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wasauthor's review
4.0
I received an advance reader copy of Hierarchy of Needs for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Hierarchy of Needs follows [b:Oblivion Black|61599487|Oblivion Black|Christa Wojciechowski|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1658178521l/61599487._SY75_.jpg|97157332] directly. However, while it picks up where the former left off, the author has crafted an entirely different tale, albeit one that continues its exploration of its themes. The subject matter is, once again, heavy and unflinching.
The setting has changed to New York, bringing Ona back to where she started her story, in the city where she suffered her overdose. While Ona and Antoni’s story continues to form the backbone of the tale, rather than building towards a woman throwing a wrench into their budding romance, this sequel expands the scope to the drug trade in New York, a drug that causes gangrene, killing its users, and a shadowy crime figure known only as “Warlock.”
The novel is about fifty pages shorter than its predecessor, but despite this, the scope has increased, as has its world and its cast. While a number of characters from the original book don’t appear, or have drastically reduced roles which helps the book’s relative brevity, it still packs more into its pages.
The novel maintains a similar pace to its predecessor, slowly unveiling the story, weaving in the events that lead to the book’s climax. This doesn’t work quite as well as the first book—despite the gut wrenching moments that fill its first half, it lacks its predecessor’s sense of urgency. As the story picks up and the reader gets a greater sense of where it's going, it becomes easier to lose yourself in the world. However, the increased scope of the story shifts the focus externally, resulting in Ona and Antoni’s relationship playing a smaller part of the tale. What transpires is an entertaining crime story that lacks the personal edge of its predecessor.
Like the last book, this is predominantly told in the first person, narrated by Ona. Once again, Ona’s voice is an absolute delight. She is written beautifully, with her perspective providing colour to the world. Certain events are a sucker punch, ensuring the reader feels for her and everything she endures. Once again, the book shifts to a third person narrative as it features additional POV characters. The author has increased the number of point of view characters, changing them from something that felt like interstitials to a regular occurrence. With the regularity they appear in, it took me away from Ona’s journey, rather than coloured it.
The biggest casualty of shifting the point of view is Antoni. He’s a wonderful character and remains that way, but the book spends less time with him and his psyche, focusing more on events that surround him. The character is still clearly defined, but he doesn’t shine as brightly this time around. Once again, Ona is handled spectacularly, and the supporting cast is wonderful. Once again, the dialogue is a joy to follow, with all of the characters feeling distinct, and most importantly, real.
The book follows less of the romance tropes than its predecessor. It creates a different effect, and there’s less of a sense of dread about the budding relationship. It’s still a factor, but feels less important this time around. Instead, the plot feels more like a thriller, which it does incredibly well, if it’s not quite as resonant as the first volume.
Following Oblivion Black’s cliffhanger ending, Hierarchy of Needs doesn’t stand on its own. If you pick this up without having read its predecessor, you’ll be lost. However, that book is wonderful, so reading it first is a fulfilling experience. Although there's one more book to go, this reaches a satisfying conclusion. While the reader will need both these two books, they won’t need to read the third to feel satisfied. There is plenty more to come, and the book ends in a way that should entice readers to keep going, rather than force them to.
This feels less personal than its predecessor. While it’s a bigger tale set across a wider canvas that offers more action, I miss the focus on the relationship its predecessor offered. It remains a great book, and one well-worth reading for Ona’s continued adventures. And I’m looking forward to the release of The Sculptor’s conclusion, Darklands.
My full review will be available on my website from 2 December 2022. To read it, and a host of other reviews (including Oblivion Black), click here.
Hierarchy of Needs follows [b:Oblivion Black|61599487|Oblivion Black|Christa Wojciechowski|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1658178521l/61599487._SY75_.jpg|97157332] directly. However, while it picks up where the former left off, the author has crafted an entirely different tale, albeit one that continues its exploration of its themes. The subject matter is, once again, heavy and unflinching.
The setting has changed to New York, bringing Ona back to where she started her story, in the city where she suffered her overdose. While Ona and Antoni’s story continues to form the backbone of the tale, rather than building towards a woman throwing a wrench into their budding romance, this sequel expands the scope to the drug trade in New York, a drug that causes gangrene, killing its users, and a shadowy crime figure known only as “Warlock.”
The novel is about fifty pages shorter than its predecessor, but despite this, the scope has increased, as has its world and its cast. While a number of characters from the original book don’t appear, or have drastically reduced roles which helps the book’s relative brevity, it still packs more into its pages.
