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sarah984's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
This book just did not work for me. There were so many characters (many of whom had multiple names) and we didn't spend nearly enough time with any of them for a single emotional moment to hit like it was supposed to. The cult is a huge focus but their beliefs didn't make sense to me in the context of a cult outside of a few buzzwords, and the idea that they've captivated this huge secret cabal of important people is a bit ridiculous. The child character doesn't act like a child or really do anything at all (the characters could just as easily have been chasing after a treasure chest). The first person POV character's motivation is hidden from the reader for way too long. I usually like an ambiguous ending but in my opinion this one is stupid.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Grief, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Xenophobia, Blood, Car accident, Death, Gun violence, Self harm, Torture, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, and Infidelity
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