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hi_its_erinnicole 's review for:

A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny
3.25
adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

LP is such a complicated figure in my life.  I've read 12 of her books now and I enjoy them but she still drives me batshit insane.  Like I really don't understand the casual racism as a joke towards the sole Black character in her books.  It's not funny and it will never be funny-- and yet she just keeps doing it.  Why?    Not a hot take: this kind of "joke" is only funny to a white author and a certain subsection of her audience.  I feel similarly about her rampant homophobia.  I know she's absolutely one of those insufferable people who feel victimized because "people just can't take a joke anymore".  Please explain to me how systematic oppression is hilarious?  I'll wait.

...And yet.  There were some really beautiful passage in this one.  I cried at least once and laughed out loud at least twice.  I dunno...it's complicated.