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eadrianschmitz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infertility, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
artemishi's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Characters: 9, I think Dierdre felt the most real as a character- being both tough and flawed. But the dual POV storyline with Gracelynn helped give us perspective on Dierdre's evolution as a person. Each character felt like their own person, and most of them contributed to plot and/or atmosphere, so I'd say they were additive.
Atmosphere: 9, between the colloquialisms, the realistic mass hysteria, the wild weather, and the ever-present threat of poverty in every character's life, the atmosphere was very much on point. As was the tension. I live at the foothills of the Appalachians, not the Ozarks of Arkansas in which the story is set- so I only have vague understanding of the crags and deep hollers and wending rivers that shape the geography of this story. However, I could picture it pretty darn well.
Writing: 10, I thought the writing felt effortless, with a good balance of internal dialogue narration and external dialogue. The villain had motivations and foibles, and at times a humanity that made his monstrous nature even more unsettling. I wouldn't say I found it scary, but disturbing in that "people are so easily manipulated" way. I also felt the romantic tension well, and the representation felt organic.
Plot: 8, the overall plot was on par with expectations, though at times the pacing dragged for lack of investment in current storyline. I think that might be a common issue with multiple POV/timeline stories. Nevertheless, by about 70% in I was hooked and had difficulty putting it down.
Intrigue: 8, I did think the ending wrapped up too neatly and happily- but then, there was plenty of suffering for the MCs before their epilogue so perhaps I'm just mean. I expected some very end hat-tip suggestion of freaky events, but alas.
Logic: 9, the characters all acted in accordance with their motives and fears, which seemed generally along the lines of anger, pride, fear, short-sightedness....all the very human things. There's terrible trauma and tremendous grit, and nobody was purely a villain or purely a hero.
Enjoyment: 9, For the most part, I felt engaged and intrigued by the story as well as the atmosphere.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Body horror, Child death, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment