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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Another solid book from Silvia Moreno Garcia! This one isn't going down in history as my favorite of her works, but it made for an interesting enough read.
As other readers have pointed out, the pacing is fairly slow—kind of a byproduct of alternating three POVs, each with their own story to set up. Personally, I found this fine—the book is less interested in plot than in constructing its atmosphere of slowly building dread. The pervasive mood was the best part, with all its unnatural sounds in the night, abandoned buildings, and malevolent invisible presences.
Of the three POVs, I found the two older narratives, Alba's and Betty's stories, more compelling than Minerva's tale of 90s scholarly isolation and depression. All three had fairly predictable endings, but I didn't hate that about them. Sometimes it's fun to be able to recognize an author's particular narrative stamp—their recurring themes, motifs, and character archetypes—and in SMG's case, her love for her genre and her inspirations.
Anyway. The tl;dr here is if you read this one, read it for the vibes.
As other readers have pointed out, the pacing is fairly slow—kind of a byproduct of alternating three POVs, each with their own story to set up. Personally, I found this fine—the book is less interested in plot than in constructing its atmosphere of slowly building dread. The pervasive mood was the best part, with all its unnatural sounds in the night, abandoned buildings, and malevolent invisible presences.
Of the three POVs, I found the two older narratives, Alba's and Betty's stories, more compelling than Minerva's tale of 90s scholarly isolation and depression. All three had fairly predictable endings, but I didn't hate that about them. Sometimes it's fun to be able to recognize an author's particular narrative stamp—their recurring themes, motifs, and character archetypes—and in SMG's case, her love for her genre and her inspirations.
Anyway. The tl;dr here is if you read this one, read it for the vibes.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This one is a slow burn but in the last third the plot really takes off and all three storylines slam together in good and bad ways. Witchy and moody, it’s a good spooky read when the weather is dreary and nights are long.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Sexual assault, Murder
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated