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A review by weathersreadsgarbage
The Children of Red Peak by Craig DiLouie
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
This is such a bad sign for the rest of my reading year.
Anyway, here’s the thing: The concept? Interesting. The flashbacks to the cult? Great. Rushed, but good bones. I think there could have been more there. Same with the second cult - what the fuck was the point there?
The actual writing though lacked something for me. I’m fine with low action introspective navel gazing if the prose is pretty but this just wasn’t that. Very tell, no show. The characterization was also godawful - and for some reason one of the core characters didn’t have POV chapters because why exactly? Was writing two women too difficult? It’s such a stupid choice when I had to sit through so many boring pages about fucking Deacon and his stupid fucking band.
The most frustrating thing for me was that it feels like it could have been a novella and missed virtually nothing. I could tear pages out of this thing and probably make it a stronger narrative.
I’m so frustrated by this, I don’t enjoy feeling like I hate reading but this was positively grueling to get through.
Anyway, here’s the thing: The concept? Interesting. The flashbacks to the cult? Great. Rushed, but good bones. I think there could have been more there. Same with the second cult - what the fuck was the point there?
The actual writing though lacked something for me. I’m fine with low action introspective navel gazing if the prose is pretty but this just wasn’t that. Very tell, no show. The characterization was also godawful - and for some reason one of the core characters didn’t have POV chapters because why exactly? Was writing two women too difficult? It’s such a stupid choice when I had to sit through so many boring pages about fucking Deacon and his stupid fucking band.
The most frustrating thing for me was that it feels like it could have been a novella and missed virtually nothing. I could tear pages out of this thing and probably make it a stronger narrative.
I’m so frustrated by this, I don’t enjoy feeling like I hate reading but this was positively grueling to get through.