The novel maintains a similar pace to its predecessor, slowly unveiling the story, weaving in the events that lead to the book’s climax. This doesn’t work quite as well as the first book—despite the gut wrenching moments that fill its first half, it lacks its predecessor’s sense of urgency. As the story picks up and the reader gets a greater sense of where it's going, it becomes easier to lose yourself in the world. However, the increased scope of the story shifts the focus externally, resulting in Ona and Antoni’s relationship playing a smaller part of the tale. What transpires is an entertaining crime story that lacks the personal edge of its predecessor.
Like the last book, this is predominantly told in the first person, narrated by Ona. Once again, Ona’s voice is an absolute delight. She is written beautifully, with her perspective providing colour to the world. Certain events are a sucker punch, ensuring the reader feels for her and everything she endures. Once again, the book shifts to a third person narrative as it features additional POV characters. The author has increased the number of point of view characters, changing them from something that felt like interstitials to a regular occurrence. With the regularity they appear in, it took me away from Ona’s journey, rather than coloured it.
The biggest casualty of shifting the point of view is Antoni. He’s a wonderful character and remains that way, but the book spends less time with him and his psyche, focusing more on events that surround him. The character is still clearly defined, but he doesn’t shine as brightly this time around. Once again, Ona is handled spectacularly, and the supporting cast is wonderful. Once again, the dialogue is a joy to follow, with all of the characters feeling distinct, and most importantly, real.
The book follows less of the romance tropes than its predecessor. It creates a different effect, and there’s less of a sense of dread about the budding relationship. It’s still a factor, but feels less important this time around. Instead, the plot feels more like a thriller, which it does incredibly well, if it’s not quite as resonant as the first volume.
Following Oblivion Black’s cliffhanger ending, Hierarchy of Needs doesn’t stand on its own. If you pick this up without having read its predecessor, you’ll be lost. However, that book is wonderful, so reading it first is a fulfilling experience. Although there's one more book to go, this reaches a satisfying conclusion. While the reader will need both these two books, they won’t need to read the third to feel satisfied. There is plenty more to come, and the book ends in a way that should entice readers to keep going, rather than force them to.
This feels less personal than its predecessor. While it’s a bigger tale set across a wider canvas that offers more action, I miss the focus on the relationship its predecessor offered. It remains a great book, and one well-worth reading for Ona’s continued adventures. And I’m looking forward to the release of The Sculptor’s conclusion, Darklands.
My full review will be available on my website from 2 December 2022. To read it, and a host of other reviews (including Oblivion Black), click here.
hilaryb's review
4.0
This story picks up right where the first book left off. Ona and Antoni find themselves in quite the pickle at the end of Oblivian Black. So this story continues.
In Book 1, Ona was putting her life back together after a near fatal overdose by working for Antoni, the most talented sculptor in the city. Ona is supporting Anotni in his creative endeavors and becomes his muse. In Book 2, Ona has relapsed and is back on the streets. Antoni is too shattered to sculpt and it’s now his turn to play the supportive role as Ona finds her way.
Not gonna lie, I LOVED Book 1. I gave it an easy 5 stars. Book 2 was much more of a slow angsty burn. I'm giving this one 4 stars simply because I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over again. But I will say, although this author writes of sculptors and artists, she's a true artist herself in the way she paints a picture for her readers. She's a true artist with her words.
Thank you so much to Book Sirens for my advanced reader copy of this book! This is my honest review of Heirarchy of Needs by Christa Wojciechowski, Book 2 of the Sculptor Series. AND at the end of the book you'll hear the best news! If you have the Kindle app you can read Book 3 on Kindle Vella! Kindle Vella is where authors will release a few chapters at a time as episodes for you to subscribe to. Excellent way to give the readers a constant dose of what you crave.
In Book 1, Ona was putting her life back together after a near fatal overdose by working for Antoni, the most talented sculptor in the city. Ona is supporting Anotni in his creative endeavors and becomes his muse. In Book 2, Ona has relapsed and is back on the streets. Antoni is too shattered to sculpt and it’s now his turn to play the supportive role as Ona finds her way.
Not gonna lie, I LOVED Book 1. I gave it an easy 5 stars. Book 2 was much more of a slow angsty burn. I'm giving this one 4 stars simply because I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over again. But I will say, although this author writes of sculptors and artists, she's a true artist herself in the way she paints a picture for her readers. She's a true artist with her words.
Thank you so much to Book Sirens for my advanced reader copy of this book! This is my honest review of Heirarchy of Needs by Christa Wojciechowski, Book 2 of the Sculptor Series. AND at the end of the book you'll hear the best news! If you have the Kindle app you can read Book 3 on Kindle Vella! Kindle Vella is where authors will release a few chapters at a time as episodes for you to subscribe to. Excellent way to give the readers a constant dose of what you crave.
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