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A review by lokasreads
The Father She Went to Find by Carter Wilson
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
The author's messaging got lost in the cracks, and the theme and character development felt forced and hollow. He wrote the 21-year-old protagonist more like a 15-year-old pickme who suddenly realizes she's just as unique as everyone else. I was planning on giving this ~3 stars, but the writing really went off the rails at the end. The mystery that I'd stayed to unearth, the mystery of Penny's missing father, was solved in yet another hollow, empty fashion.
And please let characters be autistic. Penny's accident gave her autistic traits - more than just the acquired savant syndrome - and another character explicitly asks if she's autistic. It could have been a commentary on the time period, women going undiagnosed despite clear symptoms, but it wasn't. The author wanted a quirky genius without the dirty label of autism. It's a tired trope.
And please let characters be autistic. Penny's accident gave her autistic traits - more than just the acquired savant syndrome - and another character explicitly asks if she's autistic. It could have been a commentary on the time period, women going undiagnosed despite clear symptoms, but it wasn't. The author wanted a quirky genius without the dirty label of autism. It's a tired trope.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Car accident, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Medical content, Alcohol
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, Excrement, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting