A review by llatai
Barren Cove by Ariel S. Winter

challenging reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I enjoyed the premise of this book & was intrigued by the set-up, but it quickly fell off from there. The robots are tropey caricatures that apparently retain a lot of stereotypical human problems, & although we get to know most of the characters through chapters with alternating perspectives, not a single character is likeable enough to keep reading the book from feeling like a depressive slog. There are only two female characters in the entire novel, & despite the fact that neither of them are human, they reek of the same shallow, men-writing-women bs that you're no doubt already familiar with. The repeated "perfect white skin" emphasis also had me cringing. Overall, the premise was far more interesting than the execution.