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theshiftyshadow's Reviews (329)
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There's nothing wrong with this book, I just think I'm a little out of the age range it's targeting. The central romance is very sweet and funny but I found myself way more interested in the other relationships the main character, Saoirse, has, and would have loved a much deeper dive into her family situation and all the messy emotional stuff that was going on there. I kept thinking I'd love to see it on TV as a mini series, fleshing out some of the supporting characters and really digging into the darker stuff. But, I don't think that's the point of this book at all, and as it is I'm sure it will mean the world to a lot of people, so I can't fault it for being exactly what it sets out to be.
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
funny
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was so interested to read this one because the premise just sounds so out there that I was convinced there was no way I could like these characters. And yet, here we are.
Braithwaite does such a good job of establishing the world these sisters live in, and showing exactly how they ended up where they are, and more impressively how Korede ends up in a position where she's covering up murders for her sister, and I'm almost rooting for her as she does it?
And this is a very short book, the pace is frantic, and yet she packs so much into it, every word, every conversation, every tiny glimpse into their childhood, everything is necessary, nothing is included that doesn't need to be.
Braithwaite does such a good job of establishing the world these sisters live in, and showing exactly how they ended up where they are, and more impressively how Korede ends up in a position where she's covering up murders for her sister, and I'm almost rooting for her as she does it?
And this is a very short book, the pace is frantic, and yet she packs so much into it, every word, every conversation, every tiny glimpse into their childhood, everything is necessary, nothing is included that doesn't need to be.
I read this so fast, could not put it down but I have no idea what was going on or what any of it means. Definitely want to read the other books in the series in the hope of getting even a handful of my many many questions answered.
reflective
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Set on a small Pacific North West island with a large Japanese population, in the years leading up to and following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbour, this book is incredibly atmospheric and the historical sections of it really drew me in. The court case side of things let it down a bit though. The tensions between islanders as a result of the war, and how that plays into the seemingly predetermined result of the trial is interesting at first, but it loses its appeal about half way through and ends up as a repetitive gimmick to introduce back story, and although there's some tension initially it just sort of fizzles out in the end.
Still, I enjoyed it for the most part and as someone who is currently on a Japanese/American history binge, it was a bit of a more personal look at these events than other things I've been reading.
Still, I enjoyed it for the most part and as someone who is currently on a Japanese/American history binge, it was a bit of a more personal look at these events than other things I've been reading.
