole point, though, and makes it more satisfying to see her growth. There’s some pretty effective gore in here. I thought the lesbianism was just kind of tossed in there, not really all that compelling. Glad it’s there though! I was actually really shocked at some discoveries in this book, and I like how it made me think. I feel like it really demonstrated the ways in which misogynistic rhetoric, no matter how tame, leads to a deep-seated, never-ending hatred of women. However, I felt like the ending left a little more to be desired in terms of fleshing out that sociological aspect of it. Altogether, I think I just would have liked it to be a little more elevated in its prose.