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A review by snowkab
Medusa Uploaded by Emily Devenport
4.0
Some content warnings:
I really enjoyed this book. I went into it thinking that it was a standalone; it's not, but you could read it as one. The ending is satisfying enough. The main two characters (Oichi and Medusa) are well-developed. The world is pretty solid.
I have two real issues with the book: the tense and the timeline. Really, these issues go together. The story is told as if this has all happened and Oichi is reminiscing back on it (as much as you can reminisce about murder). It's unclear how far in the future Oichi is when she's telling this story. I could live with that. However, the story is told in present tense which is then made weird when you're reminded that this has already happened. I would have chosen past tense. Characters that have already died are still sometimes referred to in present tense (for example:)
When really threw me off in the story, though, was the lack of dates. I have literally no idea how much time passed during this story. Months? Years? Decades? Likely it's in the years. But how much of that was "flashback" and how much time are we missing during her planning/plotting time? I would see references to years in the dialogue and be like "WOAH!!!! THAT HAPPENED FIVE YEARS AGO????" I need a little more specificity in my timelines. Like chapter headers that say "Six months later" or whatever.
These truly were minor details while reading. I enjoyed the novel and will be picking up the sequel when it comes out.
Spoiler
child gang rape, casual murder, dehumanization, loss of parents/familyI really enjoyed this book. I went into it thinking that it was a standalone; it's not, but you could read it as one. The ending is satisfying enough. The main two characters (Oichi and Medusa) are well-developed. The world is pretty solid.
I have two real issues with the book: the tense and the timeline. Really, these issues go together. The story is told as if this has all happened and Oichi is reminiscing back on it (as much as you can reminisce about murder). It's unclear how far in the future Oichi is when she's telling this story. I could live with that. However, the story is told in present tense which is then made weird when you're reminded that this has already happened. I would have chosen past tense. Characters that have already died are still sometimes referred to in present tense (for example:
Spoiler
when discussing Escape and Lady Sheba, they talk about her like she still has plansWhen really threw me off in the story, though, was the lack of dates. I have literally no idea how much time passed during this story. Months? Years? Decades? Likely it's in the years. But how much of that was "flashback" and how much time are we missing during her planning/plotting time? I would see references to years in the dialogue and be like "WOAH!!!! THAT HAPPENED FIVE YEARS AGO????" I need a little more specificity in my timelines. Like chapter headers that say "Six months later" or whatever.
These truly were minor details while reading. I enjoyed the novel and will be picking up the sequel when it comes out.