A review by cgreenstein
The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Fast-paced and inventive, with enough hints to make the reveals feel earned rather than out of nowhere but not so many that everything is obvious right out of the gate. That's a hard balance to strike, I think, and this book handles it well, so each time something is revealed it's satisfying instead of prompting eye rolls. I would've appreciated a little more explanation of the climactic scene, and some of the ins and outs of how everything worked required me to go back and reread, and I am still not 100% sure I got it, but I think that's on me-- I'm not a detail-oriented reader, and I was more interested in the plot, which is rapid and twisty. The characters are fun, too, especially the family friends!
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