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hgibson_18's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
What did I just read?? Honestly the most annoying part of the book is the ending, and the shortcomings of the main character.
daisy222de's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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
5.0
brittanylee0302's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
This book was pretty good but it was kind of poorly written. I know it was supposed to be written for a 1960s time period but some of the things mentioned felt unnecessary. The beginning of this book really dragged & everything mentioned was very much predictable. The surprises really didn't come until the very end. It made it hard to power through 70% of the book. It was also hard to follow because there were soooo many characters & they all didn't feel necessary to the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Sexism
Moderate: Gaslighting and Rape
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Mental illness
bookph1le's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars
This had a great setup, but the execution left something to be desired. Read past the spoiler tags at your own risk, as I'm going to be giving the big secret away.
Had the book used white supremacy as the big evil, the couple of racial element woven into the book would also have given it more impact. As it was, I didn't understand why they were there, because they felt more like window dressing than any serious attempt to acknowledge the racial atmosphere of the time period. To me, it came across as signaling, "This lady is white, but she is totally not racist".
Lastly, I had issues with the main character. In the end, her behavior did make more sense, given what she realizes about herself and the impact that trauma would have had on a person, but I found her hard to figure out. One second she's thinking like a wily fox, but the next she's spouting everything that's inside her head. Small wonder she couldn't get away from major creepy town. Her erratic behavior felt too much like convenience, like she was clever when the book needed her to figure out what was going on but lacking in any sense of self-preservation or any self-control when that served the plot by keeping her trapped.
Overall, this book was just...a lot.
This had a great setup, but the execution left something to be desired. Read past the spoiler tags at your own risk, as I'm going to be giving the big secret away.
Spoiler
I thought this book was heading in the direction of the town being a supposed Aryan utopia, which I think would have been a lot better and a lot more disturbing that the weird pseudo-religious plot involving incest, incest, and more incest. All the talk of purity made me think the town's aim was to create a master race, and while that was technically what was going on, the concept didn't make much sense.Had the book used white supremacy as the big evil, the couple of racial element woven into the book would also have given it more impact. As it was, I didn't understand why they were there, because they felt more like window dressing than any serious attempt to acknowledge the racial atmosphere of the time period. To me, it came across as signaling, "This lady is white, but she is totally not racist".
Lastly, I had issues with the main character. In the end, her behavior did make more sense, given what she realizes about herself and the impact that trauma would have had on a person, but I found her hard to figure out. One second she's thinking like a wily fox, but the next she's spouting everything that's inside her head. Small wonder she couldn't get away from major creepy town. Her erratic behavior felt too much like convenience, like she was clever when the book needed her to figure out what was going on but lacking in any sense of self-preservation or any self-control when that served the plot by keeping her trapped.
Overall, this book was just...a lot.
infairveronaa's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I was filled with the same paranoia and vindication that Joan was.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping and Rape
Minor: Sexism
reader295's review
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I love the way Jess Lourey puts you in another world with her books and plots.
Would have liked more resolution of the FMC’s possible mental illness and college friendships
Would have liked more resolution of the FMC’s possible mental illness and college friendships