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A review by specificwonderland
Gloria by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I heard about this book from uncarley. I knew the premise/spoiler going into it but that really made me want to read it. It is a very tense act 1 and a reeling/untangling act 2.
I found the characters interesting. It reminded me of Search Party, you have these vapid-ish characters slogging along, doing the least, and then something happens that snaps everyone into the present moment and we see the characters process something deeper than their every day lives. Loved the layout/pacing/organization of the story (act 1 v act 2) and the conversations of the characters. I wish we could have gotten more growth from the characters (this feels mainly plot driven) but maybe that's the point: when a deep thing happens to shallow people, some of them still remain shallow.
As an aside, I really like when writers (and playwrights) mention music. I put on Bach while I read this, it's a very quick read, I probably read it in the amount of the Gloria section of Bach's Mass in B Minor and that felt orchestrated and I appreciated that.
I found the characters interesting. It reminded me of Search Party, you have these vapid-ish characters slogging along, doing the least, and then something happens that snaps everyone into the present moment and we see the characters process something deeper than their every day lives. Loved the layout/pacing/organization of the story (act 1 v act 2) and the conversations of the characters. I wish we could have gotten more growth from the characters (this feels mainly plot driven) but maybe that's the point: when a deep thing happens to shallow people, some of them still remain shallow.
As an aside, I really like when writers (and playwrights) mention music. I put on Bach while I read this, it's a very quick read, I probably read it in the amount of the Gloria section of Bach's Mass in B Minor and that felt orchestrated and I appreciated that.