A review by very_mellifluous
Permafrost by Eva Baltasar

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

3.5

This is a book that I somewhat disliked on first read because it deals with subjects that I am sensitive to: suicide, depression, and the mother wound. However, Permafrost also feels like a book that I will return to, and grow to like more and more as I digest and reflect upon it. I did not relate to the narrator's motives or ways of thinking, and while this was sometimes unsettling and jarring to read, it was also intriguing to 'experience.'

For readers considering Permafrost: the summary on the book jacket is basically irrelevant and mostly useless. Read if you're interested in a character study, love sturdy sentences, and enjoy a non-chronological progression with a killer ending (not a spoiler!). 
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