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sha 's review for:
Private Rites
by Julia Armfield
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I went into Private Rites with high expectations, having enjoyed Julia Armfield's Our Wives Under the Sea, which was an easy 5 star read for me. Unfortunately, this book fell flat in nearly every way.
The pacing was a major issue. Most of the story felt slow and uneventful, dragging through tedious details that failed to build any real tension. By the time the final chapter introduced some semblance of excitement, it was too little, too late - and worse, the conclusion made no sense. The climax felt rushed, incoherent, and ultimately unsatisfying, leaving me more frustrated than intrigued.
The characters were another letdown. I found them insufferable and uninteresting, with little to no development to make me care about their journeys.
Private Rites simply didn’t live up to its potential or the brilliance of Armfield's previous work. This one, unfortunately, is a miss for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment