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A review by cyborgcinderella
Middletide by Sarah Crouch
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I have no idea why this book is called a "gripping and intensely atmospheric debut" because this is mostly a slice of life story, not a mystery novel.
Truthfully, I was bored for the majority of this book. I kept waiting for the story to turn to something thrilling or suspenseful, but the story kept focusing on Elijah's uninteresting daily activities and the abysmal romance between him and Nakita.
Even when I finally found out about the "mystery" of the story (which seemed totally implausible btw, so it lacked any real oomph), I no longer cared because it took so long to get there. The story didn't get to the actual mystery part of the novel until about 75% of the story, so at that point, I was so bored and just wanted to finish the book that I didn't even care about what happened anymore. And the story from then on wasn't even that exciting, so it didn't matter anyway.
I'm surprised this was considered a mystery/thriller because this definitely read more like a fiction novel with some light mystery elements. Just because it starts with a dead body doesn't automatically make it a mystery novel to me. The majority of the story doesn't even deal with the crime or anything related to it, so I can't see how this is supposed to have been considered a mystery/thriller.
Overall, I was seriously underwhelmed by this book. I only read it because it was a monthly pick from Barnes & Noble. Would not recommend it to anyone.
Truthfully, I was bored for the majority of this book. I kept waiting for the story to turn to something thrilling or suspenseful, but the story kept focusing on Elijah's uninteresting daily activities and the abysmal romance between him and Nakita.
Even when I finally found out about the "mystery" of the story (which seemed totally implausible btw, so it lacked any real oomph), I no longer cared because it took so long to get there. The story didn't get to the actual mystery part of the novel until about 75% of the story, so at that point, I was so bored and just wanted to finish the book that I didn't even care about what happened anymore. And the story from then on wasn't even that exciting, so it didn't matter anyway.
I'm surprised this was considered a mystery/thriller because this definitely read more like a fiction novel with some light mystery elements. Just because it starts with a dead body doesn't automatically make it a mystery novel to me. The majority of the story doesn't even deal with the crime or anything related to it, so I can't see how this is supposed to have been considered a mystery/thriller.
Overall, I was seriously underwhelmed by this book. I only read it because it was a monthly pick from Barnes & Noble. Would not recommend it to anyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Murder