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A review by julieannasbooks
The Blackbird Season by Kate Moretti
3.0
The Blackbird Season is a slow-burn mystery about the disappearance of a high-school girl and the growing accusations against one of her teachers - all coming into play after dozens of dead blackbirds fall from the sky. The story also portrays the downfall of the small town it takes place in due to the closure of a mill that displaced jobs for many, several years ago.
In terms of setting, this book does a great job at illustrating the struggles of this town after the loss of its biggest employer. Not only that, but between the descriptions of locations, the desires of the characters, and the overall vibes that the town gives, it is clear that to most, the thought of having to stay in Mount Oanoke is undesirable.
Although the characters are a good reflection of the town itself, I can't say that any of them were the least bit likeable. And while not all characters need to be likeable to make a good book, I felt that, in the case of a book like this, I had nobody I even wanted to side with, and that made it harder for me to invest in wanting to know the resolution. Not to mention, many of their decisions were illogical and were frustrating (not necessarily in a good way sometimes) to read.
The synopsis also had me believing the book was going in a completely different direction. It places a large emphasis on the falling of the birds from the sky, but this ends up not being a major component of the book. I wasn't disappointed in the storyline I got, but I was also hoping it would have been more like what was emphasized in the synopsis.
Overall, The Blackbird Season was a good atmospheric read, but I often struggled to appreciate the characters. If you're looking for October reads and you're not looking for lots of thrills or horror (and don't mind the characters), this book would be a better fit, but it will still leave you with that unsettled feeling as you read it.
In terms of setting, this book does a great job at illustrating the struggles of this town after the loss of its biggest employer. Not only that, but between the descriptions of locations, the desires of the characters, and the overall vibes that the town gives, it is clear that to most, the thought of having to stay in Mount Oanoke is undesirable.
Although the characters are a good reflection of the town itself, I can't say that any of them were the least bit likeable. And while not all characters need to be likeable to make a good book, I felt that, in the case of a book like this, I had nobody I even wanted to side with, and that made it harder for me to invest in wanting to know the resolution. Not to mention, many of their decisions were illogical and were frustrating (not necessarily in a good way sometimes) to read.
The synopsis also had me believing the book was going in a completely different direction. It places a large emphasis on the falling of the birds from the sky, but this ends up not being a major component of the book. I wasn't disappointed in the storyline I got, but I was also hoping it would have been more like what was emphasized in the synopsis.
Overall, The Blackbird Season was a good atmospheric read, but I often struggled to appreciate the characters. If you're looking for October reads and you're not looking for lots of thrills or horror (and don't mind the characters), this book would be a better fit, but it will still leave you with that unsettled feeling as you read it.