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A review by rmnedder
In My Dreams I Hold a Knife by Ashley Winstead
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I was not a fan of this book.
The plot isn't half bad, and the pacing is actually pretty good; it really starts to move, and once it starts it doesn't stop. That's about all I can say for it, though.
None of the characters are likable. At all. It's more than being "morally grey;" these characters are all so fundamentally unlikable that it makes it genuinely difficult to root for any of them or get invested in their lives. The dialogue is stilted and unnatural at points, and the narration is far too padded for a first-person narrator; she feels less like a character and more like a mouthpiece for the author at times. Establishing the occasional switch from first- to third-person narration over twenty chapters in was also a jarring change. Many of the twists felt unearned or unpredictable, like there wasn't enough (or any) preamble or foreshadowing for us to reasonably figure out how or why we got there. The final chapter also really undercut the main character's entire narrative arc and it robbed her of what little impactful growth she could have had.
I wouldn't recommend this one. It's a quick read, but it's not terribly well done, and I really only finished it out of spite.
I was also not thrilled by the author's seemingly unconscious homophobia and internalized misogyny. It's all fine and good to critique the 00s brand of misogyny and homophobia, but to then fall into standard biphobic stereotypes (cheating bisexual) and rampant unironic "I'm not like other girls" characterization makes any real critiques ring hollow.
The plot isn't half bad, and the pacing is actually pretty good; it really starts to move, and once it starts it doesn't stop. That's about all I can say for it, though.
None of the characters are likable. At all. It's more than being "morally grey;" these characters are all so fundamentally unlikable that it makes it genuinely difficult to root for any of them or get invested in their lives. The dialogue is stilted and unnatural at points, and the narration is far too padded for a first-person narrator; she feels less like a character and more like a mouthpiece for the author at times. Establishing the occasional switch from first- to third-person narration over twenty chapters in was also a jarring change. Many of the twists felt unearned or unpredictable, like there wasn't enough (or any) preamble or foreshadowing for us to reasonably figure out how or why we got there. The final chapter also really undercut the main character's entire narrative arc and it robbed her of what little impactful growth she could have had.
I wouldn't recommend this one. It's a quick read, but it's not terribly well done, and I really only finished it out of spite.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Addiction, and Murder
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual assault, Violence, Sexism, and Drug abuse
Minor: Alcohol, Biphobia, Vomit, and Blood