A review by whatmeganreads
Small Favors by Erin A. Craig

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

2.5

Had I not read this author's previous work, House of Salt and Sorrows, I would have likely given this a 2.75 or 3. However, this felt much more like a debut novel than her actual debut did. It started off promising and I loved the premise--it felt like a mashup of M. Night Shyamalan's The Village and Stephen King's Needful Things. But the dilogue and oddly telenovela-ish romance that began to play a major role in the plot ruined things for me. I the dialogue was stilted and forced -- lot's of melodramatic exclamations and people using each other's full names fourteen times in the course of one conversation -- and I couldn't get past it. Readers who enjoy YA and dramatic young romance may find this an engaging read, but it just wsnt for me. Had I not known better, and you told me House of Salt and Sorrows and this novel were written by the same author, I wouldn't have believed you. 
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