A review by cryptidenthusiast
Mary: An Awakening of Terror by Nat Cassidy

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

4.0

Initially, this book was a 3 for me. It had slow points, and I found myself struggling to connect to the inner voice of Mary, a woman written by a man. There were points where I was like ‘okay, this is obviously how a man thinks a woman must think’ (the repeated reference and notice of the victims’ breasts, being one point. I can’t speak for everybody, but the first thing I would notice about a spectral murder victim probably wouldn’t be whether or not her breasts were sagging). There was a disconnect there that I struggled with, outside of other issues I had with the overall pacing. 

And then I listened to the acknowledgment. 

Nat Cassidy made a point to do his research, and came from a point of genuinely wanting to bring light to a part of women’s lives that is usually ignored: menopause. And he brought up the point that a lot of Mary’s inner voice wasn’t *her*, but a man, something Nat Cassidy did know and could write, which is why the disconnect was there.
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