Scan barcode
A review by preciouslittleingenue
Scorched Grace by Margot Douaihy
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I defended this book while everyone else in sapphlit bashed it…and then I actually finished it. How absolutely stupid. I’ll copy what I said in sapphlit chat:
“It’s one of my least favorite cliches in crime of all time. They bury the lead so far that it really and truly comes out of nowhere. It’s not burying the lead if it actually makes no narrative sense”
“Sister Augustine showed NO signs of being unhinged like that. Like that isn’t just covering up crimes. She’s a NUN who BURNED PEOPLE ALIVE because she thought it was god’s will. People like that aren’t just functional in society and undetectable as sociopaths ”
I was seriously so annoyed. And why why why was SA used as a plot device twice. That’s one too many. I’d argue two too many, but people should be able to write about it if it’s something they’ve lived through. But it just felt…glorified. And like, way to spread the narrative that SA survivors turn into monsters/unmanageable psychos.
There’s no explanation for why Holiday tried to help her escape instead of turning her in. So dumb. And then the grotesque ending? Unnecessary. Wish I didn’t finish.
But. Other than that. I enjoyed the vibes. Didn’t care for her “love interest”, again, she fed into the stereotype that bisexual women are just lesbians who cheat on their husbands with women. Not a fan of that, and I don’t feel sorry for either of them. They made their bed.
“Sister Augustine showed NO signs of being unhinged like that. Like that isn’t just covering up crimes. She’s a NUN who BURNED PEOPLE ALIVE because she thought it was god’s will. People like that aren’t just functional in society and undetectable as sociopaths ”
I was seriously so annoyed. And why why why was SA used as a plot device twice. That’s one too many. I’d argue two too many, but people should be able to write about it if it’s something they’ve lived through. But it just felt…glorified. And like, way to spread the narrative that SA survivors turn into monsters/unmanageable psychos.
There’s no explanation for why Holiday tried to help her escape instead of turning her in. So dumb. And then the grotesque ending? Unnecessary. Wish I didn’t finish.
But. Other than that. I enjoyed the vibes. Didn’t care for her “love interest”, again, she fed into the stereotype that bisexual women are just lesbians who cheat on their husbands with women. Not a fan of that, and I don’t feel sorry for either of them. They made their bed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Blood