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my_corner_of_the_library's Reviews (320)
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Oof...this book... I have a lot to say, and almost none of it has to do with the taboo aspect of this book.
Let me start by saying that I was very well aware of the taboo aspect of this book before reading it. That's actually part of the reason I wanted to read it.
What I was sold: a deep, insightful story about a family that moves to Alaska to reconnect. After the tragic loss of the mother the father and daughter end up in a sweet, loving, but taboo relationship that grows from there dependency on each other while trying to survive.
What I got:A story about a father that grooms his teenage daughter due to having sexual feelings for her long before they are in a survival situation, written in a way that jumps over every possible opportunity for character development. Characters that have never left the city but are instant survival experts, and an incredibly emotionally and physically abusive husband/father, disguised as become primal and wild.
I had really been wanting a book that gave deep insight into the emotions that lead up to the romantic relationship between father and daughter. I wanted to watch the two struggle to survive and learn as they go. I wanted to see their dependency on eachother build to something greater that they couldn't resist and then watch them struggle with what they are feeling for eachother and the societal expectations they grew up with. I wanted two distinct voices showing the difference between the mentality a young 16 year old girl and a 40 year old father.
Instead...this was rough. Very easy to read and get through, but ultimately painful to read. There was absolutely no deep insight into either main character due to poor writing. Writing that did an excellent job of being a PRIME example of telling and not showing by repeatedly telling us how intelligent and mature Devon was, but her POV being incredibly juvenile and (for lack of a better word) idiotic. Writing that portrayed Reed's entire POV and distinct character traits as simply being the word "fuck." Writing that avoided thoroughly describing anything in lieu of the word "fuck."
She wasn't, "The most gorgeous woman I'd ever seen, emerging from the river glistening with beads of water that made her appear like a goddess come to life." Or whatever. She was just, "Hot as fuck." The weather wasn't, "so cold that simply breathing in made it feel as though someone was shoving knives into my lungs, making it difficult to breathe." It was simply, "cold as fuck." You get the picture.
There was no slow build to this taboo relationship, instead opting to start the sexual relationship between father and daughter almost immediately, long before "the wilderness got to them" becomes an excuse. There was no sweet relationship, instead we got a man who regularly hit and sexually assaulted the woman he supposedly loved. Hate to burst Devon's bubble, but when she runs from the cabin in the snow simply to get away from him and screams at him how much she hates him and tells him not to touch her and he rips her underwear off, holds her down and starts violently having sex with her while she repeatedly screams and passes out from labor pains without him even acknowledging it, it is indeed rape, even if she loves him. I know Devon repeatedly likes to justify how Reed is good and doesn't rape her because she loves him, and Reed is portrayed in both this book and the next as a good guy worth looking up to, but he's not. Plain and simple.
Let me start by saying that I was very well aware of the taboo aspect of this book before reading it. That's actually part of the reason I wanted to read it.
What I was sold: a deep, insightful story about a family that moves to Alaska to reconnect. After the tragic loss of the mother the father and daughter end up in a sweet, loving, but taboo relationship that grows from there dependency on each other while trying to survive.
What I got:
I had really been wanting a book that gave deep insight into the emotions that lead up to the romantic relationship between father and daughter. I wanted to watch the two struggle to survive and learn as they go. I wanted to see their dependency on eachother build to something greater that they couldn't resist and then watch them struggle with what they are feeling for eachother and the societal expectations they grew up with. I wanted two distinct voices showing the difference between the mentality a young 16 year old girl and a 40 year old father.
Instead...this was rough. Very easy to read and get through, but ultimately painful to read. There was absolutely no deep insight into either main character due to poor writing. Writing that did an excellent job of being a PRIME example of telling and not showing by repeatedly telling us how intelligent and mature Devon was, but her POV being incredibly juvenile and (for lack of a better word) idiotic. Writing that portrayed Reed's entire POV and distinct character traits as simply being the word "fuck." Writing that avoided thoroughly describing anything in lieu of the word "fuck."
She wasn't, "The most gorgeous woman I'd ever seen, emerging from the river glistening with beads of water that made her appear like a goddess come to life." Or whatever. She was just, "Hot as fuck." The weather wasn't, "so cold that simply breathing in made it feel as though someone was shoving knives into my lungs, making it difficult to breathe." It was simply, "cold as fuck." You get the picture.
There was no slow build to this taboo relationship,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Gun violence, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Alcohol
dark
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book...was...better than the last? That's about all the good I have to say.
I knew very little about this book going in, but having read the first I had a pretty good idea. If I hadn't bought the two books as one I probably wouldn't have read this one, but since I'd already paid for it and it was in my hands I figured I might as well.
Credit to this book where the other failed:
I knew very little about this book going in, but having read the first I had a pretty good idea. If I hadn't bought the two books as one I probably wouldn't have read this one, but since I'd already paid for it and it was in my hands I figured I might as well.
Credit to this book where the other failed:
- The taboo relationship wasn't immediate and took time to develop
- We get at least some insight into how the characters cope with their developing taboo relationship
- The juvenile POV of Eve is explainable and fitting due to her seclusion from a young age and abuse, giving her charm
- Atticus actually makes attempts to do the right thing,
both when he believes her under age and when he finds out about their familial connection.
Now...onto the things that were not good...
The writing of this book was really just as bad as the first. The different POV's were still distinct only because Atticus used the word "fuck" as a way to describe pretty much everything (check out my review of The Wild for more insight on what I mean by this).
One of the big things that REALLY got to me was the fact that Atticus really didn't seem to care that Eve had been mauled by a bear (this happens within the first chapter, so not really a spoiler), he is still completely preoccupied with sexual thoughts.
I definitely liked this book more than the first, and can actually see how people can really like this book if the writing doesn't bother you as much as it did me. However, that's about all the good I can say for it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence
Minor: Miscarriage
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I quite enjoyed the first half of this book. It felt like a sweet adventure with a lot to teach and had quite a few good quotes. However.......at about the halfway point I started to really struggle to get through this one.
First off, the whole thing felt incredibly predictable.
Second, there was A LOT of "trust God" type messaging, and I'm really not the audience for that.
Third, it became SUPER repetitive. This really started to grate on my nerves and made the whole thing feel a little pointless after a while. I just kept thinking, "Oh, let me guess: because your pursuing your personal legend God will speak to you using the Language of the World?" *flips page* Me: *sighs* Yupp, that's exactly what happens......again....and again.
First off, the whole thing felt incredibly predictable.
Second, there was A LOT of "trust God" type messaging, and I'm really not the audience for that.
Third, it became SUPER repetitive. This really started to grate on my nerves and made the whole thing feel a little pointless after a while. I just kept thinking, "Oh, let me guess: because your pursuing your personal legend God will speak to you using the Language of the World?" *flips page* Me: *sighs* Yupp, that's exactly what happens......again....and again.
