A review by tisalwayssunny
Penance by Eliza Clark

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Next to “Kill The Boy Band”, I feel like this is the only other novel that really nails Tumblr. Both involve murder so not sure what that says a about the website. This novel is less funny and more uncomfortable. I liked the use of the “journalist” narrator and I thought Clark did a great job in building the story of each of the perpetrators (+1 innocent bystander). I almost got lost in the stories and forgot it was fictionalized even in the novel’s world. Clark interpolates class, social media, crime, and true crime with precision.