emmonsannae's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I’d really wanted to read this book for a long time, and it wasn’t an unenjoyable read but I was disappointed by it. The story is promising and is an easy read. The premise is so intriguing! Its actual book was a bit of a letdown, though. The writing is a bit clumsy with a lot of telling rather than showing. I didn’t feel that words were used especially well—they were used in a utilitarian way to produce the story, but because of this they ended up taking away from the story. I ended up reflecting a lot while reading on how many other authors (even “non-literary” ones) fit language to their own ends so smoothly and effectively that we often don’t notice the artistry to what they’re doing.
Most importantly, I felt the author took advantage of readers’ suspended disbelief by choosing not to explain key elements, which meant I was never fully bought in to what the plot was doing. And it was predictable—I guessed the major plot twist about 100 pages in. The characters were fairly one-dimensional as well. Their motivations felt unbelievable and contrived for the sake of the narrative. Ultimately, I just didn’t feel like the book was well-written. It’s such a great idea for a story, though—I enjoyed the creativity of it very much.
Most importantly, I felt the author took advantage of readers’ suspended disbelief by choosing not to explain key elements, which meant I was never fully bought in to what the plot was doing. And it was predictable—I guessed the major plot twist about 100 pages in. The characters were fairly one-dimensional as well. Their motivations felt unbelievable and contrived for the sake of the narrative. Ultimately, I just didn’t feel like the book was well-written. It’s such a great idea for a story, though—I enjoyed the creativity of it very much.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Alcohol, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
hello_lovely13's review
adventurous
emotional
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Death
Moderate: Infidelity, Murder, and Gun violence
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
mckennajoy's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Death of parent
hal00alex's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Great plot. Writing style relies on info dump which can take away from the characters, but the info dump teaches you a lot about maps.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
kelsea's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Uneven pacing, mediocre characterization followed by twist after twist (not really a compliment), enjoyed the , relies heavily on the reader not knowing anything about paper towns/agloe despite there being a well-known book and film about the same, most characters have nothing to do, unrealistic depiction of toddler,
Spoiler
idea of having a map to access an otherwise hidden room/etc.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Stalking
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
kefowler'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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Murder
coconutoolong's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Magical in the most mundane way! If you are a fan of liminal spaces, phantom towns/paper towns, or maps this is a must-read! This book is a wonderful balance of mystery and interpersonal relationships. All of the plotlines weave together beautifully, making it an even more engaging read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Death
zonumnire's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Death of parent