A review by kt2e56
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

This was a massive disappointment for me. I remember seeing the cover ages ago and immediately adding it to my reading list. Then I heard folks talking about and figured I had to give it a shot eventually and when I heard it was a re-telling of The Fall of the House of Usher I figured now would be the perfect time to read it since I just watched (and LOVED) the Netflix series. Well…this was nowhere near as good as I was hoping it would be. Painfully slow (which is outrageous considering how short it is) and dreadfully boring until I hit the 58% mark. All of the characters are either completely bland or in Easton’s case, unbelievably irritating. Yes, books at that time were a bit on the dry side but oh my god there’s no reason to do that with a retelling written now. I don’t need the constant war memories or lectures on Gallacian pronouns. There was some promise here first with the rabbits and then eventually once we’re told what is going on with Madeline but that all happens so quickly it sucked any and all tension right out of the book. Also what the fuck is up with the weird Beatrix Potter fanfic thrown in? I’ve heard only good things about this author so it’s a shame that I disliked this so much but maybe I’ll give them another chance.