metaphorsandkats's review against another edition
Way too difficult to understand what was going on. The time jumps, the multitude of perspectives. I wasn’t able to invest in any of the characters. It was too confusing.
katewutz's review against another edition
4.0
This was a book where I just kind of had to go along for the ride. The structure is a little like broken glass, fragments of stories and moments shattered by the trauma Gwin and Fern have come through. It would benefit from a reread, I’m sure, the type of book that would reveal new things to you every time you read it.
fern_raegan's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
pages_and_pothos's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
This book was written in the most off putting format I may have ever read. It was almost incoherent at times. Not only did it jump ALL OVER as far as past, present and future, but ther narrative was too many different people, and said so much without ever saying anything. I kept thinking it must get better, but it never did unfortunately.
schmoore's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
calster's review against another edition
Story’s just not doing it for me. Interesting style, but too experimental. Maybe I’ll try a physical copy.
sarahmae531's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I thought the storytelling style of this book was interesting. It jumped around a lot, which was a little difficult listening as an audio book.
Obviously it’s a very heartbreaking story, but I found it hard to connect with the characters, which I feel terrible saying. But I feel like we didn’t learn about the girls individually enough for me to grow to love them, a lot of the focus was on the people around them and just the fact that they are the Victim Girls.
Obviously it’s a very heartbreaking story, but I found it hard to connect with the characters, which I feel terrible saying. But I feel like we didn’t learn about the girls individually enough for me to grow to love them, a lot of the focus was on the people around them and just the fact that they are the Victim Girls.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Violence, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Rape
Moderate: Homophobia
epubprincess's review against another edition
2.0
As a Cleveland native, I’m very familiar with the Ariel Castro case. There are many correlations between that case and the fictional case that this book is based around. Three girls: Fern, Gwinnie, and Jesenia are held hostage by a sadistic man we only know as Boss Man. We follow their lives before the abduction, during their captivity, and after their escape. This book has a LOT of experimental stylistic choices, some of which are incredibly bizarre. Everything didn’t work and parts are hard to understand or inaccessible.
For example, there are no quotation marks used, but quotation marks are very useful for showing where dialogue begins and ends. There’s a lot that doesn’t make sense or isn’t fully explained until later, which I always feel is unfair to readers.
A little more than halfway through, the book completely changes. There’s a 30-year time jump, a totally different format, a new narrator, and a new location in Cleveland, OH (a clear nod to the Ariel Castro case). This time jump lends to some mildly sci-fi elements, as it takes place in 2039, and for me, it’s a bit too meta. This is the first time I’ve seen COVID-19 referenced in literature, but because it’s the future, the author also references COVID-20 and COVID-21. This part of the book did not work for me at all. This section also includes 51 endnotes that are elaborated at the end of the chapter. In ebook format, these absolutely did not work and I had to just ignore them.
The author does a good job of illustrating how the girls are stunted from the isolation they experience, though I wonder if this was over the top in places. There are random photos throughout the book that don’t really connect to anything. The constant changing styles makes the entire book feel disjointed. Though it’s well written and thoughtfully crafted, this book was unfortunately not for me. Its biggest flaw is that it’s ultimately not enjoyable.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Instagram: @ePubPrincess
Blog: www.medium.com/@ePubPrincess
For example, there are no quotation marks used, but quotation marks are very useful for showing where dialogue begins and ends. There’s a lot that doesn’t make sense or isn’t fully explained until later, which I always feel is unfair to readers.
A little more than halfway through, the book completely changes. There’s a 30-year time jump, a totally different format, a new narrator, and a new location in Cleveland, OH (a clear nod to the Ariel Castro case). This time jump lends to some mildly sci-fi elements, as it takes place in 2039, and for me, it’s a bit too meta. This is the first time I’ve seen COVID-19 referenced in literature, but because it’s the future, the author also references COVID-20 and COVID-21. This part of the book did not work for me at all. This section also includes 51 endnotes that are elaborated at the end of the chapter. In ebook format, these absolutely did not work and I had to just ignore them.
The author does a good job of illustrating how the girls are stunted from the isolation they experience, though I wonder if this was over the top in places. There are random photos throughout the book that don’t really connect to anything. The constant changing styles makes the entire book feel disjointed. Though it’s well written and thoughtfully crafted, this book was unfortunately not for me. Its biggest flaw is that it’s ultimately not enjoyable.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Instagram: @ePubPrincess
Blog: www.medium.com/@ePubPrincess
jstor's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.0
fgmetzger's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0