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maireebrown 's review for:
The Death I Gave Him
by Em X. Liu
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was underwhelmed by this one. I like the concept for this retelling, but I feel like the final version didn’t achieve what I was hoping for. Realistic sci-fi isn’t always easy, and I do feel like some of these concepts were accomplished well.
Unfortunately, I think the format of the story made it less tense than I wanted. It was isolating and removed the emotion from the story. This story would have done better from a stable first or third person perspective.
Mild spoilers: I felt that Horatio and Haden’s relationship was unnecessary. It felt salacious, instead of interesting. I don’t love romantic subplots though, so this may be a personal preference.
I loved the way the “ghost” was done and wish the book had leaned more into the sci-fi horror vibes. Liu captured these elements well and I’d love to read her take on this genre.
Unfortunately, I think the format of the story made it less tense than I wanted. It was isolating and removed the emotion from the story. This story would have done better from a stable first or third person perspective.
Mild spoilers: I felt that Horatio and Haden’s relationship was unnecessary. It felt salacious, instead of interesting. I don’t love romantic subplots though, so this may be a personal preference.
I loved the way the “ghost” was done and wish the book had leaned more into the sci-fi horror vibes. Liu captured these elements well and I’d love to read her take on this genre.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Murder