A review by divinefolly
The Steep & Thorny Way by Cat Winters

4.0

4.3☆

Another one I am unsure about. Some elements of this book are amazing:
- the historical setting (1920s Oregon)
- social commentary (racism, homophobia)
- the murder mystery plot (a retelling of Hamlet)

I think what let me down was the main character, Hanalee. It irritates me when characters make dumb decisions and that is what she did for about 90% of the book. Yes, she is a teenager, and yes, she is emotionally motivated to find her father's killer. But a lot of the time I was asking myself, "Why the frack are you doing that?" And when compared to the character Joe, who felt incredibly real to me, she was just really lacking.