A review by bibliostorian
Tiny Daggers by Caroline Corcoran

dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Corcoran has written an unnervingly good toxic friendship with a manipulative bully who is a narcissist and pathological liar, which at times had me wondering if she knew the person that taught me these lessons personally. I was genuinely unsettled by some of the similarities I saw in the dynamic between the two Hollys, particularly when it flashed back to their school years, and the differences in the way a teenager and an adult can recognize cruelty when it's shrouded in the words of friendship.

Other than that, though... this was a cast of unlikeable people, from top to bottom. I don't even think I liked Holly Jones's kid, which is impressive. Everyone that seemed cool and interesting up front wound up being shitty, and it's almost like the ones who seemed the most likeable up-front were the vilest of them as the book unravelled. Truly a deep dive on crappy, selfish, surface-level people.

I would also bet money that the author wanted to call this book MOSQUITO.
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