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A review by bookcasey
The Black Cat Bookshop by E.M. McConnell
Did not finish book. Stopped at 55%.
I acquired an ARC through a social media post by the author.
To be fair, I’m a mood reader and horror isn’t usually my genre.
There’s so much to love about this book: a bookshop with cats, a sinister presence, and more. Where the book really lost me was the pacing. The first section is too fast-paced; I wished it had been more flushed out. However, it makes the second section drag in comparison. I do appreciate that the variety in pacing adds an interesting, unpredictable quality to the book.
I think the unintended effect of the sectioned approach is that the common thread wasn’t strong enough to keep me picking it back up when my mood started to shift to something else.
To be fair, I’m a mood reader and horror isn’t usually my genre.
There’s so much to love about this book: a bookshop with cats, a sinister presence, and more. Where the book really lost me was the pacing. The first section is too fast-paced; I wished it had been more flushed out. However, it makes the second section drag in comparison. I do appreciate that the variety in pacing adds an interesting, unpredictable quality to the book.
I think the unintended effect of the sectioned approach is that the common thread wasn’t strong enough to keep me picking it back up when my mood started to shift to something else.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Death, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Murder
Minor: Violence