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A review by rakoerose
The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives in Your Home by Jeffrey Cranor, Joseph Fink
5.0
I’m incredibly biased, because I love the entirety of Night Vale, but I’m also genuinely fascinated by this tale of a faceless woman.
You’re thoughtful and tender, Craig. It makes my task difficult sometimes.
The dual timeline perspectives for this novel really made the reveals hit hard. Some things I could sense, others were a surprise, and I enjoyed all of it. The sheer scale in how manipulation and revenge can create a life so complicated yet singularly focused. And when you look so closely, you’re blind to the rest. Really well done! I will say if you’re not one for “pirate crew and thievery/heist” shenanigans it may not be your cup of tea. It happens to be something I do like.
I also liked the crew. Andrés, Lora, and Rebekah all grew on me as their adventures played out. Their doing-crime-yet-minimizing-harm. A backwards way of existence that was cool to see. I particularly liked that Andrés is a bit of (not named) ace-aro representation and Rebekah ending up sapphic. It’s these little details and nuances that makes these stories so interesting to read. The depth! Night Vale has always been quite inclusive and it’s what makes it feel both like home and eerily not at the same time.
I will say I had great fun learning what all the elements of the cover symbolized over the course of the book. It’s always so fun when that happens.
Idk. I love Night Vale. I really adored this book, it was great to see the origins of this unique character they’ve developed over all these years. Yet somehow we still don’t know her name. Truly, faceless.
You’re thoughtful and tender, Craig. It makes my task difficult sometimes.
The dual timeline perspectives for this novel really made the reveals hit hard. Some things I could sense, others were a surprise, and I enjoyed all of it. The sheer scale in how manipulation and revenge can create a life so complicated yet singularly focused. And when you look so closely, you’re blind to the rest. Really well done! I will say if you’re not one for “pirate crew and thievery/heist” shenanigans it may not be your cup of tea. It happens to be something I do like.
I also liked the crew. Andrés, Lora, and Rebekah all grew on me as their adventures played out. Their doing-crime-yet-minimizing-harm. A backwards way of existence that was cool to see. I particularly liked that Andrés is a bit of (not named) ace-aro representation and Rebekah ending up sapphic. It’s these little details and nuances that makes these stories so interesting to read. The depth! Night Vale has always been quite inclusive and it’s what makes it feel both like home and eerily not at the same time.
I will say I had great fun learning what all the elements of the cover symbolized over the course of the book. It’s always so fun when that happens.
Idk. I love Night Vale. I really adored this book, it was great to see the origins of this unique character they’ve developed over all these years. Yet somehow we still don’t know her name. Truly, faceless.