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mangoseaquest's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
imchelsi's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I picked this up on a whim, not knowing what it was about, simply because I really love Jesse Vilinsky's narration style. This was so much more than I thought it would be and I'm glad I grabbed it! Also, I usually hate love triangles because they are unnecessarily messy but this one was handled super well đź‘Ś
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review
4.0
This was one of my most anticipated fall reads. From the moment I discovered the book (from an announcement of an American Book Box) I was intrigued by the concept. Music is a part of my soul, so having it to be such a big part of the story could only go well. I was therefore very happy when Book Box Club announced the theme for September, since I recognized this book right away, which meant one less pre-order.
And the book does not disappoint. The best part of this book is very clearly the atmosphere. It's actually the perfect spooky Halloween read. The descriptions of the woods, of the ghosts and of the town and living places of these characters are downright amazing. I had a chill rolling down my spine quite often and everything felt so incredibly vivid.
On top of that there was an amazing family history. Along the story we get more and more pieces of the puzzle, and it's quite a complicated puzzle in the end. It kept me on the edge of my seat while reading and it also made the buddy read we did quite hard. There were quite a few times we had to wait another day just when the story was getting more and more interesting or just when we would surely get a few answers. Because there are loads of exciting moments spread throughout the book.
The finishing touch is the quite big ensemble of characters. Normally a standalone with this many characters can get confusing, or it might feel like characters are not really playing a part, but it didn't feel that way in this book. Our main heroine not only needed all the key players in the mystery, but she also needed the support and personal conflicts from and with her friends. And although the personal drama was quite minimal, it did ground the story in reality.
And the book does not disappoint. The best part of this book is very clearly the atmosphere. It's actually the perfect spooky Halloween read. The descriptions of the woods, of the ghosts and of the town and living places of these characters are downright amazing. I had a chill rolling down my spine quite often and everything felt so incredibly vivid.
On top of that there was an amazing family history. Along the story we get more and more pieces of the puzzle, and it's quite a complicated puzzle in the end. It kept me on the edge of my seat while reading and it also made the buddy read we did quite hard. There were quite a few times we had to wait another day just when the story was getting more and more interesting or just when we would surely get a few answers. Because there are loads of exciting moments spread throughout the book.
The finishing touch is the quite big ensemble of characters. Normally a standalone with this many characters can get confusing, or it might feel like characters are not really playing a part, but it didn't feel that way in this book. Our main heroine not only needed all the key players in the mystery, but she also needed the support and personal conflicts from and with her friends. And although the personal drama was quite minimal, it did ground the story in reality.
_m03_'s review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
graciejames's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
george_and_books's review
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
henrygravesprince's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Two things before I get into my thoughts on the book itself. Firstly, I do want to say that I feel like this book was kind of shallow in its portrayal of Orlando, a Cuban boy who is supposed to be the protagonist’s best friend (but barely gets any screentime), and it comes across as tokenizing or box-checking instead of an actual effort to represent Cuban people well or accurately. The white lady narrating the audiobook putting on the particular accent she did for Orlando’s dialogue only made it seem worse, I’m afraid. Second thing: I understand why people call this Appalachian—it deals a lot with Appalachian folk songs, doesn’t frequently mention location, and lots of people see Appalachia and the rural south as synonymous—but it’s worth noting that this takes place in Florida, so while this is a rural American south story, to call it an Appalachian book isn’t entirely accurate. Also, worth noting: the audiobook narrator says Appalachia wrong (if you’re confused about how to say Appalachia, think “apple atcha”).
Now, those things aside, I found this book to be an interesting examination of addiction and cycles of trauma through a Southern folk magicky sort of lense. I also found the usage of some Southern Gothic elements in a YA sort of reskin really interesting; the book does not “feel” Southern Gothic, and I wouldn’t really class it as that genre, but it does a good job of incorporating elements such as the representation of society through individuals through the setting and complex Southern family dynamics, unearthing family secrets and trauma to put them to rest once and for all. I’m curious to see where the author’s style developed from this debut and if it continues in that trajectory or not.
Also, spoilers ahead, but for anyone interested in reading this but the love triangle resolution is important to the decision, the protagonist, Shady (who is bisexual), does end up with the boy and the sapphic love interest ends up with a different girl (their sexualities are not specified but at least one of them is implied to be a lesbian) .
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Child abuse, Murder, and Addiction
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Sexual harassment and Homophobia
Noose imagery; Bugs, particularly wasps; Head injury; Agoraphobiacalliegraphy's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
hermesreads's review
2.0
c’était bien parti mais le livre a perdu l’intérêt que j’avais pour lui :/