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angelicathebookworm's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Mosby’s novel makes for a great thriller as he truly nails those really important elements, such as the haunting yet beautiful scenery, with his descriptive and uncomplicated writing style. Mosby also includes the ‘novel within a novel’ element which was well written and has a really nice tie in with the themes of flowers, growth, and family. The novel contains a cast of realistic and well-developed characters which is so vital in a novel such as this where the plot is complex and the narrative voice is constantly changing. Neil Dawson, one of our main characters and a key narrator, is portrayed as a version of the everyman figure. He’s realistic with very relatable flaws and overcomes common, mundane problems throughout the course of this hair-raising narrative. In contrast with Neil, our other key narrative voice, Hannah Price, is a strong and independent figure with a fierceness about her that isn’t all that surprising given her upbringing. Both narrators have strong morals but have to combat not only the past with all its secrets, but have to deal with the skeletons in the closets of each of their fathers.
The pace of the novel slowly builds from the beginning so it’s not as fast-paced as many other thrillers. Once the pacing speeds up, though, it doesn’t lead to a rushed climax, which can occur in slow-burning novels, and I’m glad that wasn’t the case here. Mosby’s novel contains many red herrings and surprises and, while they’re all believable and well-executed, there are a few that are fairly easy to figure out before the final reveal. The constant movement between the various narrative voices, alongside the non-chronological structure and the many twists and turns, make for the novel to be a little bit hard to follow at times so it’s vital that you give this novel your full attention so you don’t miss any of the important details.
For more reviews like this one, check out https://angelicacastilloking.wordpress.com/
The pace of the novel slowly builds from the beginning so it’s not as fast-paced as many other thrillers. Once the pacing speeds up, though, it doesn’t lead to a rushed climax, which can occur in slow-burning novels, and I’m glad that wasn’t the case here. Mosby’s novel contains many red herrings and surprises and, while they’re all believable and well-executed, there are a few that are fairly easy to figure out before the final reveal. The constant movement between the various narrative voices, alongside the non-chronological structure and the many twists and turns, make for the novel to be a little bit hard to follow at times so it’s vital that you give this novel your full attention so you don’t miss any of the important details.
For more reviews like this one, check out https://angelicacastilloking.wordpress.com/
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, and Violence