A review by ceceee863
Darkhearts by James L. Sutter

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I haven’t read a book by a white man in so long and this book reminded me why. The story was good but the writing was just so boyish. There were times when intimate moments were ruined by constant descriptions of gross things like  grease drippings or snot. The best friend character was a Black girl and she was written in such an inauthentic way. She spoke about sex in a cringey high school boy way and her race was used as an unnecessary and uncomfortable crutch in an argument. I also found it off-putting that though there were non-binary people and Asian people in the story, this author only felt the need to label characters when they were Black. Rather than just letting the Blackness of his characters be revealed through “showing” like his other minority characters, Sutter told us his characters were Black every chance he got. As a Black person, it felt inauthentic and grimy.