tm400's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-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
4.0
this was such a captivating read! i feel like it had such a unique premise, and that the author executed it really well. i'm a big sucker for magical realism, and this book hit almost every aspect of the genre that i love!
i loved how this story was written; it was immediately thrilling from the first chapter, and i read it quickly. i found it perfectly paced and loved the storytelling. personally though... i wished a different ending for the protagonist. i do think that this ending was great, and i think that it was still a fantastic ending for this novel. but part of me, the part of me that just read that whole book, wished for something more...explicit is all. i also got confused a few times on characters' motives for why they do the things they do (mainly/especially wally and tamara)
i'm giving this a 4/5 stars, and am definitely looking into more books by peng shepherd to add to my tbr!
Spoiler
i love the use of language such as skeleton, ghost, shell, empty, etc when describing wally towards the end of the book, after we've discovered he was the one behind the murders/map disappearances but before they return to agloe. i also really loved the way the story was told, with the intermittent first person chapters from the members of the Cartographers. really helped me immerse myself into the setting!!i loved how this story was written; it was immediately thrilling from the first chapter, and i read it quickly. i found it perfectly paced and loved the storytelling. personally though... i wished a different ending for the protagonist. i do think that this ending was great, and i think that it was still a fantastic ending for this novel. but part of me, the part of me that just read that whole book, wished for something more...explicit is all. i also got confused a few times on characters' motives for why they do the things they do (mainly/especially wally and tamara)
Spoiler
sorry but i also hate that tamara was still alive in agloe at all... i suspected it from the second we discovered she was the only one who didn't make it back to the real rockland after the fire but i was just hoping maybe it wouldn't happen but then it did :/i'm giving this a 4/5 stars, and am definitely looking into more books by peng shepherd to add to my tbr!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Gun violence
Moderate: Infidelity
outernetbex's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
i really enjoyed this book. i knew almost nothing about it going in which i think made it really fun and surprising- especially the reveal. i had a few issues w the main character, but other than that found the characters believable. they felt like real people making decisions within the world they exist in. however, nell just felt a bit naive most of the time? it was stated throughout the book how smart she is, how good with maps she is, etc etc- yet we don’t really see that. everything going on with the maps she is either told or can’t figure out by herself. anyway i felt like i was connecting the dots despite nell’s narration, or clue gathering, not because of it. that being said i do like the reveals and think most of them are spot on with setting them up well enough that they make sense while also still feeling like a surprise.
Spoiler
AND WHY DO THEY NEVER TAKE PICTURES?.!,!, i understand that it wouldn’t like be a real copy of the maps, but it would allow them to study them longer? like the seaborn map of the library or whatever it’s called like she definitely could have taken a picture of it and found the hidden room. also i’m not sure about the reveal that her mom is still alive in agloe… like how is she not insane from isolation. idk i know it’s a magical realism story but it seems a bit far fetched even for the concept of this book. maybe it would make more sense if so much time had not passed?? idk
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Infidelity, and Violence
spineofthesaurus's review
mysterious
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Grief, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Infidelity, and Stalking
Moderate: Blood, Murder, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Classism and Pregnancy
meg_elyse's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship
allapaz's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
thrilling mysterious dark academic, a worthy and wonderful adventure, I could see myself rating higher on a reread if some plot holes are resolved by me reading versus audiobook-ing as woof that’s a lot of details and characters for my oatmeal brain to remember without being able to flip back a page
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Infidelity, and Death
Moderate: Gaslighting
ikeastorage's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I really enjoyed this book. Phantom settlements are incredibly interesting to me, the idea of them becoming real when following the map is great. The magic(?) system seemed well thought out and wasn't too confusing, although it was a bit confusing because it was introduced ~halfway through the book though it worked out well. All in all, I think this was a great, enjoyable read and I would recommend it.
Spoiler
The way the original Cartographers were integrated with Nell's life was done very well. I did guess that William was Wally pretty early after he was introduced but Humphry caught me by surprise. /pos Nell's mother being alive was not my favorite part of the ending but, personally, it also didn't take anything away from the ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Gun violence, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
Moderate: Infidelity
mar's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
really neat mystery/magic realism story concept that gets weighed down by confusing character motivations and plot holes :/
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Infidelity
Moderate: Gun violence and Stalking
renyoi's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Really engaging text on cartography, interpersonal relationships, and familial dynamics. Author is good at making complex ideas understandable, but falls short near the end of the book in making her character motivations understandable, . Thoroughly enjoyable ready with fully fleshed out characters you will absolutely grow to care for deeply, even when they make seemingly nonsensical decisions. Recommended!
Spoiler
specifically Wally, whose villainy went rather unexamined in any meaningful way the entire time
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Stalking, Abandonment, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Infidelity and Grief
Minor: Gun violence
emsim's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, and Gun violence
Moderate: Infidelity
bookworm247's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, and Kidnapping